Creating a smooth board transition in a Homeowners Association HOA

One issue facing homeowner associations is creating a smooth transition when there is board turnover.   The purpose is to prepare owners, boards and board candidates for what lies ahead. How to go about that is the subject of this post. I see three approaches:

1. Communicate
2. Mentor
3. Remain on Committee

However, it is very important to realize that what is provided must be accepted in order that there be a successful transition. That is not always the case. Personalities of board members may clash and the consequence may be bullying, politics, subversive groups, personal agendas, resistance and apathy.

Owner apathy and disinterest can result in a lack of candidates and new board members to be mentored. These things will undermine the operation and prevent a smooth transition. Board members are supposed to operate as fiduciaries. Owners are supposed to be treated as the shareholders they are. These things don't always occur and not all board members believe in communications, etc. Some may harbor a deep seated loathing for owners, with the position that their duty is to the association and the primary purpose of owners is to keep the rules which includes paying their fees, period. Boards may see themselves as the "superior beings" in the association. Good luck transitioning when these things are present. 

If the remaining or new board members are emotionally unavailable and walled off, or expect to be power brokers, or are not open to change and learning, then any and all transition techniques will fail. Board members are volunteers. Owners sometimes forget that. Boards will only do what they are willing to do and there is no power on earth that can force one to do more than one is willing to do.  If boards fail to get the job done there is a natural tendency to revert to methods to "look good" to owners or promote popularity. Some of the methods employed may include:

1. Control of Communications. Boards may avoid providing certain information via the newletter or during open meeting sessions.
2. Save bad news for the Executive Session. This is a breach of duties but nevertheless it can occur.
3. Create board member groups (cliques) to control discussions during board meetings.

Communications

Communications has the purpose of preparing and passing information. Our association doesn't have a handbook. I chose a different route. One way to inform is to do so gradually and to publish. I've accomplished this several ways:

1. Communicate relevant information to owners in attendance during the HOA meetings. I've taken the approach that owners and other board members may require further explanations and I usually provide longer explanations when I am speaking. However, with near zero owner attendance in recent months and some board apathy I've altered my approach. 
2. Because open/executive session meetings in our association are limited to two hours monthly it becomes impossible to completely discuss some issues, projects, etc. in the limited time available. Obviously other methods must be employed.
3. Articles for eight years in the association newsletter which include methods. Reading the newsletters provides valuable insights into what needs to be done and one can glean how to do it. Reading the newsletters one can determine "How" and "Why". 
4. Publish the information on the web, so it is available to all owners and boards. Here's the link to our association website newsletters: http://www.blmh.org/newsletters
5. Send emails to boards during the period leading up to the transition which provides guidance and information about issues, projects, tasks and so on that will be incomplete after the election and will pass to the new board. Ask management to include these in the next board packet so the newly elected board members are also informed. 
6. Create a blog. The newsletter is very limited in space. In fact, owners have complained that it is "too businesslike" and one board member has insisted for years that "No one reads the newsletter."  This association doesn't have a  blog. I created this blog in 2008 as a means of further communications methods, issues, data, etc. This blog is sometimes read by board members and can be an effective method of telegraphing that they are, in fact, being observed. A blog can also provide alternative views. 

Here's a link to an article on cummunications over at Wharton:     http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/the-secret-to-great-communication-skills/


Mentoring
Mentoring is an approach which trains others to assume responsibilities. It may occur over years and is a useful approach for completing commitments which are not open ended in nature. It includes:

1. Specific guidance
2. Leadership through example 
3. Motivation
4. Emotional support

In practice I assist others in the performance of their duties, have provided technology, asked others to assist me, delegated to others but not abandoned them and so on.  I've approached my commitment on the board as both a member of a team and as a team leader. I've defended board members when they became the target of bullying by other board members.

Remain on Committee
Once that a board member's tenure is over, it is helpful if the board member remain available to the new board. One way is to become a committee member. Of course, the committee member does not vote and may not attend all board meetings.

The committee member is not a fiduciary and is not bound by such duties or responsibilities.

The committee member has specific assignments but is not intended to replace the responsibility of the board. In other words, there remains a requirement that boards be "working boards".  Some boards have not seen it that way, believing that their primary purpose is to read the monthly management packet, attend the meetings and vote.  The preference for such members is to exercise power and delegate. That approach is woefully inadequate in my opinion.

You can't teach an old dog new tricks
This is also sometimes described as "You can lead a horse to water but you can't force him to drink."

My point in posting the statement is to point out that boards do what boards will do, and this also applies to owners. In other words, one can do their best on a HOA board, but what happens is a consequence of group dynamics.

For boards, I think of the expression "A chain is only as strong as it's weakest link."  In boards we have a group of people who each have one vote.  With that one vote comes equal responsibility. However, in the real world that may not occur. Which is why there is such a wide disparity of duties among board. There may be abundant titles. However, the actual work load may not be shared equally.

Several years of zero percent fee increases

"Incremental Continuous Improvement" - there are consequences and BLMH owners are reaping the rewards.

Success most often comes slowly. So too for HOAs. Patience it has been said is a virtue. In an "instant gratification" "me first" culture, patience is a lost art. This explains in part the great pain some owners have when they purchase in a HOA.

Whether or not we believe patience is a virtue, it is useful. Patience should never be an excuse for a lack of action. Patience is what is necessary in long term endeavors. As owners, most of us don't flip condos, homes or Park models. As board members, we are required to develop long term plans.

Board members are owners. Owners are grouped and collectively will get the same benefits over time. I say "over time" with the acknowledgement that usually capital improvements can't occur simultaneously in HOAs, unless they are very small. However, boards are required to develop long term plans and act accordingly.

In my limited experience, HOA boards far too frequently don't act according to the plans. Boards must provide reserves. They don't have to have plans about how to spend them. Even reserve studies can be shelved. Boards can and do operate independently of reserve studies.  Owners can insist that there be absolutely no future planning so as to keep their fees low with the hope they will sell their unit before the special assessments occur.

Is it any wonder HOAs have difficulties?

Success requires communications, planning and integrity. Politics should never be a part of the process of a board running a HOA, but it does occur. It has and does happen at BLMH. I'm sure it will happen again the the future. How is this? Board members eager to enhance their esteem in the community are the politicians. To do so they may talk, but walk in another direction. At BLMH we have a very small Neighbors Club and it is far too easy for board members to attend and cater to such a small group.

Obviously, board members must exercise self control and discretion. But that can be difficult. Being popular or getting accolades can be a very strong pull. Nevertheless, boards operate for all of the owners. That requires dealing with day-to-day issues but also the long term issues.  Because long term projects can absorb so much money, it is vital that board members pay serious attention to the costs and implementation of these long term projects. Doing so treats all owners, both those in any Neighbors Club, the rest of the owners and owners in the foreseeable future. Which is the basis for my argument.

