Homeowner Apathy.. any suggestions to enhance membership presence and activity??

FionaC (California)
Posts: 212

Posted:

Greetings HOA Talk.

I have been in a round about way made the spokes person for our recall attempt on one of our board members. The recall petition has been delivered. We are in the 20 day waiting period for the board to set a date for the special meeting, or recall election.

This event has caused me to go door to door, speak to people and on the whole the majority of those approached or spoke to have been very supportive. ( about 3/4 ).

What really surprises me is the total lack of concern by some homeowners...and it's not like one or two individuals... the few homeowners I spoke too actually said they dont' want to get involved!! But on the backhand they would comment, I know madame president is not nice, has done or said things that are really rude, but we don't want to get involved!!

Heck, I had one homeowner who has had major issues with madame actually ask if she is still on the board!! She is mid term and actually has sent multiple notices out with her name on it.

How can homeowners just be so inactive, but offer a back hand comment, we dont' like madame but we know she is doing xyz but we dont' want to get involved.
The bright side, I have had others say, yes, enough is enough... the abuse of power has gone on too far... time to end it..

Apathy is notorious in HOA's. I'd like to know how to handle the homeowner who states "I dont' want to get involved, but follows that with a I hate madame incident" Its almost like I would like to say, if you are not willing to fix the situation, then dont' complain..

But that would never win over votes to recall

Ideas on how to rally the apathetic to alert them of their need for action.. for recall or not just to vote??

TimB4 (Tennessee)
Posts: 21,047

Posted:

Fiona,

The individual you talked to probably had issues that the Board addressed and the tone of the letter sent upset the individual. I had a past President who was an attorney and his letters did the same thing. This was mainly because he was used to drafting letters as an attorney and leaving little room for any discussion on an issue (after all, an attorney wants to win their argument). The individual was great in person.

The answer I would reply with is, well if you would become involved those issues could be properly addressed.

My limited Board (two people)discussed this at our last meeting and determined that if someone called with a concern that our response would be:

Due to the limited number of volunteers on the Board, there is not enough time available to address that issue. Would you be willing to serve on the Board (committee) in order to have that issue addressed?

FionaC (California)
Posts: 212

Posted:

Quote:

Posted By TimB4 on 11/12/2011 11:18 AM
Fiona,

The individual you talked to probably had issues that the Board addressed and the tone of the letter sent upset the individual. I had a past President who was an attorney and his letters did the same thing. This was mainly because he was used to drafting letters as an attorney and leaving little room for any discussion on an issue (after all, an attorney wants to win their argument). The individual was great in person.

The answer I would reply with is, well if you would become involved those issues could be properly addressed.

My limited Board (two people)discussed this at our last meeting and determined that if someone called with a concern that our response would be:

Due to the limited number of volunteers on the Board, there is not enough time available to address that issue. Would you be willing to serve on the Board (committee) in order to have that issue addressed?

Hello Tim, our board is well stocked with members. IT could run per quorum if the recall is effective. I would volunteer if needed, but I am not 100% convinced its needed as there is at least one more homeowner who stated he'd jump in if need be.

I guess my question should be specifically, how can I stir interests in the community to vote for this very important election. I really would like them all to vote for a removal, but lets me honest, they should vote how they like..

I am convinced the majority wish for a removal, or at least that is how they speak.

One of the big hurdles I had to jump with speaking to one neighbor is "Since Madame has been on the board for the past 5 years, we have ALOT done around here. she's done alot". Truth be, I told them, the percieve that the goods done in our community are the direct actions of one person is not realistic. Our board operates on a majority vote... not bye ONE person.

I am fearful this is the ammo being offered by the one being recalled.

I can not offer a meeting as there is no reasonable area to hold this, bur rather ask those who support the recall to converse with the neighbors etc... I am not sure if this will be of assistance to community involvement.

