Your Experience on a HOA Board

[Teacher Terry]

I have owned both houses and condos with a HOA. My only experience previously was when I was married and my husband was treasurer of a condo hoa that had 40 units and things ran smoothly.

3 years ago I bought a 42 year old condo in a complex with 150 condos. 3 years ago I was asked to fill a empty seat and then I ran for the seat a year later. My term expires in March and I am so stressed out and done.

To summarize my experience is that 3 of the 5 people on the board do all the work. It has ceased to be a collaborative effort and if I stay it will become adversarial.

It’s a lot of work because the management company just calls one of us to meet vendors, take care of emergencies, etc because 3 of us have master keys. I really resent doing the work that we are paying the company to do.

It’s started to affect my health in that I broke out with eczema and can’t get rid of it and I am having trouble sleeping. No one ever runs for the board besides the people on it. I am being pressured to stay but am adamant about leaving.

Because of the age of the condos and neglect by the previous board 7 years ago we are having to deal with many issues. The reserve study says the complex is in good shape. So what have been your experiences being on a HOA board?

 

[athena53]

I resigned from mine after about 7 years. Previous Board chairs were good people, the rules were enforced and our conditions and restrictions are pretty reasonable. Latest one is on a power trip and makes decisions on the fly. We've been told by several attorneys that if the HOA neglects to enforce one rule they may be assumed to have waived their rights to enforce any of the rules.

So... a year ago two neighbors involved in an unending squabble over boundary lines finally settled it in court. One wanted to build a fence- permitted but the restrictions say "All fencing must be wood or ornamental metal". He wanted to use vinyl. The Board had a Zoom meeting and we agreed on the legal way forward- have the neighbors vote on that change to the Restrictions. I went off on a long trip and came back and found that the neighbor had put up a vinyl fence. The HOA President told me the Architectural Review Board and had approved it (they had no such authority) and the Board agreed (I was not informed and the Board doesn't have that authority, either). He told my neighbor that the Restrictions didn't prohibit vinyl so it was OK.

Ummm... does this mean I can put up a cinder block fence?

And there's still no notice of an Annual Meeting, which is required to be held every year and it's usually in January or February.

Leave. Now. There are better uses for your skills and energy.

 

[aja8888]

I have owned both houses and condos with a HOA. My only experience previously was when I was married and my husband was treasurer of a condo hoa that had 40 units and things ran smoothly.

3 years ago I bought a 42 year old condo in a complex with 150 condos. 3 years ago I was asked to fill a empty seat and then I ran for the seat a year later. My term expires in March and I am so stressed out and done.

To summarize my experience is that 3 of the 5 people on the board do all the work. It has ceased to be a collaborative effort and if I stay it will become adversarial.

It’s a lot of work because the management company just calls one of us to meet vendors, take care of emergencies, etc because 3 of us have master keys. I really resent doing the work that we are paying the company to do.

It’s started to affect my health in that I broke out with eczema and can’t get rid of it and I am having trouble sleeping. No one ever runs for the board besides the people on it. I am being pressured to stay but am adamant about leaving.

Because of the age of the condos and neglect by the previous board 7 years ago we are having to deal with many issues. The reserve study says the complex is in good shape. So what have been your experiences being on a HOA board?

My highlight above. There's the hint!

 

[Sunset]

OP - If you don't want to do it, then exit.

When I owned a Condo, I did it for a couple of years because I enjoyed it and wanted to do it. It was a good experience as I learned:

• Owners whine and complain about a bunch of little things and the board gets to play referee and rule maker.
• Most Owners are fine, and just a few are a pain in the butt.
• People don't want to run for the board unless they have some crisis issue bugging them, so it's hard to fill seats.

 

[athena53]

Owners whine and complain about a bunch of little things and the board gets to play referee and rule maker.

Yeah, the dueling neighbors tried to drag us into their boundary dispute. We told them to get a civil engineer- not our job!

 

[Teacher Terry]

Athena, that’s an awful story. 7 years is a long time to be on the board. The president keeps saying that she will get the place in good shape and then leave but I don’t believe it. I think she enjoys the power and control. I told her Tuesday I wasn’t running but she didn’t believe me and laughed.