There are methods to be used to accomplish large, long term projects. HOA's are intended to exist forever. By their very nature the HOA itself is one very large, long term project. Maintaining the HOA so it is a thriving community is a multi-faceted project. That requires a long term commitment by owners. Part of the responsibility of owners is to be cognizant of the reality of the Home Owners Association they live in.  That means being aware of issues and voting in a responsible manner for boards to represent the owners and get the work done.

The success of boards in completing these long term tasks can be compared to a relay race. The current board members do their best to complete the myriad of tasks available to them and that includes long term planning. Each year the "baton" is passed to a new board member, or group of members. That baton represents the wishes, dreams and responsibilities.

In a 30 year period a HOA can have as few as 10 board turnovers or as many as 30.  A few board members may provide service for decades. In our HOA some serve for about two terms.

"Projects" is a catch-all term which  includes reserve planning and the establishment of realistic financial controls. Combined with infrastructure planning these controls determine how things are accomplishes. Such controls are realized via annual budgets and the establishment of fees. A portion of these fees are saved each year as reserves to fund the long term plans, which not only include next years improvements and maintenance but also recognize the requirements 30 years hence.

These are successfully completed by meticulous and thorough planning, by executing those plans one step at a time, by frequent re-evaluation using results data and including current reality. It also requires enrolling committed individuals who are willing to support the project.

This is not easy and is, in fact, very difficult. "Long term" isn't normal in a "just do it", disposable society.

Looking Back
In December 2017 some may say this is easy. Others may say it was inevitable. It was neither.

When I began this personal project to turn around the merry ship SS:BLMH I was very clear there would be problems and it would be difficult. I recognized this before purchase of a unit in 2001. Our evaluation indicated that reserves and reserve planning was woefully inadequate. I was surprised, however, by some of the resistance to change by boards and by owners. I underestimated the power of greed (a fear of not having enough), the unwillingness to change (ability to accept and use new concepts) and the resignation (the tacit agreement that "We can't do this" or "It won't make a difference").

I always find it interesting how we human beings deal with adversity and impossible projects. My strength is based both upon my skills, my ethics and can be traced to many things, including a book I read many years ago. That book begins with the sentence "Life is Difficult." I read the first edition of that book in 1978. It is titled "The Road Less Travelled" and the author is M. Scott Peck. It seems some of my fellow homeowners want to live out of a belief that "Life should be easy." They have no evidence for that position, merely an expectation which becomes translated into entitlement. Some boards have been elected for the sole purpose of achieving this short term, ephemeral reality.

Reversing a financial trajectory
The financial trajectory was obvious. At the time I put in a bid for my unit this complex was 23 years old. It is a PUD encompassing 40 acres, 44 buildings. It had about $400,000 in reserves and was adding less than $60,000 a year. It apparently had never had a reserve study by an outside firm. It had recently changed management and had contracted a professional maintenance firm. It was in disarray with only partial planning and an emphasis on annual maintenance.

I concluded I would probably have to have a board position to make any meaningful change. That proved to be problem number one. There was a lot of confusion about the true state of the HOA and some decided "If it isn't broken, don't fix it". But it was broken!

By 2007 the incremental fee increases were rankling owners and that created an opportunity for a new board. My attempts to help or to be on the board were severely rebuffed. I was described as "dangerous" by some with an alternative agenda. Owners were told "Elect Norm and your fees will go up." Someone put nails into the tires of my automobile. Regarding those incidents some owners called me a liar but I had the police reports to substantiate my claims. One person actually would scream "I hate you" as I walked the grounds. But I persevered.

In 2010 I did achieve a position on the board. It occurred as a parliamentary maneuver. I did not achieve sufficient votes for the position and the board was full. However, a former treasurer who did achieve sufficient votes for a board position immediately resigned at the election held during the annual meeting. She did so to provide an opportunity for me. She was believer number one.

For the next seven years I crunched numbers. I also promoted the completion of myriad partially completed projects, dealing with problems or improvements and reinvigorating the maintenance program.

Enrolling the board
Boards were mistrustful or skeptical. There were 'old timers' who had seen a lot and had great difficulty with accepting possibilities other than their experience. They would have to be convinced and the best way to do so is to get results consistently year after year.

In 2010 I began the long road. I realized this would take more time than I was willing to put in. But I also knew there was no other way. Of course, I could have sold my unit; that would have been the easy way out because I really didn't have to live here. As for the money, well, I had no mortgage and I was still employed. So guess what? I can live anywhere!

To enroll the board members I would have to achieve results, deflect attempts to stop me, redirect board members based upon results, deal with the conversation "we can't do this" and prove my case. I realized that one or two years of "results" would be insufficient. Many would attribute that to luck, or machinations. It would require consistent, repeatable results (evidence to overcome the naysayers) as well as inordinate patience and understanding. I did not expect to make friends, but I did expect to gain partners. Each and every board member has a stake as an owner in the success of this HOA. Each board member also wants a place to live which suits their financial requirements and lifestyle. These things provided an impetus to the board. Some board members may also have personal esteem at risk. That's their problem, not mine. However, if we don't acknowledge the failures of the past, we are possibly doomed to repeat them. That poses a conundrum.

We were aligned by results, although there was a lot of differentiation or confusion about methods.

For example, I was committed to improving the newsletter. This was viewed as a waste. Some wanted a social periodical, and others felt that owners don't read it so why bother? I also suspect some board members didn't want to be held accountable. I chose communication. I chose printing commitments and I called our owners "shareholders" and treated them as such. That did not always go over well. Some board members weren't pleased and some owners are irresponsible. Nevertheless we are all shareholders in a not-for-profit corporation.

I persevered.

Engaging owners
As





My attempt to






Attracting talent for the board







https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M._Scott_Peck

Final Board Meeting as President

The final board meeting as president came and went. It was attended by five board members and two former board members. One spectator asked me if I would reconsider running for the board of 2019.  Two board members were unable to attend.

I've spent several days following up on loose ends, and getting ready for the annual meeting on the 27th. I dusted off my 2016 video and have been working on an update to that presentation. It's difficult to say what needs to be said in only 5 minutes.

Here's the summary video for my annual meeting presentation of 2016. That was a longer presentation.  [Note: This is not a video of the presentation I made to the owners and to the board in September 2016.  This is a graphic depiction of the data I presented during that meeting, with voice-over. On October 11 it came to my attention that a micromanaging control freak on the current board is concerned about the wealth of information which I possess and that I might put it out on the web from time to time.  Frankly, the board of 2019 has much larger and more important things to deal with, but when micromanagers rule, well, they tend to invent issues and then deal with resulting trivia!]