If I provided a detailed list if issues which prompted a recall it would read as boring as our CCRs. I could provide list, dates, times.. but do you think that people really want pages of issues? Openly threatening a group of homeowners for meeting at the pool, accusing them of holding an illegal hoa meeting, openly calling 2 homeowners as the responsible parties ( which in fact they were NOT) Threatening to have our management company contact us due to our "illegal" acts. Being seeing with her pet off a lease, despite posting notices all over the property stating our USPS put our complex on notice for having such issues. Hosting personal get togethers in our brand new clubhouse, allowing her dogs, and her neighbors dogs inside.. #4 rules state no pets allowed in clubhouse.. ( our clubhouse was redone this year to the tune of 10K, ) ONLY sporting events known to the President are allowed for viewing by the community ( Football and baseball) Use of the clubhouse for private parties not open to public, but just a few neighbors.. for a BBQ. Hostile rude conduct during public meetings towards homeowners, board members and even our own management. The incidents listed would come with dates, times, and proof of complaints to the management company via email and certified mail.

Multiple people on lots of occasions have seen and witnessed this.. the dog thing was so bad we finally threatend her with taking pictures of her unleashed dog and getting animal control involved.. that worked.

Saying this, our community is tired of the rules don't apply to me approach to madame... its been really a bad year, but the verbal threats by the pool to a group was the last straw for us.

Yet, you get those homeowners who know this happened, and "dont't want to get involved " because of fear of retaliation or verbal conflict..which has happened to some with differing opinions from Madame..

FionaC (California)
Posts: 212

Posted:

Quote:

Posted By TimB4 on 11/12/2011 11:18 AM
Fiona,

The individual you talked to probably had issues that the Board addressed and the tone of the letter sent upset the individual. I had a past President who was an attorney and his letters did the same thing. This was mainly because he was used to drafting letters as an attorney and leaving little room for any discussion on an issue (after all, an attorney wants to win their argument). The individual was great in person.

The answer I would reply with is, well if you would become involved those issues could be properly addressed.

My limited Board (two people)discussed this at our last meeting and determined that if someone called with a concern that our response would be:

Due to the limited number of volunteers on the Board, there is not enough time available to address that issue. Would you be willing to serve on the Board (committee) in order to have that issue addressed?

Hello Tim, our board is well stocked with members. IT could run per quorum if the recall is effective. I would volunteer if needed, but I am not 100% convinced its needed as there is at least one more homeowner who stated he'd jump in if need be.

I guess my question should be specifically, how can I stir interests in the community to vote for this very important election. I really would like them all to vote for a removal, but lets me honest, they should vote how they like..

I am convinced the majority wish for a removal, or at least that is how they speak.

One of the big hurdles I had to jump with speaking to one neighbor is "Since Madame has been on the board for the past 5 years, we have ALOT done around here. she's done alot". Truth be, I told them, the percieve that the goods done in our community are the direct actions of one person is not realistic. Our board operates on a majority vote... not bye ONE person.

I am fearful this is the ammo being offered by the one being recalled.

I can not offer a meeting as there is no reasonable area to hold this, bur rather ask those who support the recall to converse with the neighbors etc... I am not sure if this will be of assistance to community involvement.

If I provided a detailed list if issues which prompted a recall it would read as boring as our CCRs. I could provide list, dates, times.. but do you think that people really want pages of issues? Openly threatening a group of homeowners for meeting at the pool, accusing them of holding an illegal hoa meeting, openly calling 2 homeowners as the responsible parties ( which in fact they were NOT) Threatening to have our management company contact us due to our "illegal" acts. Being seeing with her pet off a lease, despite posting notices all over the property stating our USPS put our complex on notice for having such issues. Hosting personal get togethers in our brand new clubhouse, allowing her dogs, and her neighbors dogs inside.. #4 rules state no pets allowed in clubhouse.. ( our clubhouse was redone this year to the tune of 10K, ) ONLY sporting events known to the President are allowed for viewing by the community ( Football and baseball) Use of the clubhouse for private parties not open to public, but just a few neighbors.. for a BBQ. Hostile rude conduct during public meetings towards homeowners, board members and even our own management. The incidents listed would come with dates, times, and proof of complaints to the management company via email and certified mail.

Multiple people on lots of occasions have seen and witnessed this.. the dog thing was so bad we finally threatend her with taking pictures of her unleashed dog and getting animal control involved.. that worked.

Saying this, our community is tired of the rules don't apply to me approach to madame... its been really a bad year, but the verbal threats by the pool to a group was the last straw for us.

Yet, you get those homeowners who know this happened, and "dont't want to get involved " because of fear of retaliation or verbal conflict..which has happened to some with differing opinions from Madame..