However, Wednesday I asked the management company if my term was up in March just to confirm and they asked if I was running again and I said no. I’m sure they told her because by the evening she called me to tell me she needed me to stay on for 2 more years and I told her I wouldn’t stay on even if I was getting paid.

 

[Ronstar]

I wasn't on the board, but was on the committee that governed building in our development. Had to review plans and construction of structures, grading and spreading of fill in and around lakes. Had a set of guidelines and had to review/ meet with homeowners wanting to do construction.

Most projects were in accordance with our guidelines, but some people were adamant in building docks, etc that were unsafe and not in accordance with our guidelines. Had one guy threaten to have his lawyer deal with me.

Most people on our committee worked, with one other retired guy who spent most of the year in Florida. So I ended up doing most of the work.

Because of this and the politics of it all, I quit the committee a few years ago.

 

[Teacher Terry]

Ronstar, it’s always a few people that do all the work. It was that way when my boys were in cub scouts and I was the committee chairman. I did that for about 7 years until I was burned out. It really seems like it’s difficult for a group of people to work collaboratively without drama.

 

[LateToFIRE]

If you think HOA boards are a pain, try being an officer on a NYC co-op board for a few years. Unlike condo HOA's, co-ops also have the ability to incur debt (and most do) and screen/approve potential buyers of co-op apartments. The legal structure is that a corporation is the owner of the real property, and the residents own shares in the corporation that entitle them to a proprietary lease on their specific unit. I've not seen this animal outside NYC (for good reason).

With that added level of complexity comes some big headaches of course. Because the financial condition of the corporation (which can take on debt for capital projects or any reason the board deems reasonable for that matter) directly impacts the value of the units. Oh, and if you're trying to sell your unit, your buyer has to "apply" like they're joining a country club - full financials, tax statements, background, recommendations, interviews, etc. Most the existing owners would have never been able to meet the requirements for new owners - go figure.

I could go on ad-nauseam about the bitter fights and debates. I'll just say that it convinced me that I NEVER want to live under an HOA or co-op ever again. I equate it to being in business with a bunch of people you didn't know before, who most often have no business or common sense, but who nonetheless have a say in all matters.

I should thank my fellow co-opsters for one thing - by driving me nuts, made me go out and buy a real home. Best financial decision ever.

Ugh! Now I have to go calm down from even thinking about it.

 

[Sunset]

^^^^^^^^^^ My sister lived in a co-op , renting it, and she told me about the share thing. There was income restrictions and it was great for her for a number of years.

It was not in NYC or NY State.

 

[PokeNTexas]

What I learned in two stints on two different HOA boards:
1) You have to be the one who is extremely assertive about sticking to the CC&Rs, bylaws and architectural guidelines. Don't rely on someone else playing that role. It's no fun to be "that guy". You can be kind, but firm and consistent. Better to be respected than liked. The whole idea is to preserve the look and feel of the neighborhood and the property values. Once the board deviates from the written rules for one neighbor, then things can start to unwind fast.
2) Confirm there is a D&O insurance policy in place. Get a copy of the policy.
3) The management company can make or break the board. Get a company that cares about doing a good job. Be vocal about management's performance. You can be friendly, but not their friend.
4) Most CC&Rs are terribly written. The board can (usually) establish written policies for important areas not well covered in the formal documents. Be transparent about these policies.
5) Hold monthly meetings. Encourage owners to attend.

 

[pb4uski]

I served on our condo board for one 2-year term, the second year as Treasurer.

Our 5-person board was the most dysfunctional organization that I've ever served on. I've served on many other boards and committees and things were fine.

The first year I was on the Board there were two Board members who agreed on most things and two others in opposition and a nice guy but ineffective President who would flip-flop back and forth. The second year was similiar 2/2 and another Board member who went with the wind.

I ran for a second term because I didn't want to see the other side gain control. I lost and two very incompetent people became President and Treasurer. When I lost some owners told me they were sorry... I responded that it was a blessing in disguise because there is no way that I would want to be on a board with such incompetent leadership.

A recent example of incompetence is that all owners received a US mailing notifying us of the annual meeting on January 15. However, our bylaws indicate that the annual meeting must be held in February or March. I wrote to the board and pointed out that the proposed annual meeting was inconsistent with the bylaws. They changed it to February but had to do another mailing. The long-time manager had proposed January 15 and the President approved it. They should have known because just last year they set the meeting for January 31 and we had to deal with the same issue so it's not like the board didn't know that the annual meeting had to be in February or March. And that is the tip of the iceberg.