In fact, this video was also prepared and published in accordance with this subsequent blog post:

Creating a Smooth Board Transition in a HOA

The treasurer and I have honed the finances through August with management assistance. I've worked on the projections for project completions and the most likely reserve funding level as of December 31, 2018.

There's a lot to talk about. Hope I won't be wasting my time or anyone else's for that matter. As of Midnight September 27th my board commitment of eight years will be complete.

How to deal with a backlog

Eleven years later and I have some insights about backlogs and funding shortfalls. Boards prior to 2008 were hamstrung by decisions made in previous years.  Those decisions resulted in inadequate reserves and a large maintenance backlog.

When I saw the condition of the association I had a lot of questions, more questions than answers. I discovered we didn't even have an accurate topographic drawing defining the boundaries of the property. So, add that to the list and in 2014 a topographic survey was made. Earlier boards had either lost the documents, or they had never existed. Management had no blueprints for the buildings, either.

By the time I achieved a seat on the board in 2010 a $1.6+ million roofing project was underway. It began in 2002-3 but was progressing very slowly. First one roof was completed, then two in a single year, then three. By spring of 2010 about 25 percent of the roofs were completed. The project delays I attribute to funding issues.

I'd been an owner since early 2001. I had been walking the property and cataloging issues. Some of this was readily visible such as the condition of common area decks, roofs, driveways, streets, unit patios, trees, landscaping, etc. Not readily visible were garage floors and so on. I'd been monitoring the board meetings and of course read the newsletters. What wasn't being discussed was as interesting as what was discussed.

I concluded a thorough survey was necessary. Observing the board of 2008-2009 I concluded they did not have a grip on the full magnitude of the problems. They were dealing with financial matters and avoiding the "elephant in the room" which was the condition of Lakecliffe, our major throughfare. That street was 5 years old and disintigrating. Another serious blow to our finances. It must have been overwhelming.

To determine that magnitude would require a thorough survey of the physical infrastructure. That however, would reveal the true financial issues of the association. That board did realize that they needed a lot more data. So they decided to authorize the first independent, outside reserve study. I was aware that there was some discussion about the adequacy of our reserves. Some thought "we have enough money". But the board did not independently create a catalog of the condition of the infrastructure, so it was all wishful thinking. By the time I arrived on the board I was told that the reserve study had been completed and I asked to review it. It did not support the opinions that "we have enough money." To the contrary. In fact, it raised as many questions as were answered.  I told the board that we needed a thorough analysis of the reserve study and I undertook that.

Step One - Determine the Infrastructure Condition
To get a grip on reality required determining the condition of the infrastructure. That would also provide an improved understanding of the underlying assumptions in the reserve study.

To determine the condition required a lot of surveys. More than can be readily accomplished in one year by a board. I was unaware of any thorough documentation made by previous surveys. Boards had been operating based upon complaints. For example, when several owners complained to the board about the condition of the garage floors in several buildings the board was prepared to vote to get proposals to replace those floors. I objected because we were unawares of the condition of the 84 4-car garages on the property. I suggested the problem floors be inspected with management to determine the severity of the problem. If not "urgent" that replacements be delayed until a complete survey was made of all garages. The condition of all garage floors would be rated and then a recommendation made to the board. The board agreed. It should be noted that the reserve study did not reveal the condition of the garage floors or make any recommendations.

Thus began a lot of work, conducted by the various boards. The actual inspections and surveys were conducted by me and management. Others by our maintenance contractor.

Step Two - Determine Costs






Step Three - Establish a Program














Several stream areas have been repaired. Of three streams, one is in good condition, one is in fair condition and the third has a "poor" section because repairs were suspended by the board 20 years ago.


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Adding narrow walks along driveways
An earlier board has begun adding narrow walks along one side of the driveway when they were repaved. The board of 2008-2009 suspended this because they felt it was unnecessary. So today we have some new driveways with and a few without these narrow walks. The purpose was to allow snow plows to push all the way off of the driveway while avoiding damage to turf. Of course, it also allowed people of "A" unit vehicles to exit without stepping off of the hard surface.

In 2011 I convinced the board to re-institute this approach. Here are a few photos I had taken to convince them of this. No contractor or management was informed of my intention prior to my taking of these photos.

Entry and driveway with narrow walk after snow removal

Entry and driveway without a narrow walk after snow removal

Entry and driveway without a narrow walk after snow removal

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It has also been a "denial mechanism" for some arrogant board members, who failed and may continue to fail to grasp the severity of their actions and take responsibility for them. Some board members have been more interested in "being right" or "looking good" than in "getting results".

I've spent a lot of time dealing with obstructionists. What a waste! Homeowner shareholders deserve better.

 and some "old timers" did their best to undercut and undermine the new board members; some adhered to the old adage "We need higher fees" and did their best to create that in 2015 and beyond. This remains true to this very day.  I watch my back each and every day on this board. Some I can trust to act out of integrity, while others will do the opposite, so what they can to protect their legacy, or simply back their "friends".

After the annual elections and having been replaced, some previous board members may sit in the wings and gloat, praying that the new board fails or at least makes them look good. The new board on discovering the true nature of the work and the depth of issues may simply do what they can to get by and then walk at the end of their terms. We've had some board members simply quit rather than deal with the real issues. Then there are the entrenched who may be there to protect their legacy or vote for their friends. 

This occurred not only for one year but apparently for decades.

I've seen board members do just the opposite, holding owners accountable but letting their friends on the board slide by. Of course, their friends do the same. It can be a regular "club".


I knew this wouldn't change in a year or three. Dealing with backlogs and entrenched beliefs can only be dealt with via creating a new reality. Some will always remain unconvinced and those who create these messes frequently adhere to their past beliefs and remain in denial. Some move on and pretend that someone else made the mess; in fact, it is best to do so before the problems become obvious. Board members have two choices; move on as quickly as possible or hang on and protect their turf.

An emphasis on bank balances while ignoring future expenditures or the requirements created by delaying maintenance or projects is a huge error. But we may feel good if we see those bank balances and some did, for a time.

I've had people at our association scoff when it is stated how many I've put into this in recent years. Some think I exaggerate; I don't. I didn't "expand the task to fill all available time". It was absolutely necessary and it took a group to do this. Not all board members have agreed and we've been misaligned and there have been obstructionists or tagalongs. I'm sure this is true of all boards where there are difficult decisions to be made.

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This is a HOA which had about 800 trees and thousands of shrubs, has 15 acres of turf, 44 large buildings, 3 manmade waterfall and streams, water mains, 6 streets, 84 driveways, 336 "limited common area" decks or patios, is bordered by two lakes and has about 3/4 mile of walks as well as several large common area decks. There is a real need for diligence in maintenance and landscaping.

This post depicts in some detail what I've been doing here since October 2010 as a board member. I'll be providing examples of all of the major projects. So bear with me.

