Neigborhood involvement

Started by LoriC • 10 replies • 1477 views

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LoriC (South Carolina)
Posts: 2

Posted:

We've been in our neighborhood for just over 2yrs, my husband is VP of our HOA. Our President is not very active in getting events together/organizing. Everytime my husband brings a great idea up it gets shot down or it's eventually dropped. When we do have an event i.e. pool party/bbq, easter egg hunt, it's planned at the very last minute and the neigborhood and us gets told about it a week prior to it happening, therefore we don't get a lot of folks who participate. Any ideas on how to get our president on the ball to make things happen quicker. We've offered to help out anyway we can and it's ultimately his decision on when things are going to happen. It's just very frustrating. He's only got 6 months left on the board and we truly feel he's just giving up.

JaimeW (North Carolina)
Posts: 24

Posted:

In the neighborhoods we manage, there is a Social Committee that is in charge of the planning of functions in the neighborhood. The Board approves so much of the budget to go towards the social functions and then the Chairperson for the Social Committee plans the events. The Social Committee will need to request the funds for the function from the Board so they can have the management company or the person that writes the checks get the money to the Committee.

This way of doing it seems to work for the different communities.

I hope this helps.

LisaS (Illinois)
Posts: 341

Posted:

I cannot believe that your President has the 'only word' on any event/issue in your association. How many Board members are there? Read your Association documents thoroughly to find out the rights of the Board members. In our association we all have titles, but none of our seats holds more weight than the other. Our President is just one vote out of five.

Also, where are the other Board members on this? Perhaps a few words from the others would pursuade the President 'delegate' the picnincs, pool parties, etc to your husband or a 'social committee'. If it could be ahndled in this manner, he/she would be saving face and the allusion of power, while allowing it to be handled properly and not conceding there was any error in the way it had been done in the past.

Good luck!
Lisa

HeatherB2 (Oregon)
Posts: 16

Posted:

I am the president of our HOA and love peoples suggestions for activities. I am willing to give my ok and provide some funds for supplies. However, the person suggesting the activity should be willing to put in time/effort to organize it.

I don't think it's ok for a homeowner or Board member to bring up an idea, have it ok'd and then expect someone else to do all the work.

The individual homeowner is also a part of the community and has a responsiblity to pitch in where needed - especially if they are the one pushing a certain activity.

ClaudiaH (Kentucky)
Posts: 27

Posted:

I know of some neighborhoods around me who also have social committees to handle their social events. I'm kinda stumped that your president would have so much authority also. It's not really like that on our Board, but maybe that's because our President is good.

You can always have some social events at your house. Have everyone bring a dish to offset the financial burden.

DwightT (Idaho)
Posts: 664

Posted:

While I am very much in favor of an HOA being involved in it's community in that fashion, there is nothing that says that everything has to come from the HOA. What is to prevent a group of homeowners from organizing social events on their own? While it would certainly make things easier, you don't necessarily need the permission of the HOA to form your own neighborhood social club. Maybe you can eventually invite whoever is on the BOD to officially recognize the group, but in the mean time you can get it going with other interested homeowners.

HeatherB2 (Oregon)
Posts: 16

Posted:

Dwight,
I totally agree with your response. I am sometimes frustrated that homeowners don't take it upon themselves to organize social activities if that is what they are interested in. Everything doesn't have to be run through the HOA.

We have 3 members on our BOD and we all have an equal say. I would never want that sole responsiblity, and I think it is a bad idea to only have one person making all the decisions.

BradP (Kansas)
Posts: 2,640

Posted:

What is alarming to me is I have seen a lot of posts on here lately where it appears that some HOA's operate as if the president is the ultimate decision maker and has veto power. That isn't true at all, the president is just another board member. If you bring an idea to the board and it is approved by a majority of the board then it is good to go. The president can dissent all they want, all you need is a majority board.

With that said I agree with some others, form a social committee to develop ideas to present to the board. Have your board vote on them, majority is a go ahead to the committee to plan.

SidneyP (Florida)
Posts: 302

Posted:

Brad said:"some HOA's operate as if the president is the ultimate decision maker and has veto power. That isn't true at all, the president is just another board member."

Wrong!!! because the President has run off all HO's that was doing good deeds around the community and chased the Board members away...she now has her very own hand picked appointees, they follow her lead...We also no longer have any committees, they all resigned after she took over leadership. She runs the whole ship....I am now on the Board but I am only one vote and sure it won't be long before she gets rid of me...she even went so far as to get a four to one vote for a HO who lives out of town and is here only a couple of times a year.

I have only been on the Board since March 31st and I will be trying to get some committees started but it is doubtful. I have no heard one word from a Board members since March 31st...So if something is going on, I don't know it....

HO's don't care and they will not run for a Board slot. We only have 17 HO's living in the community, the rest are investors.

Wish me luck....

GloriaM (North Carolina)
Posts: 829

Posted:

Committees are so important in an association. They are the pulse and heart of the community. The board is the decision makers but the committees are what really makes things happen in a community.

Without a social committee, newsletter, landscape, ARC committee, then it all falls on the board and if you have an MC. This is where HO feel as if it is a dictatorship; but with committees, HO feel as if they have a voice.

If you have a Member at Large have them try and stir up interest in HO serving on committees. As Maragret Mead said, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has."

BradP (Kansas)
Posts: 2,640

Posted:

Quote:

Posted By SidneyP on 05/17/2008 5:50 PM
Brad said:"some HOA's operate as if the president is the ultimate decision maker and has veto power. That isn't true at all, the president is just another board member."

Wrong!!! because the President has run off all HO's that was doing good deeds around the community and chased the Board members away...she now has her very own hand picked appointees, they follow her lead...We also no longer have any committees, they all resigned after she took over leadership. She runs the whole ship....I am now on the Board but I am only one vote and sure it won't be long before she gets rid of me...she even went so far as to get a four to one vote for a HO who lives out of town and is here only a couple of times a year.

I have only been on the Board since March 31st and I will be trying to get some committees started but it is doubtful. I have no heard one word from a Board members since March 31st...So if something is going on, I don't know it....

HO's don't care and they will not run for a Board slot. We only have 17 HO's living in the community, the rest are investors.

Wish me luck....

No one can run you off unless they have a deadly weapon or you want to be run off. You comment that you are only one vote, so is she, she has no greater power than you. Sounds like you need to get community support behind you.

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