general info

I am new to hoa's We are having problems with board members fighting, spending money we do not know about.
No one shows up to the meeting because of the fighting.
Our covent is not very informative, I need to know what the rule and regulations really are before I step up and say any thing.
Could anyone tell me where I can find all the information I will need.
If someone out there would be willing to chat with me about our problems I could go into more details.
thanks
Lisa form Waterford

This is good advice from Brian,
I echo this is not an easy task you undertake, and strongly suggest you don't do it alone, get some support.

Another comment to start the wheels working is the comment about owners don't come to meetings because of fighting. There is a much deeper process going on and it is worth the while to really understand why they fight and I am sure you will discover the real reason that is closer to the truth is; no one from your pack of Merry men/ladies from your Sherwood foerst, has stepped up to herd the owners in the right direction. More progress will be made by not holding out a banner that reads, "No one will come to meetings because they fight there", with assurance I can tell you that is not the reason.

Robin Hood may have been the first president of the first HOA, in retrospect.

Sounds like it may be time for your neighborhood to take back the HOA. If the board is constantly fighting then some of the members need to go. I would start with all of them.

Lisa,
If I (woman to woman) also a new owner to an HOA environment, can provide encouragement and proof in the pudding for wanting change... here is my story.

When I bought my condo 4 years ago (24 total units - only 4 resident owners), a BOD was no where to be found, nor was anyone available to discuss HOA liable maintenance with me. Frustrated after 5 months...I read our By Laws and CCR's (cover to cover)...then I went on my county deed appraisal website and found each offsite owners name and address.

I contacted and introduced myself to each of them, and they acknowledged similar "frustrations" regarding our BOD(?) and HOA. I orchestrated a "mutiny" - and with 17 proxies in my hand (and 8 other owners at my side) attended a special meeting (announced for an assessment approval) -where the one man BOD presided. Yes, only 1 person on our Board (ran/controlled solo for 15 years), when documents say we should have 5.

He wasn't too happy with me when I presented my proposal for a full BOD with supporting proxies....but we booted him and took over anyway. The 5 of us took the HOA reins with $200 in the bank and $6,000 in debt.

1st act of business...we found a good Property Manager, then fired all existing contracted services (lawn, pool, waste, etc) and/or negotiated all new contracts at reduced rates. We established a budget (with focus on high priority maintenance items). We raised the monthly dues accordingly. We re-established/announced rules with enforcement intent and a fining system.

Don't get me wrong (was not and is still not easy)...I'm retired...but I spend a ton of voluntary time to be on this BOD. But pleased to report - just 3 short years later...our property is primped, planted and painted (we look gorgeous!). We have a total of 7 resident owners now - up 75%! We also have all bills paid with $5,000 sitting in the bank. (Doesn't sound like much...but it's like having a million $$ to us!)

The owners all interact/communicate and we're a bunch of happy campers!

Some fairy tales do come true....but it starts with reading, then understanding...then taking a deep breath with courage, acquiring comrades, rolling up your sleeves and just DOING IT!!

Good luck to you too!!!

Linda you deserve a pat on the back and a standing ovation!!!! Take pride in what you've done. I salute you!!!

Linda, that's an awesome story and exactly the right way to do it.

But I have to caution Kirk below:


Beauty is in the eye of the beholder - - and fighting is too.

What I mean is, Lisa's board may well be dysfunctional or it may have a single member who is trying to be obstructionist (no, really, it DOES happen! :-) ), or it may just have good board members who are hitting some disagreement over some things, in a speed bump sort of way.

But if Lisa is new and hasn't done her homework yet on her governing docs, or the history of her board and HOA, she may not completely understand the conflicts that may or may not be going on.

As someone else said, simply "spending money" without telling people is not necessarily something to get concerned about. Some governing documents allow boards to spend money without community-wide approval or even notification, up to certain amounts. If it's $500 dollars being spent, probably not a big deal, but if it's $5,000, then it probably could be.

Also, the fighting on the board could well be a group of homeowners that are ALREADY trying to "take back" the board.

Like blue text on the floating triangle in the the old fortune-telling eight ball says: Too soon to tell. Not enough information at this time.

Lisa,
Your By-laws are part and padcel to your CC&R's. If you don't have them request you be given a copy. Ask your Board, your manager, your secxretary, your MC, a past president, etc., etc.

I am at a lose as to how you could have done all you said to get your association straightened out and don't have a copy of B-laws. That document, among others have to be registered at the time the Regime was established and shoulod be filed at the Court House along with your Maste Deed and Declaration. I suppose it maybe didn't get filed, there was none filed and overlooked at the time and the state may not require one.......all kinds of stuff I can't answer. Maybe it is filed under something else and not By-laws.

But, normally the By-laws dictate how the organization is governed (roughly) and the Master Deed establishes and declares there is such an animal as your Regime and it has been established under State Law of some kind. Both make up the whole.