FrancescaM
(Washington)
Posts:112
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| 12/02/2008 5:18 PM |
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As Crazy as this sounds, our lobby and sitting area has been approved to be renovated. We had a arcutechural committee select and provide our HOA BOD plans and color schemes to redo the lobby and sitting area.. the plan was to start on Friday and finish today
I was out of town until this afternoon. Being on the arcutectual committee I was rather excited to see what our place was looking like..
The lobby has tiles that were not he original one's selected. There are a marble looking light color vs the dark blue slate the commitee selected and presented to the board. I was worried as I thought the installer made an error. I called the HOA President as I had heard nothing about a problem via email like we usually communicate or cell
I was told that the tile we originally selected via committee was not available and in a pinch that the HOA President made the decision at the local DIY to pick this color scheme and she changed the paint to go with the tile. She claims she emailed me.. I didn't get that notification.
My spouse as a homeowner knows what the colors were that the committee had chosen months ago! I called a fellow board member to see if she knew anything.. she said she did but that she doesn't think it matters as "none of the home owner's knew what colors were originally chosen anyway.... "
I have a bad feeling about this.. and my spouse wishes to address it in open forum next week.. ( the colors are ok.. just drasticallly different and since a committtee made this decision and had it approved in our minutes.. is it ok for one person to alter this and go ahead with the decision not notifying the HOA?? } |
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MicheleD
(Kentucky)
Posts:1866
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| 12/02/2008 6:15 PM |
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White?
Seriously?
White?
In a high traffic area?
We learned the hard way that you don't do that. |
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MicheleD
(Kentucky)
Posts:1866
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| 12/02/2008 6:17 PM |
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Sorry.
I misread "light" as "white" somehow.
Brain malfunction, no doubt.
Still though....a light tile on a high traffic area.
I hope you still like it in about 6 months.
Do you have a cleaning crew come in once a week? |
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FrancescaM
(Washington)
Posts:112
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| 12/02/2008 6:22 PM |
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Posted By MicheleD on 12/02/2008 6:17 PM
Sorry.
I misread "light" as "white" somehow.
Brain malfunction, no doubt.
Still though....a light tile on a high traffic area.
I hope you still like it in about 6 months.
Do you have a cleaning crew come in once a week?
I don't like the tile, and and as stated.. the committee did NOT pick this tile.. the president did.. on her own at Lowes Home Improvement on Friday night.. It' too late. It's installed.. really this is not ok.. and I know htat I am not the only one concerned about the the change.. and color scheme changed on whim... I had NO idea the president had that self stated power! LOL |
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SusanW1
(Michigan)
Posts:2316
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| 12/02/2008 7:02 PM |
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IMO - the president should have held the job up until the committee could have figured out Plan B. In any case, it did not show respect for all the work the Committee did.
But there really should have been a Committee person to oversee the entire project. (I never leave remodelers or handymmen alone)
The president - is it a man? Just wondering. A woman would have never chosen different colors
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FrancescaM
(Washington)
Posts:112
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| 12/02/2008 7:04 PM |
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| Yes.. it's a woman~ |
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MicheleD
(Kentucky)
Posts:1866
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| 12/02/2008 7:07 PM |
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| She's obviously never had clean-up duty on high-traffic-area light colored tiles. . . .they may LOOK pretty at first, but . . . . |
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MaryA1
(Arizona)
Posts:2504
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| 12/02/2008 7:14 PM |
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And dark tiles show every footprint and every speck of dirt, lint, etc that drops on the floor. I know, I've had both! A med. tone is the lesser of 3 evils.
However, the damage is done and everyone will just have to live with it. I find it strange that the store didn't know they were out of the tile until the crew was ready to install. |
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MicheleD
(Kentucky)
Posts:1866
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| 12/02/2008 7:24 PM |
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Posted By MaryA1 on 12/02/2008 7:14 PM
I find it strange that the store didn't know they were out of the tile until the crew was ready to install.
Agree.
VERY strange. . .
Conveniently strange. . .
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FrancescaM
(Washington)
Posts:112
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| 12/02/2008 7:28 PM |
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Posted By MicheleD on 12/02/2008 7:24 PM Posted By MaryA1 on 12/02/2008 7:14 PM
I find it strange that the store didn't know they were out of the tile until the crew was ready to install. Agree. VERY strange. . . Conveniently strange. . .
I gues back to my concern? How was it the president was able to ok her approval of different tile and paint ":to match'??? What do we do with this?
