Brainstorming, need help

Joyce, it is a fantasy which would never work. Have you ever tried to get a response from everyone much less get a consensus of a simple majority? It is even difficult to get a quorum of 20% for a meeting at which the most fundamental decisions are made. I do think some items could be considered for email voting with approval by a simple majority of those voting. But this will not replace the Board since they do many other things besides making decisions.

RogerB,

Email voting? Wouldn't it only work if you have everyone's email address. My opinion is that snail mail is the only tried and true way to go.

GeraldT1
NNJ

it can be done, however, you must have some ground rules:

Decide what a quorum is. This many people must be present in order to present an item for vote. it should be a large percentage, otherwise, a small group of people will end up directing the process, which is exactly what you wish to prevent. So, 95% of the homeowners must be present, let's say. That way, a "true" majority will almost have to be present and voting before things are approved.

make a homework rule: issues are presented in one meeting, and votes occur at another. Or, issues are presented ahead of time, and only a vote is done at the meeting. Meetings are for working the issue, or for voting, not both.

make a "finality" rule: any issue voted upon cannot be recalled, overturned, revoted, or revoked for one year. this prevents the back and forth votes, where we vote to run sprinklers on wednesdays, then another group shows up next month and revotes to run them on thursdays. make sure people understand this, because this is crucial.. without this rule, NOTHING will ever be permanently done.

Imagine hiring a landscaper, and basically telling them "Oh, BTW, next month, we may fire you. And the month after, hire you again. then fire you, hire you, then ask if you do pools. then fire you again."

decide what a majority is (simple majority, plurality, etc.). Decide if proxy voting is allowed, and if so, how: proxies for each issue, permanent proxies, limited proxies, etc..

finally, make a back up plan, cause this one won't ever work. people will not do the research necessary in the time given to make an intelligent vote, and the HOA will crumble into gridlock and chaos.

First, there would have to be monthly meetings, at which a quorum would have to assured. After all there are bill payments to be approved ad contractors won't like waiting another month. So, everyone is going to have to commit to showing up.
At the meeting the minutes of the prior meeting will have to be read and approved, the financial report given and approved, and the payables list reviewed and approved. Unit owner delinquencies will have to be announced and the owners who are late can make their excuses to the audience. A vote on whether to fine, lien or even foreclose will have to be taken. Too bad
Old business will have to be gone over, questions asked and answered and votes taken on any motions put on the floor to take some action to to close the item.
New business could include members accusing other members of bylaw and rule violations, arguments over what's true or not, and periodic breaks in the meeting to separate the accuser and the accused. EMT's should be hired to attend the meeting to see to anyone that gets injured. The members can then vote on the action to take against the offending owner. You might consider appointing a sergeant-at-arms as an additional officer on the board.
New business could also include things like a discussion about the vote at the last meeting to remove any restrictions on flags and signs. Now Mr.Johnson has put up a 30' flag pole with a 10'x18' flag that flaps all night long keeping the neighbors awake. Mr. Thomas can put a motion on the floor to require him to take it down. But then there's that local news team outside with their cameras, wanting to ask the owners why they're so unpatriotic. And someone wants to talk about the permanent "Garage Sale" sign that is in front of the Anderson's home. Mr. Johnson puts a motion on the floor to adopt a resolution in support of President Bush's foreign policy and the war in Iraq. Mrs. Thomas moves to condemn it instead, and the sergeant-at-arms moves to separate them.
The meeting is now moving into its third hour and they haven't even started on the Architectural Control applications for this month. (Taken from posts on this board or from real applciations I've seen) - The William's family wants to use the far side of the common areas as a dirt bike track for their 3 kids, and the other children in the HOA; Mrs. Davis wants to fill in the common area behind her home to build a volleyball court (its wetlands); the Benson's have put a new piece of art in front of their home, a sculpture representing the mating ritual of an Amazon tribe, they want it approved after-the-fact; and on it goes. Mr William's shouts to Mrs. Davis that he'll vote for hers if she'll vote for his. Mrs. Benson wants in on the voting arrangement. They then quietly move among the owners, reminding them of affirmative votes they cast for their applications, and so, the association ends up with a dirt bike track, that seems to draw every kid with a motorbike from miles around at all hours of the day and night; a beautiful volleyball court, (ant the accompanying fine from the county); and a slightly obscene sculpture, that the news crew films on its way out to use during sweeps month.
As each owner leaves the meeting they can be handed the announcement of the next meeting in order to meet the states requirement of 30-day notice for meetings of the members.
Owners will be required to read the state and federal laws that pertain to association operations, as well as commit the CC&R's and rules to memory. Most will need to take a class so they can understand the financial report before they vote to approve it. A parliamentarian will probably have to hired to either teach everyone Robert's Rules or to be on hand to make pertinent rulings. The association's attorney will probably have to attend every meeting to make sure the owners don't make some crazy motion that would get the association in legal hot water.$$$$$$$$$$$$$
In between meetings , the board can duck every issue that comes up with a simple "We'll talk about it at the next meeting". If its an emergency, then the board can go door-to-door, in order to get a quorum. If they don't, well, what's a little flooding among neighbors.
When the owners vote down the assessment increase to fund the reserves, and then vote down the special assessment when the repairs are needed, they can feel relieved that it wasn't their home (or common area in front of their home) that needed those repairs. And they can feel just a little bit sorry for those who did need them.
If the place starts looking a little ratty around the edges, they can feel proud of the fact that they have the lowest assessment in the area, having not raised the assessment in 5 years. Besides, if the homes appreciated too fast, property taxes would go up.
Then there's matters like insurance, contracts, approval of specifications, reviews of bids, due diligence on all of the vendors, making sure about their insurance, waivers of liens received before payments, inspections of work, etc., etc., etc.

Of course, this is all in a day's work for a board member or manager, so the owner's should be able to handle it once a month.

I went a little overboard, but just a little

Joe

Joe,
That was great! Thanx for my laugh for the day!

JoyceS1,

In addition to the "horror story" examples of unit owner gridlock provided in your discussion topic, the homeowner you are meeting with would benefit from a simple explanation of the type of community he/she bought into, and the benefits of association living. Always good to accent the positive first, and never assume the owner knows the difference between non-association and association living. My tried and true explanation is that by purchase of a home in an association, the homeowner agrees to and is bound by the fact that others are entrusted with the fiduciary responsibility to act on behalf of all owners in accordance with state laws and by-laws. This type of governance allows owners to be freed from the detailed intricacies and responsibilities that they would otherwise have to manage themselves.

GeraldT1
NNJ

Ah, Gerald, if only it were that simple. The eyes of the people here glaze over whenever something rationale and logical is presented. I'll keep hammering away with the points you made and maybe, someday, it'll register.

Thanks....

Not once did Joe or any of the members attending his fantasy meeting refer to Robert's Rules of Parlimentary Procedure'. Surely there is a penalty required ;-D

I am a board president of a 7 member board and can't get anything done. The one time we went to the community for a vote on what to do with our cedar siding (which needs to be replaced) it was a major problem and held up the job another year or two. In the meantime we are experiencing many problems due to this siding.