CAI Lament: Why Won't They Listen to Us?
CAI's lament about "10 Things They Hate About You" (Jan-Feb 2007 Common Ground) in reference to the poor performance of HOA boards. This follows CAI's 12 part, year-long effort on Skiba's blog, "Pearls of Wisdom". These communications are in direct conflict with CAI's propaganda surveys on how happy homeowners are in HOAs.
What are these 10 complaints? Read and judge for yourself on the relevance of the complaints. Comments are in square brackets.
1. When you don't share financial information. [Even when required by law].
2. When the rules are shrouded in mystery. [The rules are made up on-the-fly, without notice to homeowners].
3. "People are strange". [Surprise, surprise that people within a community will differ. Board is incapable or unwilling to be responsive to homeowner concerns].
4. Inconsistent rule enforcement. [This reflects an uniformed board concerning its duties and obligations under the law and the governing documents, and the fact the board holds draconian measures to enforce compliance to whims - foreclosure].
5. Not allowing homeowners to vote on financial or other important matters. [In spite of CAI's proclamations that HOAs are ideal direct democracies].
6. Meeting in secrecy [Public, democratic governments are subject to true blue sky requirements -- open meetings].
7. Failing to appreciate professional management. [What professional management? Listen to the complaints and management is often the culprit guiding the volunteer boards].
8. Don't seek professional advice. [True, but sometimes attorneys, the only professionals involved in HOAs, forget their neutral role and act in collusion with the board's wrongful actions].
9. "Tight fisted". [Is this number 9?].
10. Running for the board with an axe to grind. [Well, if the director was not conscripted into service, they all have an axe to grind, even those who seek to reform the board that isn't doing what they think it should be doing.]
It's about time that the industry special interests admit that the 40 plus year experiment in planned communities and homeowners associations is a dismal failure. How can a money-driven constitution, without a bill of rights, written by a commercial enterprise that leaves the community in a very short time, outperform the 220 year-old US Constitution?
What are these 10 complaints? Read and judge for yourself on the relevance of the complaints. Comments are in square brackets.
1. When you don't share financial information. [Even when required by law].
2. When the rules are shrouded in mystery. [The rules are made up on-the-fly, without notice to homeowners].
3. "People are strange". [Surprise, surprise that people within a community will differ. Board is incapable or unwilling to be responsive to homeowner concerns].
4. Inconsistent rule enforcement. [This reflects an uniformed board concerning its duties and obligations under the law and the governing documents, and the fact the board holds draconian measures to enforce compliance to whims - foreclosure].
5. Not allowing homeowners to vote on financial or other important matters. [In spite of CAI's proclamations that HOAs are ideal direct democracies].
6. Meeting in secrecy [Public, democratic governments are subject to true blue sky requirements -- open meetings].
7. Failing to appreciate professional management. [What professional management? Listen to the complaints and management is often the culprit guiding the volunteer boards].
8. Don't seek professional advice. [True, but sometimes attorneys, the only professionals involved in HOAs, forget their neutral role and act in collusion with the board's wrongful actions].
9. "Tight fisted". [Is this number 9?].
10. Running for the board with an axe to grind. [Well, if the director was not conscripted into service, they all have an axe to grind, even those who seek to reform the board that isn't doing what they think it should be doing.]
It's about time that the industry special interests admit that the 40 plus year experiment in planned communities and homeowners associations is a dismal failure. How can a money-driven constitution, without a bill of rights, written by a commercial enterprise that leaves the community in a very short time, outperform the 220 year-old US Constitution?
posted by Citizens for Constitutional Local Government | 8:26 AM
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