Show up or pay up!

Apparently that Board thought it was a good idea. Why not PAY people to come, rather than FINE them. Offer them something....free booze, or food or babysitting for the meeting.

George,

I want to see a resolution such as that get past an attorney or Judge. You cannot force people to vote, show up (unless supeonaed) or have an opinion. You cannot fine them for the same reasons. I like Annas ideas much better by bribing them in a positive way. If I got a letter stateing that I either vote or show up, it would take me 5 seconds to get on the phone and call them on their bullying tactics.

Now, I know and have dealt with owner apathy, having walked our subdivision for days to get proxies signed for a board member increase. I know how boards struggle to get meetings called legal because of quorums. I am aware of how many people don't give a rats butt to participate but you cannot force members in this way. I hope that this membership has enough courage to get that very illegal resolution removed. I'll even come up to help. Boy, that got my feathers all ruffled.

Mary,
I am somewhat confused. George wrote or quoted that the Board passed a resolution that requires attendance or pay a fine.

Then we have this from Ginnys statement.---"What people are failing to understand is that when they signed their covenants for the community, it states they are required to attend the annual meeting or vote by proxy"

So is it a Board resolution or was it in the Covenants. Maybe the Board resolution added the fine thing. I still would like to see the actual wording for the requirement to attend and is there an allowance for fining in their Docs. Otherwise the Board cannot add a fine because they think that it might increase presence at the meetings.

So.... why not just send in the darn proxy??

I don't know if I like the whole thing. But when you get down to it, compliance is not a real burden. In my neighborhood proxies could returned via fax. I suspect you could also scan and email the thing. Or you can mail the thing. Where is the real burden???

In Texas we now have early voting. More then half the votes cast are in person before polling day. For almost two weeks you can stop by a location and vote. Only once have I waited to vote beyond a single person ahead of me in line. And yet we still have no higher turnout rate.

Apathy does in fact reign supreme. I recall in Boy Scouts we were taught that voting is not a right, it is a duty. Then again, most people don't want to hear a thing about duty.

I can relate to owner apathy, but this is ridiculous - can you imagine how noisy that meeting will be (everyone screaming over the "fine" - assuming they don't think "well, I won't show up and I DARE them to fine me!)

Instead, offer homeowners a $100 gift card if they do show up - only those current with fees are eligible to win (in our HOA, they'd be the only ones eligible to vote anyway). Announce the winner at the END of the meeting and require the resident must be present to win. Perhaps a local business will even donate the gift card.

I think they would appreciate this action. Their problem is that last year they didn't have a quorum. If they resorted to this they quite possibly would welcome removal from office.