A Kat's Meow Ltd

Have you ever felt that you’re just not being heard by the Board of Directors?  You attend all the Board meetings but the Board just doesn’t let you speak when you want to, what you want to talk about, join in on the vote, or…

Perhaps having a better understanding of the role of the Board might explain why the Board acts as it does.  Did you know that Board meetings are meetings that allow the Board to conduct the business of the association (corporation)?  These Board meetings are open to the membership of the corporation (owners) to allow the members to experience, first hand, what is going on in the corporation.

Additionally, have you ever been to a Town Council or a Town Board Meeting?  Have you watched how they move through the agenda from one item to the next?  Have you tried to stand up and discuss a topic that was not on their agenda?  Did you try and speak about something that was on the agenda without being first recognized?  Chances are, you didn’t get very far.

Similar to the way a Town Council or Town Board runs their meetings, the Association’s Board will conduct their meetings.  The HOA Board will systematically work through their agenda items.  Depending on the laws in your state and/or the governing documents for your community, you may have the opportunity to speak on the topic being discussed, once you are recognized.  While members may be able to share their ideas with the Board, members must  remember that the decisions made at Board of Director meetings are still the responsibility of the Board of Directors, and what they believe will be best for the entire community.  In other words, while you may get to share your thoughts, it’s still the Board’s decision.

Unlike Town Council or Town Board meeting, many HOA Board of Director meetings will include a section entitled “Open Forum,” allowing owners to discuss items not on the agenda.  Generally if an owner wishes to speak in the Open Forum, that owner must sign in, list the topics that they would like to discuss, and be in good standing with the community.  Depending on the laws in your state and/or the governing documents of your community, there may be a time limit and / or a maximum number of topics you may be allowed to share during the meeting.

Sometimes when people talk about a concern or something that is on their mind, they just need an avenue to share it in with others, including the Board.  Other times people may be looking for an answer.  Members should be aware, however,  that in most cases the Boards of Directors for Associations are volunteers who may not have all the answers at their fingertips.  Consequently, the Board may need to conduct further research before providing members with an answer.  Often this research is completed on the Board members’ time.  At times there may not even be an answer.

So the next time you believe you’re not being heard by the Board of Directors for your Association, ask yourself if you are approaching them properly (look to your governing documents), if you are asking them to do something for your benefit versus for the benefit of the entire community, and whether you are asking a question or just sharing your thoughts.  Remember, the more constructively you work with the Board of Directors, the better your relationship can be.

by Wendy Frenzel