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MaryA1
(Arizona)
Posts:2504
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| 12/02/2008 7:33 PM |
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Francesca,
IMO, the most you can do is give her ten lashes with a wet noodle and make her promise never to do anything w/o board approval again! Of course I say that with tongue in cheek, but the bottom line is that it's done and surely you don't want the tile ripped up and a different color installed. Perhaps the other board members might want to mete out some other punishment (remove her from the ofc of Pres.??) if this isn't the first time she's acted on her own. Otherwise, just let it go and learn to live with the tile, even though you don't like the color. Even if other members object to the chosen color you should know there most likely would have been objections to the tile chosen by the committee also. Nothing is ever right with everyone! |
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FrancescaM
(Washington)
Posts:112
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| 12/03/2008 6:02 AM |
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Posted By MaryA1 on 12/02/2008 7:33 PM
Francesca,
IMO, the most you can do is give her ten lashes with a wet noodle and make her promise never to do anything w/o board approval again! Of course I say that with tongue in cheek, but the bottom line is that it's done and surely you don't want the tile ripped up and a different color installed. Perhaps the other board members might want to mete out some other punishment (remove her from the ofc of Pres.??) if this isn't the first time she's acted on her own. Otherwise, just let it go and learn to live with the tile, even though you don't like the color. Even if other members object to the chosen color you should know there most likely would have been objections to the tile chosen by the committee also. Nothing is ever right with everyone!
I am just not so sure that it's ok to go against a complete color scheme selected by a committee who did all the looking and shopping around. the walls that were to be sunny yellow ventiain are now an off white.. flooring that was dark slate now light marble..ALl done over the weekened withough real consuting.. and I think if the items already approved was a special order item.. then it should of waited. Not a single person decision for 60+ homeowners.. |
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BruceF1
(Connecticut)
Posts:696
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| 12/03/2008 7:01 AM |
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I must either be in a "I don't have enough information" mood or a forgiveness mood today. I think what should be done about the situation depends on the circumstances.
Certainly, I would agree that no individual, not even the president, has the authority to unilaterally make decisions on behalf of the association without board approval, unless the authority for specific decisions or actions is granted in the governing documents. As an example, our president has been given the authority by the board to decide when it is necessary to have the snow removal contractor clear our roads since calling a board meeting every time it snows to decide when the roads need to be plowed is just not practical.
Unfortunately, some individuals don't understand that the authority of the president is limited and mistakenly believe it's OK for them to make some decisions without board approval. They sometimes think of their position more like that of a surpervisor or a project leader in a work environment, which it is not.
It may simply be that the president, faced with what was perceived as an emergency situation where a decision had to be made, went ahead and made it, assuming that being president, it was OK.
If no harm was actually done, then perhaps the best course is simply to remind the president that no decisions can be made without board approval and that some sort of consulation and approval should have been sought.
If the president is one who regularly makes unilateral decisions on behalf of the board without it's approval, then that situation needs to be addressed and corrected by the board.
If the decorating scheme is definitely intolerable, the contractor is certainly not going to redo it at no cost. It would appear to me that either the association lives with it, or has it redone at the president's expense since the president exceeded her authority. The real solution could be anywhere in between those two extremes, depending on the circumstances. |
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MaryA1
(Arizona)
Posts:2504
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| 12/03/2008 7:57 AM |
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Francesca,
I think you need to step back and be objective. You've stated you don't like the tile and paint colors that the Pres. approved and I feel that's why you are insisting something has to be done about it. As Bruce said, and I also mentioned, if the Pres. has a habit of making decisions on her own, then the board needs to reprimand her in some way -- perhaps by taking her Pres. position away. However, if that is not the case, then a reminder that she cannot make decisions on her own should be sufficient. I can't see redoing the whole project just because some people don't like the way it looks. Just because the committee's recommendations were not followed doesn't mean anything. The board is not obligated to go with their decision anyway. I think we would all have a better understanding of this situation if we knew what the Pres. has to say about her actions. |
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RogerB
(Colorado)
Posts:3725
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| 12/03/2008 8:29 AM |
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Francesca,
I would request this be an agenda item for the next Board meeting. Ask the President why a decision had to be made prior to going back to the committee for another recommendation. Perhaps the job had been scheduled and an emergency decision was required. Sometime a President (or managing agent) faces such a situation and must decide. If the Board does not like the President's answer they can establish policies and procedures to be followed in the future.
I appreciate your disappointment when the committee's recommendation was not followed. BTW, didn't the committee or the contractor check on availability and cost of the dark blue slate in advance? |
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Roger Borcherding
Official HOATalk.com Sponsor
DARCO Property Management (Colorado)
(303) 925-0150 
*See legal notice below (end of page) or go to www.hoatalk.com/legal |
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JohnK3
(Pennsylvania)
Posts:568
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| 12/03/2008 8:34 AM |
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Susan,
A personal Q for you, if you don't mind answering my off-topic:
How many copies of
I Am Woman: The Essential Helen Reddy Collection, Greatest Hits [Capitol],
including in cassette, 8 track, 12" LP and/or CD formats have you owned over the years?
