Disappointing Response from HOA Board

 

I believe our community is facing some serious challenges: lack of transparency from the HOA board, landscaping issues faced by all communities now and increasingly in coming years, financial inadequacies to continue to protect our property values. Let me be clear--I do not think any of our board members have stolen money or committed any serious illegal acts against our community. I do believe they have lost their commitment to the core values to support a strong community.

First point to clarify:

Mark Balcer and I do not have a personal vendetta against the HOA board because we did not get elected this past February no matter what the HOA board members say or think. Our efforts are not personal at all, except for the money draining from our bank accounts…that’s personal. We are actually paying double for our efforts since the cost of the HOA’s legal costs come from our dues too.

Second point to clarify:

Based on the board’s official statement at Tuesday’s meeting, there is no evidence that board members want to resolve our concerns, or even discuss them in a serious, respectful meeting to find common ground and move forward with a productive community-building relationship.

They are wasting all the energy and enthusiasm Mark and I have for community building. Just as they squashed our efforts to contribute to the common area landscape work by forming a committee of homeowners with broad expertise and enthusiasm for establishing and maintaining low cost, sustainable common areas for us all to enjoy for years to come.

In the board’s official response Tuesday night, we were accused of lying with the purpose to incite violence against the board members. Folks, I’m a 77-year-old white haired hippy, gardener, fiber artist. I don’t even shout at folks, not even at my cat.

We were called liars. It is clear that members of the board have made some mistakes in the past. Instead of admitting those mistakes and ensuring the community that moving forward with lesson learned, they encouraged homeowners to get an attorney and sue us individually.

The pattern of name-calling and harsh rhetoric that I have observed in board meetings for the past two years continues. First, it was focused on two specific board members who suffered intense verbal abuse simply because they presented opinions, options, and facts contrary to the core power group. When civil discourse failed last year, three of us tried to break the great wall of “we are always right and can do what we want” by filing a complaint about the outlet installed for last year’s Oktoberfest with the South Carolina Consumer Affairs department. The board refused an opportunity to address this serious problem and move forward.

Think about it folks…I get screamed at, threatened to be sued, called names by homeowners. Why would I endure that? It’s because I do stand up for what I think should change. I am not an attacker. I have never had a “normal” conversation with the homeowners and board members who threaten to sue me because I don’t engage in name calling and hate speech, shouting matches, and physical finger pointing. I have been accused of not bringing my issues to the board in a monthly meeting. Three minutes allowed guests at a monthly meeting is not a conversation; it’s an opportunity for the board to go on the defense. Even if a homeowner is not the target of aggressive verbiage, who would want to sit through that?

One board member reached out with an invitation to talk with us in an effort to save the HOA money on legal fees. Again in the board’s response he issued an invitation to join him at his kitchen table and discuss the issues. One of the major reasons for our efforts to bring clarity to the HOA’s actions is the pattern of individual board members acting without board approval. There is evidence that in some cases, individual board members act without even informing other board members, much less getting a vote of approval.

Third point to clarify:

The HOA is facing an unexpected cost to dredge the detention pond on South Orchard of between $17,000 and $30,000 and a huge pool maintenance of over $300,000.

The board approved $1,500 for Town & Country to be the go-between our attorney and the HOA’s attorney. I realize most board members have full-time jobs and families and that board positions are voluntary. But it seems logical to me that every little bit counts toward meeting those two financial challenges.

It is my understanding that Greenville County issued a violation on the status of the detention pond. It was implied by a board member that this violation was the “fault” of a homeowner for alerting the County rather than a lack of sufficient monitoring and maintenance of the pond by the board.

These two issues alone would signal a priority to me to mediate any issue that may cause additional expense. Doesn’t every little bit count when facing the challenges of the board’s job: protecting our property values?