I'm happy to be off that Board. Besides, it was a huge time suck.

 

[Hermit]

I am on the board of our Ranch community. The Ranch owns the property and the members have access to a 5 acre lot. Improvements on each lot are owned by the member for that lot. The board runs pretty smoothly. Most of the work and interaction with contractors falls on the two of us on the board that live on the Ranch. I am responsible for the roads and need to make this short because I need to go plow snow off 5 or so miles of road this morning.

 

[pb4uski]

...One wanted to build a fence- permitted but the restrictions say "All fencing must be wood or ornamental metal". He wanted to use vinyl. ...He told my neighbor that the Restrictions didn't prohibit vinyl so it was OK....

How can people be so daft? How can reading comprehension be so hard?

That sounds like something that our Board would do... twist itself into a pretzel to avoid a dispute. But it is coming back to bite them... google "selective enforcement". It is best to just stick to your documents.

 

[braumeister]

I recently resigned from our condo HOA board after eight years on it. It was interesting for a while, and I got to know all the gossip, but just got tired of it. We have enough members on the board and several new people who are perfectly capable of running things so I don't think I'll be missed.

 

[PaunchyPirate]

Never again. I bought into an 8-unit condo association in Chicago. Half of the owners wanted to run the association as a bunch of "friends" making joint decisions. They would not consider a management company and we had no money to pay for one anyway. No one would raise the HOA fees. They went unchanged for many years. They had no concept of the actual rules of the association. And no interest in adhering to them. We had virtually zero in reserves when I joined the board. I was the first one to sit down and make an annual budget and actually track to it over the years. Prior to that, it was just a checkbook to an account that usually had about $200 in it after expenses were paid.

I tried to be the one to implement procedures and rules. That did not go over well with half the owners. They turned nasty to 3 other owners who wanted these changes. It got really ugly. I resigned as President but foolishly let them talk me into taking it back a year later. I ended up resigning a second time a few months later. Life is too short.

I ended up selling the condo at a loss of about $125,000 to escape the toxic environment.

If your life is being negatively impacted like mine was, walk away from it. It is not worth it.

 

[Teacher Terry]

I love my condo and living here because it’s perfect for me. I really feel safe in a secure building and I have remodeled it exactly how I want it. Plus I love the neighborhood and how close I am to things that are important to me. I’m firm in my resolve not to run again.

The president is going to try recruiting some good people for the board but if she’s unsuccessful she will be bugging me again. I intend to be a broken record saying no. Between the stress, losing sleep and the eczema my body is sending me a clear message.

 

[Ian S]

I've been on a couple of condo boards. Most recently, before moving to Sedona, I'd been on the board of a small older complex in Phoenix. I was treasurer because nobody else wanted to do it but I'd also been President for several years too. Because of our size, we opted not to have a management company and that worked fine for nearly 50 years although usually there were one or two members who did all the work. The Secretary was one of those but just prior to our moving, she decided that unless we hired a management company to deal with day to day stuff and especially dealing with some of the new owners who were real pains in the you know what, she would resign. So that's what they did. I really don't know how that's worked out although I understand the Secretary has since sold and moved.

Teacher Terry, I think you have to be firm and exit the Board. You've done your duty and have to look after your health first and foremost. Unfortunately, what you've experienced isn't uncommon but the media portrays all HOA Boards as evil and I think that has percolated down to the average condo owner who all too frequently takes a combative stance even when the rules are clear. Perhaps it's just how our society has "evolved" but that seems to be the way it will continue.

 

[pb4uski]

... If your life is being negatively impacted like mine was, walk away from it. It is not worth it.

+1

 

[plsprius]

Many condo problems are fixed by raising and keeping the assessments at realistic levels. There is no benefit in trying to keep the assessments too low. Condo assessments are just pass-through payments to utilities, insurance, maintenance and repairs, etc. Just like everyone else, condo owners have to pay for the services they "demand."