XXXOOO
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DonnaS
(Tennessee)
Posts:2951
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| 12/03/2008 9:14 AM |
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John,
Susan or Michelle, I cannot remember, is an ex military individual. They learn from day one to--make the right decisions , take no hostages and take no crap. You go girl!!! |
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SusanW1
(Michigan)
Posts:2316
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| 12/03/2008 10:03 AM |
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Actually John - I LOVE men! (especially in the kitchen and in the bedroom)
But I find that since over half are color blind and the other half have no sense of decorating, I prefer that 100% of them stay out of the way when it comes to remodeling or choosing colors. (and the future cleaning)
I apologize to all men everywhere for making such a flippant remark in assuming that the person who came in a changed the entire look of an agreed-upon decorating project was a MAN! 
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JohnK3
(Pennsylvania)
Posts:568
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| 12/03/2008 10:20 AM |
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Susan,
I was asking about your album collection, not questioning your love interests.
But as to color blindness in males, it's actually less than 10%. I know this because I have a problem with the blue/green spectrum. When in doubt, I always ask Mrs. K to help sort things out. |
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DwightT
(Idaho)
Posts:483
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| 12/03/2008 11:36 AM |
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Posted By SusanW1 on 12/03/2008 10:03 AM
But I find that since over half are color blind and the other half have no sense of decorating, I prefer that 100% of them stay out of the way when it comes to remodeling or choosing colors. (and the future cleaning)
One of my favorite movies is Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House and my favorite scene in that movie is when Myrna Loy is describing the colors that she wants for the paint (I want it to be a soft green, not as blue-green as a robin's egg, but not as yellow-green as daffodil buds.....).
After she leaves the general contractor and the painter review the colors:
Mr. PeDelford: You got that Charlie?
Charlie, Painter: Red, green, blue, yellow, white.
Mr. PeDelford: Check.
Pretty much sums up my sense of decorating right there.
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MicheleD
(Kentucky)
Posts:1866
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| 12/03/2008 12:32 PM |
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Donna:
I'm the Vet.
But I would have been proud and honored to have served beside someone like Susan! I'd trust my life to someone like her.
And, while I never owned a copy of "I Am Woman," I would also consider it an honor to be confused with someone who did.
She is from my generation, and her spirit and femininity and her "take no crap" attitude is something to which I would like to aspire as well.
And men who are not designers, as a rule, do make ridiculous design decisions. So much so that most of the ones I know would gnaw off their own appendages before making one.
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RobertR1
(South Carolina)
Posts:2520
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| 12/03/2008 12:43 PM |
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Francesa,
I don't know how or why we get to where we get to on some of these posts, but if it is any help, please consider.
I think you have a perfect right to be mad, hopping mad that the president acted as he did. However, I would agree with Roger, that you should go to a Board meeting and try to get the action on the table, in fact, you have an absolute right to get the item on the agenda. I don't care if all the other committee members roll over and not one soul objects to the inproper action by the President. My advice is to keep your cool, I doubt I could. You have been treated badly.............how are you expected to act for God's sake. Who the hell does this person think he is? He neededs to be publicaly informed, you, for one, will not tolerate this kind of nonsense and demand that they change the work back to the original. If they asked you on the committee to make the selection, accept your selections, don't inform you otherwise, they acted wrongly and this is probably not the first time and won't be the last. You might not get them to change the color back, but you can damn well show them, if they want you to help, they better treat you right. Nothing I have read here justifies this kind of affront to a committee member, that incidently, has just as much responsibility and the same number of votes as the president. I am not saying quit and don't do nothing, I am saying I would let everyone know how you expect to be treated in the future. |
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MicheleD
(Kentucky)
Posts:1866
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| 12/03/2008 12:49 PM |
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Posted By RobertR1 on 12/03/2008 12:43 PM
Francesa,
I don't know how or why we get to where we get to on some of these posts,
. . . because we are social animals, on a social networking site, trying to keep our sanity and not get overwhelmed with all the frustrations of our chosen volunteerism?
But on topic, I do agree with you that it should be formally entered into the record that what the president did was not sanctioned by the committee and that, if the governing documents support it, that the president is also to refrain from further unilateral decision-making, absent a true and legitimate emergency.
I would not consider this scenario "emergency" material. |
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SusanW1
(Michigan)
Posts:2316
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| 12/03/2008 12:52 PM |
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By gosh, that's the feistiest I heard Robert.
You COULD consider censuring the president for interfering with an approved motion (IF the final selections had been approved by board vote)
In any case, she needs a woppin' - but hand her a mop bucket instead. Those light color tiles are going to be hard to keep clean.