One thing I did was to hone in on finances. Money is the grease for the wheels and without it, associations play games such as creating delays until finances are adequate to do that 'project'. This was standard procedure at this association for decades. Another thing I did was to commandeer the newsletter so as to have a "bloody pulpit" so the owners would be aware of what was really going on. A third was to set real priorities even with board disagreement or unwillingness. The fourth was to handle specific projects as "demonstrations" to convince boards and owners that there is another possibility. The fifth was to approach all of this (the entire association) as the truly long-term project it was; it would take multiple board tenures to get this on track. So I am still here. The final thing was to avoid turning these into "lifetime" projects. There might be that temptation; after all, the association will be here in 5, 20 and 40 years.

However, I won't be on this board for decades. That would be a huge mistake. What associations need is more owner involvement, not less. It doesn't need a boat anchor and I won't become one.

Into high gear with good weather
With the onset of Spring, we moved into "high gear" and outside work began. Such purpose has been lacking from time to time in the past. This was sometimes a result of budget issues and other times it was simply a lack of focus by boards, both new and seasoned.  This is real work and I've spent many thousands of hours since November 2010 getting done what is depicted in this post.

Years
These projects take years to complete because some are multi-faceted or the project is so large. In general, anything that is done to one building, or one driveway or one street, etc. must eventually be replicated throughout the property. The larger the property the more years it will take to see these projects to completion. For example, at our association, there are 44 large roofs. The earlier boards began by doing one roof in a year, then two and then three. At that pace, it would require 15 years to replace all of the roofs. Those roofs had a design life of 18-20 years. Some roofs would have reached an age of 30 years before replacement at that pace, which is unacceptable. To further complicate matters, there are real limits to how much work can be accomplished in any one year.

Will these projects ever be completed?
One might ask "When will this round of projects end?"  In fact, the flurry of activity since 2010 was catch-up to dealing with some really long-term issues and doing normal maintenance cycles. For example, we have tackled two streams, but one remains with some failed concrete sections. In fact, boards in the 1990s suspended work on these. Much of what was done since 2010 was "catch-up" and was necessary.

So will these projects ever really end? I think the answer is a guarded "yes" but there is no absolute certainty. This association is 40 years of age. There are some infrastructure components that are at end of reasonable lifespan. We need to replace brick window sills, do tuckpointing and the entries should be upgraded with new doors, intercoms and mailboxes. It is likely that there will be additional water main replacements, And, the first roof to be replaced in the last roofing cycle will be 20 years of age in 2022.

We still have the streets of 5 cul-de-sacs to replace. Thames Court will get new asphalt this year. We'll probably do concrete work for the next cul-de-sac this year and then resurface it in 2019. Using that approach all will be done in 2022-2023.

We have so many components that there is a never-ending list. For example, with 84 driveways each having a reasonable life of 10-12 years it is likely that about 8 will be replaced each and every year.

Information is essential
I've taken thousands of photos and made hundreds of diagrams, sketches, and charts for the board, for my own use and to assist management. Then there are the videos, a few of which are included in this post.

The following chart shows the fee trajectory at this association;  I purchased in 2001 (closing early 2002). It indicates how finances have changed since purchase. The blue line is the actual fees and it reflects the operating philosophy and actions of the boards. The red line indicates the trajectory the earlier boards were on; it is the path our association was on. The blue line departs from the red in 2009-1010. I joined the board in 2010.  Oddly, I was expected to be "the bad guy" in finances and I guess I have been because I did shake things up. Based on my experience at our HOA, this is probably the last HOA I will ever be a member of.

One of the board members who created these finances and delayed the projects did rejoin the board and then complained that "Norm is spending all of the money" but let's be real. I was the maintenance, architecture and projects director at the time. A lot of our annual money is spent in those areas. I didn't create these projects. I was playing "catch up" for the previous boards. And, I was completing the majority of the $1.7 million roofing project that those earlier boards began while correcting their failed streets (more than $500,000 including water mains replaced). And, I was focusing on finances. For the maintenance of the property, only Landscaping also spends. Duh!

Getting Fees under control after 2010 - Blue Line is the "Actual" - Red is the path we were on!

To make this happen I've spent several thousand hours or so on financial and planning matters. It takes money to get things done and while building reserves are important, boards should not be "King Midas" and hoard that gold. But some have and they achieved that dubious honor while delaying serious maintenance.

Walking the proper line takes a lot of work. Some boards would prefer to guess or to wing it. I've known a board member who pretended the association money is his/her money. It isn't. It is our owner-shareholders' money.

Here's a video based on an HOA annual meeting presentation I made to the owners in September 2016. My first such presentation was in 2010 shortly after joining the board.

Moving ahead with roofs and driveways
The board of 2008-2010 replaced a lot of driveways (about 12) and attempted to move forward with roofs at 3 or 4 a year. Surveys conducted in the spring of 2011 and thereafter indicated many serious issues.

the roof and driveway situation as of April 2013

Roofing Project
In 2002-2003 the association began re-roofing with architectural shingles, expanded ice shield, additional gutters and relocated front downspouts. This required front drainage improvements. The first roof done was the HOA president's building and it included extensive front drainage improvements. The project then languished for several years, probably because of cost and available reserves. By 2007 three roofs had been completed and each year thereafter a few more were done. However, there were about 38 large roofs remaining by 2009. Seven more were done in 2009-2010.

I was very concerned by of the age of the remaining roofs. Data indicated that some of these roofs, designed for 18 years, would be 25 years of age in 2017.  The roof over the building with my unit would be 23 years of age at replacement, should that occur in 2017. In fact, that roof was completed in the last year of the roofing project. Some owners did notice that. I was simply surveying all roofs each year while maintenance performed attic inspections looking for evidence of leaks. I simply dealt with the worst roofs each year while accelerating the project to finish before we experienced major roof failures. I presented my findings to the board each year and we discussed roofing options; which buildings were the worst, how many buildings to do in that year, etc.

Any roof leak repairs and interior damage would be paid by association funds unless caused by owner's fireplace chimneys. Here was the situation in fall of 2010. To complete the roofing project prior to exceeding expected lifetime, I had to schedule as many as eight roofs in one year! I was able to convince the board to adhere to my 2010 plan and the final roofs were completed in 2017, as I projected in 2010. The following chart was presented to the few owners and board members who attended an association meeting in the fall of 2010, along with many more charts and diagrams. So as not to inconvenience owners, the board decided to present these charts after the close of a regularly scheduled meeting. This was so as not to "inconvenience" owners. As would become customary I did all of the work and provided all of the technology to make the presentation:

Driveways

We have 84 driveways. With a projected lifespan of 10-12 years, about 8 need to be replaced each year, but in some years as few as zero are replaced and in others, such as 2010, about 12 were replaced.  

