Canadians on the Board Of Directors?

Just when I thought I've heard it all,our board is now recruiting Canadian citizens to serve on our board. I have nothing against Canadians personally. I do not want anyone fron any other Country representing my interests. What ever country you are from you have your own beliefs and values. This is the United States Of America of which I served.
Our resort is seasonal and the board holds several conference calls over the summer months. This gets quite expensive and when you add a line from Canada it's outragious.
Please let me hear from other USA citizens on how you feel about this.

DavidS23: Since your Board is recruiting Canadian citizens to serve on the Board, do your documents state that ONLY unit owners can serve on the Board? Therefore, if the Canadian citizen is a unit owner in your association, and his interests in maintaining property values holds true, then IMHO, he has just as much right to hold office as any other unit owner.

Why not use an internet phone call. Pretty cheap even to here in Canada... . I can call anywhere in Canada or the U.S for less than 5 cents/minute 24/7 so an hour or two on the phone is going to cost me 3-6.00.

But hey, if you don't want unit holders from other Countries representing their interests as well, by being on the Board why not offer to buy all the Canadians units from them. We keep reading how there are more and more homes for sale in the U.S. and prices are dropping so much that you may have to put up with foreign investment. First Dubai World buying your ports, next China in Citibank, and now heaven forbid....CANADIANS.

The CAD dollar has risen so much many Canadians are now looking at investing in US properties, especially in Florida and Arizona. Can't blame us cause when we were at 60 cents it really sucked but being ~ par is great for us.

The only real difference I can see is that Canadians look so white (no tans) for 6 months of the year cause the sun doesn't rise, and oh yes, we say 'eh' alot!

DavidS23---So far I agree with the postings of everyone who replied to you. However, I think I know where YOU'RE coming from. I live in an area (Florida) that gets thousands of Canadian visitors each "season" who are tourists AND condo, and home owners, too. No, they're not American citizens and I think that maybe that's what is rubbing you the wrong way. There are many in the USA that feel that just because someone is "allowed" into our country that they should not have ALL the same rights as those who fought for our freedoms and rights to live here. There are also those "foreigners" who feel it's their 100% right to do whatever, whenever, however they want to do, just because they're here. (As an example: Just check out the license plates of all the cars parked in the fire lanes in front of stores.)

I don't know what the statutes are in your state; nor what your docs say about it. But here, the ONLY thing that would keep an individual from running for a seat of the Board of Directors, is if they've been convicted of a felony (and have not had their voting rights restored). That mean voting rights in the U.S.A. If they can't vote in the U.S.A, or have been convicted of a felony in another country, should they be allowed to hold such a position on a board???

Thank you Harold, for touching on that point. I was going to ad something about that, yet I didn't want to sound too "negative". In my humble opinion, "seasonal" board members are never a good idea, nor an asset to a well run association. Managing an association is a 52-week a year job. Those "snowbirds" who have homes elsewhere really don't understand that business and problems and issues need to be dealt with while they're away. The "permanent" board members, who live on-site year-round are the ones who really take care of everything in their absence. It doesn't matter how many phone lines we have or e-mails we send to seasonal B.D.'s, their thoughts and lives are elsewhere for six to eight months. Then they come back with a "vacation mind-set" and expect to be allowed to "run" the property since they've "returned". It causes a lot of animosity and resentment among the other board members who live, eat and breathe their association, in the absence of the seasonal owners.

So, no, I don't approve of seasonal; snowbird; foreign; or absent owners being on a board. Volunteering for OTHER jobs and committies is a FANTASTIC asset to the community. Those should always be welcomed!!!

AnnaD,
I could have composed your posting not too long ago and probably would not be so nice about it.

But, you make a telling remark, and it took a long time for me to understand. The truth is you and I are right. It is also just as true we don't personally control everyone and we have to play the cards we are dealt. We serve ourselve better if we just keep on getting on and chipping away. You will not change what they think and you will not change how they act. So, we win, and who loses? We all do if we don't work with the way things are. Once in a while one of our absentee HO decide to retire and come live here. To watch their attitude change is remarkable, but for everyone that comes to live here , there is always one or two to leave and all this will probably get worse. We don't have enough full timers to make up a seven man board and I have been here 17 years. So you do the best you can and you roll along living your life............no choice. We are fortunate we don't have many that don't keep up their dues and when they come down they always have improvements to look at. We have a manager that is by and large an asset. He assumes much more authority than he should and we never seem to be able to catch up to a good reserve. But, that's the way it is here and we haven't had any big fights between absentee and full time. We have had some good board members, and some bad, some good boards and some bad. After seventeen years we should be further down the line and it a day to day detirment, but there it is.