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RobertR1
(South Carolina)
Posts:2520
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| 12/03/2008 1:36 PM |
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Susan and Michelle,
I like the idea I am a social animal. Now what do I do and who do I chase down and make them a member of my herd?
Seriously, I really think this kind of stuff should be stopped when it starts.
A social animal friend and I were out today in our gardern separating Amaryllis bulbs. We had a little patch when I first got here and over the years I have spread them around. This year we separated a large planter area that sits on concrete deck of our condo. We dug up around 150 large bulbs and transplanetd them. Just she and I and numerous owners came by and asked what we were doing. Not one asked if we needed help and this included our president. Now that kind of stuff don't bother me much, our courtyard is ablase with xmas lights and a few of us did that job also. Next year this area, probably 30 feet square will just be a red field of color, that is enough for me. But when I wittness an elected Board Member or the manager making noises or actions that denigrate the position of an owner, I get upset. I say again, the Board is a volunteer, that is all when the rubber meets the road.
I will also respond when I think an owner denigrates the position of any elected representative. That position is to be respected and supported. Now, not all Board members are pure, but the position is time tested and proven worthy of respect.
Anyhow, as usual, I talk too much, so enough said. |
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JohnK3
(Pennsylvania)
Posts:568
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| 12/04/2008 8:57 AM |
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Hmmm. I thought there was something familiar here, and recalling I'd used the term "No fun allowed" I plugged it into the search function and...
>>>RobertR1
(South Carolina)
Posts:2160
07/14/2008 8:24 AM Quote Reply
To all,
Can I politely suggest that this animal issue has been beat to death, for about the hundredth time. We are trying to attract new readers to this site.
Ok, I know my posts are too long, and believe me I try to shorten them and will try harder.
KathleenH2
(Ohio)
Posts:4
07/14/2008 11:07 AM Quote Reply
Thank you everyone for your comments. Especially Glen.
JohnK3
(Pennsylvania)
Posts:468
07/14/2008 12:38 PM Quote Reply
There’s some empty space on the advert at the top of the home page beside the smiling couple. Maybe we could have a blinking warning sign reading NO FUN ALLOWED ON THIS SITE!
My take: I enjoy reading posts that sometimes veer off the formalities. I like the personalities they reveal. I appreciate the lightness they provide to break up the humdrum. In fact, I’ve wondered why there isn’t something like a Free For All thread where the regulars could post thoughts not related to a specific topic.<<< |
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RobertR1
(South Carolina)
Posts:2520
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| 12/04/2008 9:31 AM |
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John,
Well I said I was loking for a way to shorten my posts. I am not sure I want to go as far as your reference to one of my posts.
I honestly think we at times (me included, in fact if anything can be done wrong, I am the guy to do it) forget the one postiong is looking for specific answers and since we all seem to love to banter we, may get lost once in a while.
BUT, A Big But, your suggestion about a "catch all site is an excellent idea." Why not write the web master and suggest it. I am on record of trying such a venture. I also feel the sponsors of this site would provide it, if necessary to make any changes in format. I suppose that would make it a Blog. A word I am not sure has a definition. |
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JohnK3
(Pennsylvania)
Posts:568
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| 12/04/2008 9:45 AM |
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Robert,
You're a good sport (and intelligent contribtor) and I trust you realize I was funnin' you.
Anyway, if one of our corrspondents chose to, he/she could simply start a Free For All thread. However, from what I've seen in my 1.5 years here, off-off-topics tend to die quickly.
Though as Le Petit Prince told the Rose (or maybe it was the other way around, or maybe the Fox was involved): "One never knows." |
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RobertR1
(South Carolina)
Posts:2520
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| 12/04/2008 1:35 PM |
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John,
I think what might work is a separate page or button on discussion page that would be assigned to regular contributors. I don't suggest we vet everyone to be able to post, but certainly it could be labled as a "Free for all site for regular contributors." I think we have all demonstrated we can flit from one subject to another and something in our mind sort of blanks out any recall of what we post. We just do the best we can with the information in front of us, for the most part.
But many of us have some concern about this whole structure of HOA and Condo's. We know there is lots of big money involved, very little oversight except by those who just can't stand to have things run badly. This whole concept may well slide into a different direction with close state authority. Anyway, let's ask Mikey, what do you think Mikey (I REALLY MEAN DONNA, SUSAN, and everyone else else that contribute here)??????????????????? |
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SusanW1
(Michigan)
Posts:2316
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| 12/04/2008 2:24 PM |
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I agree with John about off-topics and their quick demise.
I wish that MORE, but shorter, posts would be put on the site.
Some posts meander off to cover three or four topics and by the time you get to the 25th posting, I've forgotten what the "dern thing is all about" - I'm into the "CRAFT"ing years now . . (Can't Recall a F . . . Thing)
When the subject matter changes, people should post a NEW subject matter question.
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