I did a survey of all in 2011 and found too many to be in "fair" to "poor" condition. Too many to replace in a year or two. I began a program of "crack filling" and "sealcoating" to extend the life of driveways. This approach would allow the association time to catch up with replacing problem driveways. Today we continue crack filling where needed. 

Repaired driveway - September 2011

Here is the situation as of 2016. We did replace additional driveways in 2017. 

Driveways replaced as of August 2016 since 2008

Heaving walks and Driveways

Because the roofing project re-routed front gutters and added others water was running beneath walks and driveways. The boards did not follow up on the drainage improvements required. Only the very first building got the new drainage. Coincidentally it was the president's building. 

This created some serious problems. Even after flooding one "A" unit the boards did not begin a consistent drainage program to deal with the relocated and added gutters and downspouts.  

I joined the board in the fall of 2010. In the winter of 2011, I discovered how serious the issue was. I spotted a heaving driveway. The led me to make surveys of the property. I discovered that we had walks and driveways heave. One entry and the walk was lifting and then falling 1-1/2 inches and even though brand new, already had cracks. I later determined upon replacing two front walks that we had several instances where the "wing wall" foundations had separated from the buildings. These were costly repairs;  I now had another "emergency" project to implement and quickly. In December of 2012, we were digging trenches to carry water away from buildings so as to avoid the heaving and damage where new roofs had been installed! 

February 2011 - New Driveway heaving at a garage

BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB

A link to some earlier posts:

http://briarcliffelakes.blogspot.com/search/label/Driveway%20Project

Streets

====================

In fact I and other owners did attend meetings and we were left pretty much in the dark.  Boards used the veil of the "Executive Session" to avoid discussing many aspects of sensitive issues in front of owners. Some boards hid behind executive privilege.

Once on the board I  commandeered the newsletter and in fact, one of my primary reasons to become president was to get access to that first page of the newsletter with the "President's Message".  Board members as volunteers pretty much do as they choose and they do cater to the lowest common denominator.
===============================
Some work is delayed by procrastinating or obstructionist board members. Such maintenance efforts then pile up as a backlog. Backlogs of work can become massive. If maintenance efforts are delayed by 5-10 years, then to complete them requires doubling efforts for years while new maintenance tasks are added. It can become impossible to catch up.

New boards may assume they can continue at the same leisurely pace of the prior boards. If funds are not set aside then not only does the work accumulate, the financial shortfalls to do the work also accumulate. It is a downward spiral.

Boards may simply pass the work to future boards who may fail to grasp what is required in their year or two and then move on. Don't misunderstand me. There is a difference between "being on the board for years" and "getting things done."  Just look at our U.S. Congress and you will understand what I mean. Your association may not be much different.

Consider that if it may take 3 or more years to do even a simple project to completion, what happens when boards move on after two years? The answer: things frequently stop or are left incomplete; knowledge is lost. New boards have to reinvent all of this knowledge, uncover the state of the association and play "catch up". That means to a lot of surveys and a lot of detective work. Of course, it remains for the "old timers" who are the stalwarts on the board to get things done and to mentor, educate and convince the newbies. At BLMH that didn't happen.

By 2010 there was quite a backlog at BLMH, created over several decades by boards that simply didn't get the job done. They didn't collect the necessary fees, didn't acquire the reserves and they failed to make the critical decisions.  They failed to see these projects to their completion and they failed to prepare the new boards. When funds became short some projects were stopped, some withered on the vine, some were done "on the cheap" and failed as Lakecliffe Blvd did, and some were delayed for years. And all of the time the clock was ticking as the infrastructure degraded. It was left to future boards to get the job done. Some of what follows has been published in the association Newsletters since 2010.

Budgeting is always an issue - creating a new reality and a new future
While it is necessary to get things done, there is a financial reality to deal with. We can only do so much in the time we have with the available resources. A board's job number one is to put all of the necessary pieces in place. This is a lot of work and it does require long-term plans, setting priorities, some backbone and being willing to hold other board members accountable.  It requires asking the difficult questions.

Since I've been on the board in the fall of 2010 we've not only gotten a lot done, we have also stabilized fees.   It has taken an extraordinary amount of work to get the finances under control and not all board members have been "on board". Literally thousands of hours of my time since 2008 (I began serious budget work upon purchasing a unit and years before joining the board). I did know just how bad it was in 2007. That was because I didn't rely on the kool-aid earlier boards were dispensing to the owners.

Creating a new reality was very difficult and remains so to this day.  Consider how one should approach a homeowners association in which there is evidence of inadequate reserves and a huge backlog of maintenance tasks? Where some owners pretend they are victims and others think they are paying too much for fees? While the country is in the middle of the worst recession in decades and it is likely delinquent accounts are increasing? Where board members are in denial, or oblivious (we even had a "wise sage") and where there are noisy and organized but irresponsible owners and so on? People do eventually wake up but it may be too late.

When board members who create such messes come to the inevitable conclusion and realize the gravity of the situation they may begin a plan to solve it. Simply choose a "solution" of higher and higher, ever-increasing fees. That will penalize current owners and may lower property values. It is like having a toolbox with only a bent screwdriver. This is misused as a hammer, a pick, to carve wood or as a doorstop!

Moving from Getting by to Getting done
A variety of boards may get by passing the problems into the future. Which is why it has been so darned difficult for me. Deferring work until later or skimping is one of the reasons any smart owner might be inclined to allow others and other boards to deal with the problems; simply sit back and hope it all turns out. That's what the owners in our association did for decades while arguing for low fees. When I leave the current party will be over.

Procrastination is not a viable management technique. Since 2011 it has required continuous and extraordinary effort to keep BLMH afloat.  You think I'm being arrogant? Our monthly fees would be $450 if the earlier boards had their way. I suppose at some point someone would have blinked. But think of the pain this would have caused for owners?

Of course, with fees nearly doubling since 2001 that has created a financial challenge for recent boards, even with the moderated fees.  In fact, in 2008 people said: "Elect Norm and your fees will go up." What they missed completely was the earlier boards had spent all of the money, had created the problems and were responsible for all of the fee increases. In fact, since my being elected in 2010 the fees have moderated while accomplishing the completion of the roofing project, the replacement of our major street, significant water main replacements and everything else in this post. Which shows just how wrong an HOA electorate and an entrenched board member can be.

Is it possible to give more than 100%?

What does it mean to give MORE than 100%? 

Ever wonder about those people who say they are giving more than 100%? We have all been to those meetings where someone wants you to give over 100%. How about achieving 103%? What makes up 100% in life?

Here’s a little mathematical formula I saw on the web that might help you answer these questions:

If:
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z is represented as:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26.