 

[Midpack]

You have to take each case on its own merits. I've been part of one yacht club board, and two HOAs. One HOA was decent people, mostly passive but agreeable residents. The other two orgs were total nightmares where a couple board members did all the work, while the other lazy self serving board members took credit and went on and on at meetings - we talked about the same issues with no resolution over and over. The other (bad) HOA also had no shortage of residents who came to meetings to scream about every little thing, and of course they expected much lower dues and many more services, while taking zero responsibility for anything. They had no concept of serving the majority, they wanted their own particular issues addressed and to heck with anyone else's views.

 

[Bigdawg]

this whole thread is why I will never (if I can avoid it) live in an HOA property. I am the treasurer of our citizens association. Basically, a HOA with no rules or authority. We collect anywhere from 20-40$ per year for mosquito spraying, flowers when someone dies and trophies for the Independence Day parade. Even with NO rules, residents try to influence other residents. We now have 2 AIRBNB's on the street. Other residents are pissed. We also do have two HOA's on our street. One, as you enter, is your standard townhouse complex. On the water (Potomac) with one common pier. No major issues but many typical HOA gripes. The other HOA is at the far end of our street. It has 10-20 lots. Maybe 10 houses currently. They are individual houses that originated with the developers 90 years ago. A few nonfamily members own now. They DO NOT pay waterfront property taxes because the beach is common property. The HOA probably pays a higher rate for that? I just heard that the powers to be (state, county, ) have approved all of these homes to have individual piers. The rest of us are curious if they will now pay waterfront rates on their property taxes. That whole beachfront area is now wide open. Fair share!! We'll see. Won't change my taxes either way.

 

[pb4uski]

... I think that has percolated down to the average condo owner who all too frequently takes a combative stance even when the rules are clear. Perhaps it's just how our society has "evolved" but that seems to be the way it will continue.

+1 One of the problems in our Association is that the vast majority of our owners previously owned single family homes and were used to doing what they wanted outside their homes without any constraints. Condo living is different... inside your unit is free rein within reason but outside your unit is Association responsibility.

That, combined with a Board that was cheap and unwilling to increase maintenance fees to maintain the property as they should. So when some of the landscaping became shabby due to Board neglect and owners pressured to Board to do better they conceded to allow owners to improve the landscaping adjacent to the owner's unit that was the Association's responsibility as long as the owner paid for it. That created a slippery slope where the Board allowed owners to do many things that they shouldn't have allowed as long as it didn't cost the Association money to "be nice" to those owners.

Now many years later, it is the wild, wild west.

 

[Aerides]

I briefly considered it in our neighborhood, but decided against it. I'd recommend anyone thinking about it go to the HOA meetings on a regular basis, ask questions and take note of the answers and behaviors. Show up early and watch the dynamics with the existing members. The chumminess or lack thereof with the management rep. See how the "president" and other member respond to other owners.

In my case I saw far too much "we can't, because..." as quick answers, and complaints about lack of homeowner attendance (to those that showed up...) with no ideas for helping increase it - only shooting down suggestions from attendees. Watching things like new entryway landscaping taking literally years because they can't see one foot in front of the other.

It had the opposite effect on me, that I decided it was better I disengage completely and not even go to meetings. Much happier with that decision!

 

[athena53]

How can people be so daft? How can reading comprehension be so hard?

That sounds like something that our Board would do... twist itself into a pretzel to avoid a dispute. But it is coming back to bite them... google "selective enforcement". It is best to just stick to your documents.

I know. If you don't enforce ALL the rules you can lose your right to enforce any of them. That ship has already sailed, I'm afraid. We have one owner who's been thumbing her nose at the "no rental" rules since I moved here in 2015. We knew there were people in the house but they never answered the door or went out in the yard. When we had effective Board management we tracked the owner down to FL where she'd moved in with a retired pro FB player and popped out a few kids. She did pay up on her back dues at the time but now we have a continuing lien on her house for the rest. Last we heard from a Board members who's a realtor, the occupants were supposedly there on a "rent-to-own" basis which of course was under the table since it wasn't allowed. They stopped paying and she plans to put the place up for sale- but that was last April.

This reminds me, though- I do need to rattle the cage of the HOA President and ask him why no minutes of monthly meetings have been circulated (my guess is there have been no meetings) and when we'll have an Annual Meeting.