Talk me out of volunteering for HOA BOD

[Carpediem]

Our rental condo association has an opening on the Board after one of its members sold their unit. I've thought about running for a spot in the past but always talked myself out of it due to possible frustrations and headaches. But now that I'm retired I'm thinking about possibly doing it. (And yes, I have my own frustrations with the performance of the current Board members.)

Has anyone here ever served on an HOA Board and if so, what was your experience? Did you start hating life soon after you joined?

Thanks!

 

[Aerides]

I haven't, and wouldn't.

two questions:

Have you attended more than a half dozen board meetings?
Do you have "Nextdoor" for your neighborhood and read it regularly?

If the answer to both of those is no, then do both before you decide. Be warned, doing either/both might make you hate your neighbors.

If the answer to both of those is yes, and you still want to do it, you have a dream neighorhood, and shouldn't join because it will ruin it for you and you will hate your neighbors that way too!

 

[REWahoo]

Has anyone here ever served on an HOA Board...

Yes

Did you start hating life soon after you joined?

No, but I did quickly gain a healthy respect for what total @sshats some people could become over what were, in the big picture, really trivial matters.

Unless you have a very high tolerance for idiots and their associated behavior, do not run for the board. Life is too short.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

Don't, it is not worth the petty quibbling that goes on.

 

[Amethyst]

It sounds like the reason some people run for Congress: to improve the way things are currently being run.

As in Congress, if you join because you are unhappy with the other members' performance, you had better be good at making friends and alliances with people you do not respect. Because you will not change them; you will only be able to set an example. It takes a skilled leader to set an example that others, who don't have close ties, want to follow.

If you have alliances among your neighbors, you might be able to pull one or more of these allies into the Board over time, and then you can run it the way you like.

If all this sounds impossible and a huge waste of your precious life, I have done my job.

 

[Midpack]

There’s no right answer, though there may be more good than bad. I’ve done volunteer boards, though not HOA.

The HOA in our current neighborhood is surprisingly reasonable, as are most neighbors.

The HOA in our previous neighborhood wasn’t bad, though they did play favorites occasionally. While most neighbors were decent people, they avoided HOA meetings - because the neighbors who did attend got bent out of shape over anything and everything, and usually didn’t know what they were talking about. The vocal minority always wanted way more services and lower annual dues of course. I was embarrassed for the board, all volunteers, and admired their patience with asshat residents.

So you have to decide what the HOA situation is where you are. The board may be one thing, and residents another. Good luck.

 

[Scrapr]

Well, i missed a cocktail party/neighborhood get together and was elected President! The only common area was a fence that ran along 6 or 8 lots. Over time houses were built on those lots and the fence was torn out. It was mostly a joke (me getting elected) I think my wife may have brought up the nomination. .

Where I am now I have avoided the BOD. It's small HOA, 35 lots or so. There was an unhappy faction that revolted & took over the Board. They then realized how easy it is to spend OPM. Lawyers reading the minutes and such. They all quit after a year & spending a lot of $$$.

These were both small HOAs. How big is the one the OP is in? Are there big expenses coming up? How is the Reserve fund? If there are assesments coming up I would be relunctant to get involved unless I had the support of a sizeable group for change. I would want a strong base of support for a larger Board. That means getting out & talking to neighbors ie; politicking

 

[easysurfer]

Don't do it!

How's that for good advice? .

 

[cathy63]

I am the treasurer for two HOAs. The one we live in is 4 units, so every unit has someone on the board. The only thing I really do for this org is deposit the HOA fees and write a check to the landscape maint guy every month and the termite guys every year.

The other HOA is our rental property in a 10-unit building a few blocks away. That one is more of a headache because of a couple of owners from out of state who think they know how everything should be done even though they don't participate and are concerned that anything they don't like is "lowering my property value" (it's not). I try to take a board position every two or three years because we have one owner who's in memory care, one that's in the foreign service, two living out of state, two who are feuding, so there are not many of us left to help out and share the load. We are a "self managed" HOA, though we have a property mgmt firm to keep some continuity and do the finances for us. Mostly the board members are responsible for finding people to do whatever needs to be done around the place.

 

[Ian S]

I've been on two HOA B.O.D's in my life. Generally speaking, the experiences have been positive. Most of my experience was on a small Board in Phoenix where I served in several positions including President and Treasurer. Because we were so small, we had never used a management company. Probably the most frustrating thing was the lack of interest in serving which resulted in the same folks being reelected all the time. That can result in an effective board if everyone gets along but eventually there is liable to be burnout. We had one Board member who did about 50% of the work and after some altercations with a particularly obnoxious homeowner, pressed the Board to get a management company in to be a buffer layer. At the time, I was treasurer and had just announced I would be selling my home and dropping off the Board. I guess that clinched it and now that HOA has a management company looking after day to day issues.

I would say go for it and try it out. Hopefully you've been to some board meetings to see how things work. It will be a new experience and will give you a better appreciation for what HOAs - so maligned in the media - have to put up with. Good luck!

 

[bingybear]

how much liability insurance do you have?

 

[Dawg52]

I would rather have my eyes poked out.

 

[Rustic23]

I have been on our HOA for 8 of the last 11 years. Yes, sometimes it’s a PIA! However, it was worth it. Yes, you have to learn to ignore some people. I know there are improvements that I had a lot of responsibility for getting for the neighborhood, so I M glad I served.

 

[Souschef]

There is something to be said for either position. I was on my board for about 20 years. One year a group were unhappy and got themselves (other than me) elected to the board. They lasted 6 months.
When we were going to re-roof the whole 80 unit complex, at least one person demanded that we all sign a paper that we were not related to the roofer we chose, which was an insult to the integrity of a volunteer board.