Then:
H-A-R-D-W-O-R-K
8+1+18+4+23+15+18+11 = 98%

And:
K-N-O-W-L-E-D-G-E
11+14+15+23+12+5+4+7+5 = 96%

But,
A-T-T-I-T-U-D-E
1+20+20+9+20+21+4+5 = 100%

And:
B-U-L-L-S-H-I-T
2+21+12+12+19+8+9+20 = 103%

Then, look how far ass kissing will take you…
A-S-S-K-I-S-S-I-N-G
1+19+19+11+9+19+19+9+14+7 = 118%

So, one can conclude with mathematical certainty that While Hard work and Knowledge will get you close, and Attitude will get you there, it’s the Bullshit and Ass kissing that will put you over the top.

Hurricane Florence

Florence - Update Sept. 14, 2018 8:29PM EDT from Davidson, NC, received via email:
"Florence is huge. It is hanging over Wilmington, 200 miles away. The rain bands from Florence reached Davidson this afternoon. The wind is picking up. It is starting to rain outside. The rain will start in earnest after midnight and continue through Monday night. Three days. [My spouse] and I have been through many hurricanes in our life. The worst was Hugo in 1989. We thought we were safe in Charlotte, but not so!! They eye passed over our house and lake house. So much devastation. They took 300,000 dump truck loads of debris out of Charlotte. We are ready for this one. We live on a hill (on purpose) and there are no big trees nearby. We have plenty of supplies. Our Roadtrek is topped up with gas, water, and propane. Batteries fully charged. If we loose power we have a second home in the driveway. And we can run our house refrigerator off the Roadtrek generator if we need to. Our real concern is for the folks down on the coast. They will need help when the storm is gone. [We] worked on seven houses with Habitat in Biloxi after Katrina. We will see what we can do this time......"   

Original Post, Sept. 13, 2018:
Our weather will be fine for a few days, but for those in the path of hurricane Florence the next few days will be difficult. For some the difficultites will last for weeks. I hope everyone stays safe on the east coast.   There are a few people living right at the ocean, in the track area who intend to ride it out. I've experienced hurricanes; the actual storm, under the eye, and even the aftermath.  I don't think riding these things out is a smart idea.

Publishing an Association Newsletter

This post will look at some of the methods, benefits and issues of publishing an association newsletter. One might think that publishing a newsletter is a straightforward thing, but it may not be. It has been said that "Anything can be resolved in communications." Nevertheless, there are differing opinions about the value and purpose of an homeowners association newsletter.

Boards have a variety of fiduciary duties and differing perspectives. I've always considered the newsletter to be a vital part of communications with our owners, a part of board fiduciary duties and have acted accordingly. That is not a universal position among board members. In fact, providing a newsletter article may simply be another chore for a board member.

One thing to be aware of is board members can't be made to write articles or to be in communications if they are unwilling. Board members choose the technology they will make available for association use. Not everyone on our board has agreed about the importance of our newsletter and there have been differences of opinion about what to write. Should the newsletter be a business document? Or should it be a social calendar? Or something of both?  A very few owners have chimed in from time to time and stated their preference. While such guidance is appreciated, owners are not fiduciaries and don't have such responsibilities.

I suggest taking care of association business be the priority for boards. After all, our non-professional boards spend a lot of money collected from our owners. Boards determine owner fees and how much to save via reserves. They spend each and every dollar. Let's not forget all of that future planning and coordination with the City of Wheaton, etc.

I also suggest the use of the newsletter to communicate the business to the owners. In a well-run association after the business is handled everything else can fall into place and usually will.

However, boards have differing agendas, as do the owners who elect them. The newsletter is an opportunity for informing owners of these differing perspectives.  Of course, if board members were completely honest and forthright, some of us might never be elected. Some owners also only want good news and they will find a "good news" group to coddle them and provide it.

It is impossible for a newsletter to be all about "good news"and nothing else. That is not the real world. However, it doesn't need to be doom and gloom, either. Back in 2008-2010 our new board attempted to shift to a social newsletter with articles about England, certain neighbors and so on. They didn't have a lot of good news to share as delinquencies increased, there were foreclosures and the financial future for the association was gloomy. They didn't have a solid grip on the finances or the maintenance backlog. A social approach is easier to write about than tackling the problems head on and keeping owners informed of progress. Nevertheless, the December 2008 newsletter included delinquency numbers and reserves.  It was a good attempt at balance, but it didn't go over well with all owners.  Here's what was revealed in that newsletter:

• Our financial reserves totaled about $276,000 but had no funding for streets. Yet our major street, Lakecliffe Blvd, was failing. 
• Our delinquences had increased in two years from $5,000 to more than $30,000.

The above was not good news for owners. There must have been some negative feedback to the board. For whatever reasons in the midst of the "great recession" the newsletter shifted to a social one.  Such a shift doesn't solve any problems. However, if owners feel better they may be inclined to re-elect boards.

Another approach is simply about "looking good". The newsletter at BLMH sometimes occured to be "window dressing."  This is somewhat like our property street entries from Briarcliff Blvd. Over the years a lot of association money has been spent to beautify these, and it was considered to be good advertizing.  So too for a newsletter. However, if carried to an extreme one might argue this is misleading.

Nevertheless, it was possible to insert business data into the newsletter. Boards generally have an interest in presenting factual data to owners. Boards may have difficulting getting that data into a form that can be printed or finding someone to do the work. Boards do have difficulty in presenting "bad news" to owners. Some prefer to subject owners to the "slow death" of large annual fee increases rather than writing about the risks inherent in maintenance backlogs, long term solutions and potential special assessments. It does take some courage.

The shift from a "good news" periodical to one containing reality can be particularly difficult for a board. "The road to hell is paved with good intentions" and may be facilitated in associations by boards comprised of cowards.

The board of 2012 that followed the board of 2008-2011 continued a shift to a more realistic newsletter perspective while recognizing some of the issues and presenting solutions.

• Being responsible requires not only writing about the issues, but also providing insights into how the association is going to go about dealing with those issues.

When preparing a newsletter I think it is reasonable to consider that owners are just that, "owners." They aren't apartment dwellers who pay a monthly fee for the privilege of a space and move on in a year or so. Owners do have responsibilities to the association. They purchased as a choice. They made a significant financial investment. Boards should honor these decisions.

• A viable, factual newsletter serves "owners" and any renters, while informing all. It may improve board accountability. That's the approach I prefer. But others have strongly disagreed.

Creating a Newsletter - Tools
When the webmaster quit and some on the board also walked off I continued to publish the newsletter using Microsoft Word. To create charts I used Microsoft Excel. I also used a photo editing product "Corel PC Paintshop Pro".

To print the newsletter for the website and transmit it to our printer I used "Corel PDF Fusion" which produces smaller pdf files than the print function of Word.  I've done so since May 2011 and  I continue to use these tools to this day. Of course, I have upgraded some of these products since 2011.

