HOA Pet Peeve

I was responding to another post when this little pet peeve hit me...I noticed that many posters state "I CALLED the president/BOD member to discuss an issue and this is the response etc...". What pet peeves me about these statements are the fact they are calling the President or BOD OUTSIDE of the OPEN BOARD/MEMBER meeting. The BOARD/MEMBER meetings are OPEN for a reason. It is for ALL interested HOA members (Including BOD/Officers) to discuss OPENLY the running of the HOA and to make decisions. It is WHERE the HOA business is to get done.

Calling a BOD member or HOA officer OUTSIDE of these meetings interupts that person's PRIVATE life. Which they are entitled to have just like you. If you can't find the time or make the effort to attend an open member meeting, then why complain when your ideas don't get listened to or voted on? It's YOUR fault the HOA doesn't do what you want it to do if you don't participate.

If you can't attend a meeting, then make arrangements to communicate. I had several members who had work schedules in conflict. Including my very own. They had made arrangements with me at a meeting or when we spoke working on a project they wanted such and such information from our meeting. These members participated in events of the HOA and were valued members. They just made arrangements OPENLY that they were unable to attend. Sending a letter to the BOD to be read at the BOD would count as communication at the OPEN meeting. I believe ANYONE sending a letter to the HOA to express an opionion should have their letter addressed at the open meeting.

It's just a President or BOD can't make a decision on any of your issues (Except for emergency situations) until they meet anyways. So to ask for a PERSONAL response from a BOD member/Officer should never be granted unless they call YOU in response after they have made an informed and unified decision amongst themselves at a meeting and reviewing the rules.

My favorite response to someone whoever called me on an issue "I don't know that answer until I reveiew the documentation and it is discussed at our OPEN Meeting held once a month at XXX Time. If you want to address the issue, I'd recommend you be there to see how the vote and recommendation goes".

I agree with you KellyM...It's not that phone calls aren't part of the course. Heck, I couldn't walk to the mailbox without being stopped. All as expected of course..

My pet peeve comes only to those who expect direct answers from their calls. My response to phone calls was to listen to their issue but to plainly tell them it would be discussed at the meeting. Unless I called them in response to their questions, I couldn't supply a direct and accurate answer. It wasn't "ME" running the HOA. It was ALL the members who had a stake in any decisions made.

So to get a bit upset and make big statements as "My HOA won't listen" or "The President/BOD told me this in response" when I called outside of going to a meeting... A President or BOD shouldn't be addressing issues on an individual level as the HOA is NOT on individual level. It is a PERSONAL conversation if you have a conversation outside of the PUBLIC meeting in my opinion. Which also leads to people NOT trusting their board as they believe the BOD is acting behind the members backs...If it weren't for those members acting behind all the members backs and acting outside the PUBLIC meeting the BOD might not be so "guilty" of doing things behind closed doors...Sometimes those same members who accuse the HOA of that, are the very ones making those phone calls and NOT attending meetigs...

It would seem that instead of a phone call to Pres. or whoever a short note spelling out the complaint and a response from the Pres, or whoever would be much better that would avoid a lot of issues especially the he said/ they said issue.

I agree with your opinion BradP and we are on the same page. What I am saying is that people who have these "Personal" conversations with a President/BOD thinking that conversation is a way to NOT go to a meeting or a way to get their request done. As President, I am NOT a "Dictator". I can't just approve your "flower bed" over the phone or without consulting my other board members. You have an idea or want approval for something then you MUST understand it is open for ALL members to see and share opinions on. I didn't always agree with my HOA membership decisions. However, I did have to respect them and make sure they happened.

It's just that instead of always blaming the HOA, realize WHO the HOA truly is. It isn't the President, board, or ACC committee. It is YOUR fellow neighbors and members.

Perhaps your HOA operates differently than ours most of our homes are summer homes officers are rarely here let alone communicate or even know what goes on. Pres. stopped in today to "check in" he forgot to mention there has been a lawsuit filed or that water system contract is not being paid on time so much for communication this is why I suggested something in writing that way there is proof that something has been brought to the attention of the HOA officers can't say "We didn't know" or bring it up at the meeting (we only have one meeting a year).

This is one reason why our Board is considering setting up a dedicated email address where people can write in questions, suggestions, complaints, etc. If it's a simple request, we can forward it to our property manager, if someone's yelling about being referred to the attorney for a delinquent fee, we can forward THAT to the attorney, etc. Everyone will get an acknowlegement stating how the issue will be addressed - if it's just ranting and raving, we'll probably send a response like "thank you for contacting us, we will keep these comments in mind as we discuss whatever at the next meeting - we encourage you to attend to provide more information"

Melissa, I must say I really enjoy reading your responses on this website - you should write a book on how to run a HOA without losing one's mind (or smacking a neighbor on the head with a baseball bat!)

And once again the human element is being booted in favor of the electronic.

You know, if we keep going this route, no one is going to know how to talk to one another. A place I think we are perilously close to already. It is one thing to have an anonymous suggestion box in a grocery store. It's quite another to tell your homeowners, "If you have anything you want to say, send an e-mail." I wonder if such a designated site would have the ubiquitous disclaimer, "Your e-mail is important to us. Our menu options have changed. Please select from the following options so we may know how to best direct your e-mail." How many of us are routinely frustrated with being forced to go through an automated system when all we want to do is talk to someone? And how many of us, despite our best intentions, get short, snippy and less than gracious when we finally do get someone? As an elected officer I am the first point of contact for any member's concern. If they need to talk to a management company, or lawyer, or neighbor, or ARC, or Board, or whatever, I should be able to help them in whatever direction they need without them having to go through a "middle-man," in this case, e-mail.

E-mails are not a substitute for human communication. And while it has proven its undeniable value in so many ways for human interaction, it has also proven its undeniable fallibility. We know people say all manner of things in an e-mail they would not dare to say person-to-person. It is an inherently flawed and reckless medium, catering to the worst of our tendencies for cowardice and lassitude.

The days of picking up a telephone and talking to someone with whom you are having a problem seem to be so quaint. Whew, glad THOSE days are over. . .

I think ever HOA is different and one application may not work for another. What I can tell you is we have 167 homes and I don't have an issue with a phone call or visit...We have a management company for covenants only so any issue outside of that we have to deal with. I also don't have a problem telling someone to come back later, call me later or that I have heard enough and this is what they need to do. One of the issues in today's world is a general lack of respect for people but I can tell you when someone hears me say that is enough in my low gruff voice while staring at a large male they get the picture and get it quick. There has to be a balancing act and I can tell you that if I was in an HOA and wanted to ask a question or bring up a topic to the board and they shunned me till a meeting I would have a sincere problem with that. Don't be surprised as a board when the community doesn't listen to you when you don't offer the same to them. I don't think you have to give up your life but you should be more accessible than the average neighbor, part of it.

Mike...i appreciate that...i think it comes down to treat members how you would want to be treated in that situation. You will always have a nut or two, we certainly do and you handle those as need be. Yes I have had to call police on a member and have told others it was enough but it is what it is and life moves on.