Condo Media - December 2013 - 47

erly. When you remind them that not
allowing review of their records is a
legal violation, it simply makes the fear
more concrete in their minds that you
know more about how they should be
conducting business than they do -
and they will get in trouble if you see
the records."
Board members need to understand
what information they are obligated to
provide to owners, and board education in this area is essential.
Another opinion expressed by San
Francisco homeowner Daniel Howard
in the same article is that "most people
mismanage their own money so, when
they are elected to HOA boards, they
mismanage the HOA's money. They are
secretive because they are embarrassed."
Whether you agree or disagree with
why boards aren't more transparent, if
boards do not provide an opportunity
for openness and input from owners,
there will be suspicion of the board's
actions.

The Homeowner's Obligation

Now that we have had a chance to rake
the condo boards over the coals, so to
speak, it's time to examine the flip side.
Just as I believe association boards have
an obligation to make transparency a
priority, homeowners should pause and
evaluate their attitudes and, yes, manners.
Are you appreciative of the fact that,
regardless of whether you think the
board is doing its best on your behalf,
these men and women are freely giving their time? They are charged with
making important decisions on behalf
of their constituency, and for the most
part, the only input they receive is
when someone has a complaint. I can
assure you from first-hand experience it
can be a thankless job.
It is especially troublesome to hear
that instances of unruliness and even
violence at meetings are becoming
more commonplace. Not only are
board members not compensated,
but in some cases, they have to worry
about their own personal safety. When
confronted with the real possibility of
member misbehavior, is it any wonder

that owners' input, in whatever form, is
not always warmly received?

What Can be Done?

Well, that's enough of my personal
pontification for now. There seems to
be plenty of blame to go around for
both sides. In a recent HOAleader.com
article on responding to HOA owners' concerns, Matthew A. Drewes, a
partner at Thomsen & Nybeck PA, in
Edina, Minn., says: "Generally, boards
aren't compelled to respond to owners'
every communication. The board may
not wish to require itself to respond to
every issue a homeowner raises, and I
don't think legally they are. It's a polite
thing to do, and so long as people
are using that to engage in a proper
discourse, it's great if the board wants
to do that."
Before initiating communication
with the board or manager, an owner
should check the handbook and condo
documents to determine whether
there are established guidelines for
comments already in place. If so, make
sure to follow them. For example,
will the board field questions directly
and, if so, in what format? Perhaps,
if there is a manager, it is his or her
job to handle communications from
a homeowner. Hopefully, the manager will communicate all important
issues to the board for appropriate
action if the matter cannot be settled
at the manager's level. If there are no
guidelines, this would be the time to
lobby for some, but in a constructive,
non-threatening manner.
Of course, it goes without saying that
the larger the community, the harder it is
for a board to keep up with the volume
of communications from its members.
Owners' expectations of an immediate
response should lessen proportionately to
the number of members in that association.
Still, it shouldn't be unrealistic to
expect an acknowledgement of your
concern and a "thank you" for your effort. Perfection would be if you receive
feedback as to whether any action has
been taken and, if so, what.

The Message

To boards:
* Promote open communication by establishing clear guidelines for association member input and acknowledge
that input.
* Have in place a communications tool
(e.g., website, blog, and electronic
newsletter) and publish minutes of
association meetings and board meetings.
* Make at least a part of each board
meeting "open" and encourage
participation by announcing meeting
times and dates. Publish the agenda
for each meeting.
* Let your constituency know that
their input is appreciated and, whenever possible, what action was taken.
To homeowners:
* Follow established guidelines and
procedures for communicating concerns.
* Stay informed by reading newsletters
and other communications.
* Attend board meetings, but be mindful that you are there to listen, not to
speak, unless otherwise indicated by
the board.
* At all times, make courtesy and good
manners at meetings and in communications a priority.
* Let your board know that their efforts on your behalf are very much
appreciated.
Promoting good decisions that will
benefit the whole association should be
the goal of everyone (homeowners and
board members).
To this end, "we must not think
in terms of us versus them," offers
Claudette Carini, CAI New England
Chapter executive director, "instead, it
should be we."
And we all deserve respect. CM
Barbara Reilly is the immediate pastpresident of The Conrad Condominium
Association in Providence, R.I. A longstanding CAI homeowner member, she was
elected to a three-year CAI-NE board term
commencing in 2013.
Condo Media * December 2013

http://www.HOAleader.com

Condo Media - December 2013

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