• Document: Microsoft Word
• Spreadsheets and financial charts: Microsoft Excel
• Photographs: Digital Camera and Smart Phone
• Photograph, charts and JPG creation, cropping and file re-sizing: Corel PC Paintbrush Pro
• PDF file printing: Corel PDF Fusion
• Document transmission to board members, management and the printer: Email
• Foundation: A high speed internet connection.

I could have used MS Publisher, but because many people don't have that program available I decided MS Word was the better choice. I share the Word documents with others including management and in recent years our Maintenance Director took on the challenge of creating the newsletters.

Using MS-Word is straightforward for a newsletter, and I did create a template using a variety of text boxes. Photos, text and charts can be easily copied or dropped into these boxes. Box sizes and shapes can be changed as necessary. Boxes can be added to accomodate a larger number of articles, or deleted. Box backgrounds can be white, other colors or transparent. Boxes can have borders or not. I avoid the curleques preferring to save the space for text. The newsletter is printed in B&W. Photos are in color. To see the colors one goes to the association website and opens the newsletters there or downloads to their PC.

I use the paintshop software to edit photos taken with smart phone and digital cameras, or the charts created with Excel spreadsheets. Photos are generally recent and timely. I frequently change the spreadsheet charts to jpg files which are easier to manipulate.  This allows me to crop photos and charts, and I can edit the file size. Overlay text can be added. The smaller files can then be dropped into text boxes and the resulting word document isn't unweildy in size. For example, the newsletter for August, 2016 including the photos was a Word file of 307 kb. Easy to manipulate and copy from PC to PC, or via email.

Newsletters are usually four pages in size, and there is the occasional insert.

Creating the Newsletter - Collaborative Tools
If one chooses there are collaborative, online tools available. One of these is Google Docs.

These could be used to create documents, spreadsheets, and so on. Of course, putting these things on the web does raise security and ownership issues.

The real problem to creating a newsletter is board willingness, skills and the internet availability of board members. In our association, simply getting board members to use email reliably has been very difficult. Asking them to use online, collaborative software is simply beyond some. In fact, it is not a requirement that board members have a cellphone, internet access or a PC.

It is a reality that some people may have no computer skills beyond word processing and some board members may not be willing to pay the monthly fee for personal internet access.

Once we have a team with the necessary tools and skills, what remains is actually putting together the newsletter. For that the duties will fall to the most skillful and the most willing. Not all board members appreciate this and some may feel technologically threatened or challenged. Some may see it as a waste of time.

It is not the role of board members to train other board members in the use of technology or to provide technology to other board members. Nevertheless I have furnished a laptop and even a digital camera to other board members. I don't think that approach serves anyone well.

Creating the Newsletter - What to Write?
In an association with 336 owners it isn't very difficult to determine what to write. I think this would apply to all homeowners associations. Each month our board members are given a packet of about 100 pages in length. The information therein and the things discussed each meeting can be the basis for newsletter articles. Our newsletters are published every other month, so the board can draw upon 200 pages of information and the content and discussion of two, 2-hour meetings. In fact, the rear page is boilerplate general information, so what board members need to generate is three pages every other month. In the typical year that's a total of 18 pages of text and part of this is the Management's report. Yet, some board members insist there is nothing to write about. That's hogwash, of course. Here's a list of possibilities:

• Projects (Planned, in progress, upcoming and the impact on owners)
• Maintenance (Maintenance issues, work underway or planned, etc.)
• Work Orders (What's going on?)
• Rules Violations (How to avoid getting into trouble with the rules, most frequent violations, rule changes,  etc.)
• Finances (Spending, reserves, fees, etc.)
• Landscaping (Issues, projects, expenditures, etc.)
• Proposals (Work under consideration while avoiding cost and vendor details)
• Calendar based items (elections, meetings, census form due dates, etc.)
• Tips to owners and residents (Winter and summer living in the association).

Alternative Tools
Some years ago I did work with another board member and installed a "freeware" wordprocessor with claimed compatibility with word files. However, that is not my preferred approach. That individual didn't want to purchase a copy of MS-Word so I had little choice. As usual, that increased the time I had to spend. In my experience these programs may not be fully compatible with Word, either.

Today, one could use Google Docs, but that isn't my preferred choice, either.  I consider anything put on the web as out of my hands, ownership and control. So too for the association. Google Docs also required good internet access. That's something all board members may not have available. Today, many may use a smart phone to access email and for web browsing. PCs may have been replaced by a tablet computer. In such situations the preparation and transmission of complex documents may be impossible.

Using Email to Participate
For those board members who are willing to participate it is easy.  Board members can create their text using the email tool of their choice.

This is sent to the "editor" (me or the Maintenance Director). The text in the email is then copied and pasted into word and formatted as necessary. Spell checking can be done using the word tools. This is the approach I have found to be the easiest if board members don't have access to MS-Word.
However, it does take additional time for those who put the newsletter together.

The Worst Approach for creating Documents
The worst is hand written notes. Yes, those have been used in our association. That approach turns the board members who assemble the newsletter into personal secretaries. It can be time consuming.

I do have a great scanner with excellent OCR software so if I am given a typewritten page I can scan it, and then convert it into a Word document. Of course this is another time consuming step, but it is less time consuming for me than typing an entire document into Word. My Scanner is a $500 tool. Most don't have something like that available to them.

Resisting Newsletter Participation
Why resistance to a newsletter? As odd as it may seem, some may want to be on the board because of the power it bestows. Power to hire and fire contractors and management. Power to run an agenda, collect money from owners and then determine how to spend it. How many of us have ever actually developed and managed a $1 million annual budget?  Boards do get to pick and choose how that money is spent. Boards get to enforce rules on their fellow owners. All of this can be a power trip.

Some may want to be on the board because it provides an opportunity to do something. Hobbies can get boring after a while and one can only watch so much "Wheel of Fortune" in a day. If one is on the board then one can camp out at the management office, etc.  If management doesn't like it, well as one board member told me "I can fire management".

Newsetters can be revealing. If we are truly honest with owners in a newsletter, they may determine what our capabilities are as well as our failings. They may not like us, or what we have failed to do. It may be in the interest of an entrenched board to keep things close and avoid providing too much information to owners. That's not in the best interest of owners, however.

I suggest boards simply view their work as work, and being of service to others, as fiduciaries. Use the newsletter to communicate and to prepare future boards, too. Play power games elsewhere.

Whatever the purpose of the newsletter, if one wants to create a newsletter the tools and approaches I have used did work well. So has the message.

Impediments to Newsletter creation
One thing to be aware of that board members can't be made to write articles or to be in communications if they are unwilling. As a principal author, I found my time monopolized by some of this, and was forced to produce a majority of articles, some with no stated author. When only two or three board members write for a newsletter, it can be a very bad signal to owners.

