Your Experience on a HOA Board

[1242Vintage]

Was on a HOA board for a while. I still have an active Engineers License and other Board members were trying to shove decisions my way that would require use of my license. Nope. Not taking on that liability. If the HOA Board requires the review and recommendation of a licensed engineer prior to decision-making, then either the HOA Board or the homeowner needs to hire one and it’s not me. I’m out!!!

 

[troutnut1]

Hard experience (mine) have convinced me that nothing good can come from volunteer positions involving money or having a title.

 

[NXR7]

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.

I was never on an HOA board but church committees are the same way, except less people do the work. I joined the HR committee and halfway through the first year the Chairperson quit so I took it over for half a term. I ended up being chair for five more years.

I did a full 95% of the work on salaries, benefits, policies, you name it. Out of an 11-person committee 10 others sometimes showed up for meetings.

Adversarial? Our part-time employee total pay expense was $2,500 a year. I finally got so ticked at almost no one else doing anything I proposed a 50% pay raise for people. You know, a $1,250 increase annually total (not per person).

I got my buddy to immediately second it and I called for the vote, all within one minute.

Then the group came alive and complained how they never got pay raises or only got 1%. I pointed out the flaw in their math but it didn't help. I was out-voted. But then the group participated.

My wife became co-chair of the education committee and the person she was co-chair with decided to not do anything again and it became just her doing youth programs, summer programs, you name it. She quit after one year and now nether of us volunteer for positions there anymore.

It’s started to affect my health in that I broke out with eczema and can’t get rid of it ...

A bit off-topic but I have eczema and was prescribed a topical cream called Clobetasol propionate. It's supposed to be one of the strongest steroid creams there is.

When the eczema starts up on my fingers I put a very small amount on and the skin is normal in a day or two. This stuff works so well I'm convinced it will give me cancer.

It goes on extremely thin and cannot be covered with a band-aid because that can increase the absorption rate.

A single 15g (0.53 ounces) tube of 0.05% lasts me a couple of years. I've used it years past its so-called expiration date and it still works. It's not cheap so use GoodRx or similar to find the lowest price but it's been a godsend for me.

Docs and dermatologists usually go all wide-eyed when I say I use it but I give them the "how to" above and they calm down. I guess it's even stronger than I thought.

No one ever runs for the board besides the people on it. I am being pressured to stay but am adamant about leaving.

Walk. It's no longer your problem and there will always be someone who will step up to fill the slot.

 

[Teacher Terry]

I was never on an HOA board but church committees are the same way, except less people do the work. I joined the HR committee and halfway through the first year the Chairperson quit so I took it over for half a term. I ended up being chair for five more years.

I did a full 95% of the work on salaries, benefits, policies, you name it. Out of an 11-person committee 10 others sometimes showed up for meetings.

Adversarial? Our part-time employee total pay expense was $2,500 a year. I finally got so ticked at almost no one else doing anything I proposed a 50% pay raise for people. You know, a $1,250 increase annually total (not per person).

I got my buddy to immediately second it and I called for the vote, all within one minute.

Then the group came alive and complained how they never got pay raises or only got 1%. I pointed out the flaw in their math but it didn't help. I was out-voted. But then the group participated.

My wife became co-chair of the education committee and the person she was co-chair with decided to not do anything again and it became just her doing youth programs, summer programs, you name it. She quit after one year and now nether of us volunteer for positions there anymore.

A bit off-topic but I have eczema and was prescribed a topical cream called Clobetasol propionate. It's supposed to be one of the strongest steroid creams there is.

When the eczema starts up on my fingers I put a very small amount on and the skin is normal in a day or two. This stuff works so well I'm convinced it will give me cancer.

It goes on extremely thin and cannot be covered with a band-aid because that can increase the absorption rate.

A single 15g (0.53 ounces) tube of 0.05% lasts me a couple of years. I've used it years past its so-called expiration date and it still works. It's not cheap so use GoodRx or similar to find the lowest price but it's been a godsend for me.

Docs and dermatologists usually go all wide-eyed when I say I use it but I give them the "how to" above and they calm down. I guess it's even stronger than I thought.

Walk. It's no longer your problem and there will always be someone who will step up to fill the slot.

Thanks for sharing your story. It’s eye opening to see others experiencing the same or worse. That was funny about people waking up from the dead when you started talking about giving people a raise).

Thanks for the tip about my eczema. I usually can get rid of it with the cream I have but will try that if it persists. Since I have told everyone I am not running it appears to be leaving but not completely gone yet.

 

[NXR7]

Thanks for the tip about my eczema. I usually can get rid of it with the cream I have but will try that if it persists. Since I have told everyone I am not running it appears to be leaving but not completely gone yet.

Maybe you're just allergic to those people.