 

[njhowie]

No, absolutely not. It is a thankless job, you don't get paid, you have to make financial decisions which affect everyone, and nobody likes it when their dues have to go higher or there's a special assessment.

About 30 years ago I was treasurer of the (~80 unit) HOA for the condo I owned at the time. Never again.

As far as one of the other comments regarding liability insurance - like any corporation, the HOA carries (should carry) Directors and Officers insurance, it is not something you (should) need to be concerned with.

 

[Amethyst]

More likely, a tactlessly expressed reflection of somebody's unfortunate experience.

You knew your own integrity, but did everybody?

When we were renting out a townhouse in a large complex, the HOA board decided that everyone must immediately paint their back decks and mulch their shrubbery by a certain date, or be fined. The order was given in a draconian way. We learned, after the fact, the HOA president was putting his townhouse on the market. Naturally, he wanted everything to be spruce.

When we were going to re-roof the whole 80 unit complex, at least one person demanded that we all sign a paper that we were not related to the roofer we chose, which was an insult to the integrity of a volunteer board.

 

[bigcmagor]

I think each owner should serve at least one term on the board, if the opportunity presents itself. If it turns out to be an aggravation, don't run again. It is a responsibility, but others carried the load for the benefit of the group previously and everyone should take their turn.

 

[Lewis Clark]

I think each owner should serve at least one term on the board, if the opportunity presents itself. If it turns out to be an aggravation, don't run again. It is a responsibility, but others carried the load for the benefit of the group previously and everyone should take their turn.

+1

I served on my HOA for several years a decade ago, and started my second round of service last year. If you live in a community with an HOA, several SOMEBODIES have to serve on the board. Most folks don't care enough to be described as apathetic. But if you value your neighborhood you should consider it.

Yes, it can be a pain at times, but in my neighborhood it wasn't unreasonable.

Huge difference between a condo association and an HOA mostly consisting of single family homes. Condos usually have more shared space so they have more to manage.

I have personally found and fixed several problems, so I know I have made a positive difference.

 

[Philliefan33]

I am in the second year of my second three-year term on the HOA of our second home. Our community is much larger than others mentioned here; we have ~850 SFH, a lake, two beaches, a pool, a clubhouse, and 17 miles of roads.

We have a 15 person BOD, which is a lot of people but is necessary because we are all volunteers and we manage all of the above. I am currently the treasurer and previously served as corporate secretary, Vice President, and director of technology and communications.

I ran for election soon after ER because I had already been volunteering on a couple of committees and was ready to become more involved. I don’t plan to run for re-election again when my current term is up because the responsibilities are taking too much of my time and I need a break.

Since mid March the other Executive Committee members and I have spent hours on the phone and reading guidance, trying to navigate the coronavirus. What needs to be closed? What can we open once our county moves to “yellow” phase? While I am tired of the time sink I’m glad I have a voice and a vote in the decisions that we’ve made.

The decision to join the board of the HOA comes down to two things: a sense of volunteerism / community service, and the desire to have a role in making decisions for the community. A balance of the two is probably ideal.

 

[lauradrops]

I served on our HOA board for 5 years and only stopped because we moved. It was a positive experience for me. That may also be because we had a reasonable board with reasonable expectations.

I liked seeing where the money I paid went and having a hand in the decisions. I can honestly say in the 5 years I served we really didn't have anything petty.

I guess it largely depends on each board and their expectations. I would agree that you should attend meetings regularly and get a feel for what it would be like.

 

[Dtail]

I have been to many HOA meetings. While the board members are pleasant enough, besides the egotistical leader, I wouldn't want to be on the board.
Very slow in getting stuff done.

 

[ER Eddie]

I have no experience with being on an HOA board, but I'll just share my criteria for taking a volunteer gig.

First, it has to make me feel like I'm making a difference for the better. It doesn't have to be a big difference, but it has to feel meaningful. I don't want to just be pushing papers or checking off to-do lists.

Second, it can't feel like a job. It shouldn't feel like an obligatory commitment. You shouldn't hear yourself say things to yourself like, "Uh, I have to attend the board meeting today." Other red flags for me would be preoccupation with policies and rules, or a requirement that I commit to a fixed schedule. What I'm getting at is the difference between freely choosing to do something because you feel like it vs. feeling obligated to do something by external requirements.

Third, I have to enjoy the actual "work" involved. This is kind of obvious, but I have to mention it, because there have been several activities I thought I would enjoy in retirement, but they've turned out to be duds, when I tried them. If I'm not enjoying something, I'm not going to do it.

Fourth, I have to like the people I'm working with, and I have to feel like I fit in reasonably well. I rarely fit in well with any large group, so I don't have high expectations here, but I don't want to feel too much like the odd man out (e.g., in terms of age or values).

If those 4 criteria are met, I'm in, but if not, I'm out. You will not be surprised to learn that so far, I'm not signed up for any volunteer gigs, except informal ones I adopt myself.

 

[Rex]

Do it if you have the time.

I consider it my opportunity to control how my money is spent.

I've served on the condo HOA for a small (10 unit) beach rental property.....When I got involved, I quickly learned that people enjoy spending "other people's money". Jump on the board and help them be good stewards of "other people's money" because many are not.

 

[Ronstar]

Didn't serve on an HOA board, but served on an HOA committee that oversees shoreline construction in our subdivision. Had to put up with drama from residents wanting to build/ do things outside of our HOA guidelines. DW banned me from running for the board. I'm glad that she did. I still help out on occasion.

 

[Markola]

Wow, I already know better than to join a board but this string is curing me of any desire to even own a condo as I thought I might someday.