Using my board experience of 8 years, I can tell you that other board members can make your life difficult if you want to put together a newsletter. Some may enjoy doing so. Some authors may attempt to make it difficult as in "Okay, I'll write your damn article, but I'll make you work for it."

I concluded long ago that it was easier to write the articles than chase people who had no interest. Or to deal with underminers. So I began writing most of the newletter articles. If there is no name on an association article, then it was probably written by me.

Here are some of the techniques that have been used to avoid writing and providing newletter articles:

• Don't use technology. Even though one can go to the neighborhood public library and use the computers there, and we are within walking distance of a community college.
• Argue consistently against the newsletter, as in "No one reads it".
• Promise to write but fail to deliver.
• Write an article and submit it at the last possible moment, while demanding that no changes be made. In other words, "Make room for me and the hell with the other articles."
• Attack the editors and those who prepare the newletter if any attempt is made to fit their article into the available space: "How dare you make any changes."
• All of the above.

In my experience the newsletter has been one of the more difficult chores I've had, for a variety of reasons:

• Technical issues were never a problem, but low technical skills of board members are an impediment.
• Some board members do have limited access to such things as high speed internet, or won't use it. They may not have the tools to produce the articles. 
• Chasing board members to write is a problem. At some point people will become very angry and some may lash out at other board members. Such undermining behavior should be beyond board members, but this is the real world we live in. 
• Uncooperative board members, who prefer to be politicians and want to trade favors.
• Managing nasty or belligerent board members is always a problem.
• Calming other board members who have been verbally attacked.
• Dealing with the clique. 

The bottom line is one cannot force people to participate, even board members.

Future Newsletters
My last newsletter as a board member was published in August. The next will be determined by the new board. They may ask for assistance or they may not. They also have the option of paying management or others to do this task.  Management does have MS-Word originals of some of the newsletters I or the Maintenance Director created. Management could certainly assemble a newsletter for a board using those earlier Word documents, or could create a new one.

I'll be interested in seeing how that turns out. However, it will no longer be my responsibility.

Frankly, the newsletter has been a royal pain. It was regularly like herding cats while begging board members to do their duty or both. We have had board members who love to screw around with other board members, take their time and use it. Power mongering is what I call that.

Perhaps the above is what happens when an association has board members who would really prefer to be elsewhere but feel they are stuck on the board. Similar to  some of our owners in 2008 who failed to sell before the bottom dropped out in 2007, they may choose to make the rest of us miserable. For the power hungry, putting others through hoops can be a joy.

Newsletter Link
Here's a link to our association website and the newsletters. These span December 2008 to the present.

1. The newsletter of December 2008 was one of the first a new board produced. It followed the template of the earlier board. 
2. The Newsletter of November, 2010 contained my first article. 
3. The Newsletter of January 2011 contained a chart I prepared on spending for maintenance and operations. 
4. The May 2011 Newsletter was a new format, prepared by me with the departure of a number of board members. 
5. Since May 2011 I've been very involved in the preparation of the newsletters.

BLMH Newsletters:    http://www.blmh.org/newsletters

Why it is difficult to be a committed board member

Back in 2008 I attempted to change the course of the HOA I live in. I was not well received. I had nails driven into the tires of my car, not once but several times (I've got police reports to substantiate this). From 2001-2010 our HOA fees were increasing at an average about 7% each and every year, and there was a huge maintenance/improvement backlog. Earlier boards had begun capital improvement projects for which there were insufficient funds to complete, and no plan. The "change" board of 2009-2010 had authorized a reserve study which indicated things were a mess, but hadn't released it.

I was determined to get on the board to make a difference, but it was actually worse than I expected.  

I cleaned up all of these messes, but it took about 1000 hours of my time in the first year. In late 2010 I took it upon myself to create a viable reserve study, after the previous board botched the one they had authorized. I discovered this 30 days after assuming my board duties. That earlier study stated we needed a 10% fee increase and a special assessment. Thanks to my hard work, neither happened. In fact, fees flattened, with no increases in recent years.   My thanks? A board member of the group responsible for that botched reserve study circulated an email that stated that "Norm is dangerous".

Since 2010 we've had several reserve studies by independent, professional organizations which validate our association approach and provides accurate guidance to the board.

I'm not popular. In fact in 2011 one little old lady upon seeing me walking the property would scream "I don't like you" at me. I usually walk in the large public park across the street. Walking on the propery is work for me, or an opportunity to be accosted by ungrateful owners. That happens too, when I'm on my deck. We have some owners too lazy to come to board meetings, preferring to practice that our board members are lesser beings, and their servants.  In fact, if I  happen upon owners at the park some will begin to ask things of me as a board member. I refer them to management or suggest they attend a HOA meeting.  Some owners were trained by earlier boards that catered to a few individuals.

It is time to move on. I have a better, and more consequential way to live the remainder of my life. Yes, the party is over.

I did achieve a board position in the fall of 2010, despite incredible resistance. I told everyone that I took on this association as a "project" to demonstrate what was possible. A few saw this as an opportunity to undermine. There were very, very few believers and few supporters. Some old timers from the earlier boards (prior to 2008) appeared to be more interested in preserving their legacy, and one does so to this very day. I was undercut and left high and dry more than a few times by the entrenched. 

In 2015 when I attempted to reign in fees based upon financial reality a reinvigorated board member attacked the two new board members who didn't agree with the entrenched position, accusing them of malfeasance. That was a personal attack intended to get them off the board. That's why I say "there is no place for politics in a HOA board" which is supposed to be comprised of fiduciaries. When our president decided not to run (he is a CPA) he was basically ignored by the entrenched old timers. Not even a "thank you" by them.   But things were better when we had those high annual fee increases, right?

It is time for me to move on. The demonstration was a success. I did control the fees, completed the numerous projects, began discussions with the City to reduce costs to our owners (a savings of at least $4,500 per owner). I did attract three new board members who took on responsilities and did make a difference. 

Back when I worked full time for a living, I would have been paid $675,000 for the services I performed to this association, if I charged my normal hourly rate from 2010 to 2018. And some can't comprehend why I won't continue to be of service to them.

Duh!

The chart indicates the situation from the period I purchased to the present. My blog provides more insights. All boards have this information, the data is given to them each and every month of the year. But you won't see it in the newsletter, unless I have put it there. 

I decided to make a difference. I put my business on the backburner, and helped 336 owners. I'll never be missed. But there will be numerous complaints by the uninvolved and entitled. Party  on, dudes and dudettes!

I'd post a pet video, but I don't have one. Been too busy keeping this potential "Titanic" afloat.

How does one determine if the board is accomplishing its tasks?  That's worthy of another article, but here's a chart in the change in propety values since 2009: