How to Persuade HOA Board Members (college, thoughts, parent, emotion)

[Solere]

I wrote a lengthy and well researched email to the Board of Directors of my HOA one year ago making the case that our HOA should initiate a one-time capital improvement fee (amount determined by the Board-generally between $1000 to $2000 per unit) that would be paid for by the buyer of each unit upon purchase. This money would go into a fund for major capital improvements (roads, landscape, etc). My term paper style letter strongly made the case for these fees with facts, supporting evidence, newspaper articles and quotes from other HOA presidents on how these fees are beneficial and help keep monthly dues low. I also stated my case at Board meeting around the same time one year ago. I received an polite email response indicating the Board has discussed the issue and didn't feel it was the right time for them but that the issue isn't dead.

One year later, I attend another Board meeting and bring up the issue again. I receive an email response a day later from the Board president addressed to the other Board members and CC'ing me basically saying that Happs brought up the issue last night, please let me know what you think. The treasurer responds and writes "He has been advocating this for a long long time. It might be interesting to have the HO’s vote on this at the next Annual Meeting , suggesting that Happs is it’s sponsor & have it defeated once & for all." The president responds and writes "Sounds like a Plan. Thanks."


Disheartened at the uncouth and narrow-mindedness of the responses, I replied back with additional persuasive comments on the benefits of these fees and that another HOA's members voted in favor of them by a 4:1 margin. I also wrote (edited for anonymity) "The email response from the treasurer dated March 17, 2015 necessitates a response from me. Unfortunately, the treasurer has made an inaccurate statement regarding “has been advocating this for a long long time.” For the record, the first time I mentioned capital improvement fees to the Board was at the February 2014 annual meeting. In addition, the treasurer's response comes across as a little biased and somewhat personally disparaging. It is not wise for a Board member to display in writing a bias against a particular homeowner or his/her ideology. Most HOA attorneys would find the treasurer's remarks outside the realm of proper protocol/decorum for an HOA Board member. It appears on the surface that the treasurer has made a flippant “no” decision without any in-depth intellectual research and discussion on the subject. To his tactless remark “suggesting that Happs is it’s (sic) sponsor & have it defeated once & for all” demonstrates a lack of Board protocol. Has the treasurer received in writing, expressions of antipathy toward a capital improvement fee from a majority of homeowners? In any event, I would strongly support having homeowners vote on whether to establish a capital improvement fee with provisions that gives the Board flexibility in establishing fee rates.

I know and understand the challenge of governing an HOA, especially considering that many people have negative stereotypes and views about HOA’s in general; garnered from family, friends, media, etc.. I have personally interacted with an HOA that had insular thinking and a mental resistance to change regarding an HOA issue. That Board assumed, without doing much research on the topic and/or surveying the entire community in an unbiased way, that the majority of residents wanted this HOA to provide a specific service. I presented a lengthy, well researched essay on the topic, but unfortunately their answers at the Board meeting were trite and formulaic. My experience with the your Board has been limited and the interactions neutral. Regretfully, the treasurer's response and the president's affirmation of “Sounds like a plan. Thanks.” offers a disheartening and discouraging feeling to homeowners like myself, that one’s thoughts/concerns are treated frivolously. I would appreciate the courtesy of a well reasoned/researched response, as would most homeowners in the same situation. My effort with this letter and the proposal at hand is my unique way of volunteering and contributing in the spirit of community. On that note, I would like to reiterate, that I believe the entire community should express their opinion on this issue; via a vote at the next Annual Meeting."

The treasurer responds and writes (edited for anonymity) "Happs, it was not my intent to disparage you. As I said before the meeting we welcome your questions & comments. However I have read the information you previously gave to me & questions some of our homeowners, none agreed to this. We have quite a high monthly fee & there are some who feel it is too high. To introduce this in this environment would, in my opinion never have solid backing. This is a tax on each selling homeowner & may also cause a chill on potential buyers. What has happened in other communities seldom has had an effect on Name of HOA Homeowners, speaking as someone who has been around a lot of years.
As I suggested earlier let’s put it to a vote & have it finally dealt with.
If you think I disparaged you, I apologize, as to my decorum, I am what I am, and seldom do people doubt where I stand on any issue. As to this issue I don’t think it has a prayer of getting approved by the Homeowners, but if the other board members favor a vote, we should have it.
Regards,
The treasurer"


PSYCHOLOGICALLY, I am stumped due to the treasurer's insular mentality and poorly thought out responses (i.e wouldn't people complaining about high dues favor a fee they will never have to pay that might offset or prevent even higher monthly dues). I wasn't expecting a sardonic response over such an esoteric and higher plain type issue/proposal. I thought a well researched term paper style letter written professionally and persuasively would elicit an equally well-written response, especially considering the majority of the Board members are older, retired and probably have the time to get involved. Does persuading an HOA Board on an issue they probably haven't heard of (e.g. capital improvement fees) require a completely different method vs persuading your neighbor to vote for a city bond issue (another esoteric topic that most people are probably unfamiliar with). When one mentions a hot button social issue such as abortion or same-sex marriage, people become emotional and have already made up their minds either way and a persuasive essay mostly likely won't change their mind. Do HOA Board members become emotional or have mental blocks when people bring up new ideas they are unfamiliar with and just react off the cuff? Is the treasurer's response typical or did I just get back luck with him and his response. What persuasive tactic is best to use when dealing with HOA Boards?

I would also like communicate with other residents in the HOA my suggestion for capital improvement fees. Most likely, they are unfamiliar with the topic. Should I send them a well researched persuasive college type essay as well to gauge their thoughts on the issue?

[old_cold]

Originally Posted by Happs

I would also like communicate with other residents in the HOA my suggestion for capital improvement fees. Most likely, they are unfamiliar with the topic. Should I send them a well researched persuasive college type essay as well to gauge their thoughts on the issue?

Keep the KISS principle in mind, though.
Don't know about your fellow owners but some people don't bother with the simplest communications and won't plow through something like your post above.
Write it up and mail if you want to spend the money but personally canvassing might get you a better idea of how many favor the idea.
Get together a substantial enough number of home owners that agree with you and write up a petition and present it to the board. Seldom does something like this proceed on the suggestion of one person unless it's such a non-controversial and great idea that the board members like it right away.

[ocnjgirl]

Either run for the board yourself, or get a petition for your proposal signed by a majority of homeowners there. Other than that, they are not obligated to follow the suggestion of just one homeowner. You might think it's a great idea, but your neighbors who voted those folks in might not. If you can't show them that most people who live there want that too, if the majority really do want lower fees, then honestly they would be doing their jobs poorly if they ignored what the majority wanted.

[BirdieBelle]

You can want something very badly, but you cannot make someone else want it.

That's also why groups like this vote. If a majority votes no, you will have to accept it and move on, regardless of how strongly you feel about the issue or how persuasive you think your points were.

[Billy_J]

Give each homeowner something short and sweet like the following. Take it door to door...

Dear HOA homeowner;

You owe $1,536.96 for your share of the recent emergency road repairs in our neighborhood. Please submit your payment in full to the HOA group within 30 days.

Thank You!

Note the above is NOT REAL, but it could be!

Imagine receiving a letter like the above at some time in the future! This can be prevented by charging new homeowners in our HOA a $2,000 fee each time a home is sold from now on.

If you want to avoid large future emergency expenses/payments like this, urge your HOA leaders to call for a vote on this issue as soon as possible.

[cully]

Saw this when looking under "hoa". If I understand correctly, your idea would be for new owners to pay this amount. It would also effect current owners in that when they sell, their buyers would need to be notified.

I agree there are places where there is a fee of some amount specifically for new buyers in a HOA, and not including the cost of the rules and regs, etc.

Not sure this would be fair for the homeowners planning to stay put for a long long time to look around and see other homes turning over and new owners paying that introductory assessment.

It seems like the idea of HOAs is some sort of commonality. Where fees differ unit to unit, the common thread is that it is based on benefits....perhaps square footage of a unit or perhaps extra for those unit groups with an extra limited common element say for parking just for those units.

[Escort Rider]

To the OP (Happs): You chose to post in the Psychology Forum, presumably because you are looking for input about the psychology of board members who seem to be rejecting your idea out of hand, and you wish to find ways to change their minds.

I read your long post in its entirety, and what struck me forcefully was something about your own psychology which came through (to me at least) loud and clear, namely that you are a person who has to get his own way. Throughout your post, there is a theme, and it is the thinly veiled suggestion that the people who disagree with you are being irrational, but that YOU, with your carefully researched and meticulously prepared position papers, are objective, factual, and persuasive. Ergo, there must be something wrong with those who were not persuaded to adopt your point of view.

I have been an HOA board member for roughly 13 years now. One thing I have noticed is that for some people (certainly not all people, and probably not a majority of people), getting their way on an issue, or a vote, becomes a question of ego, and it is not really the objective, factual matter they claim it is. One of the things about your post which made me think of that is the enormous amount of time and effort you have devoted to this one thing, including the time and effort which went into your original post here. Since you have that much time available, perhaps you should consider running for the board at the next election?

[Solere]

Originally Posted by Escort Rider

To the OP (Happs): You chose to post in the Psychology Forum, presumably because you are looking for input about the psychology of board members who seem to be rejecting your idea out of hand, and you wish to find ways to change their minds.

I read your long post in its entirety, and what struck me forcefully was something about your own psychology which came through (to me at least) loud and clear, namely that you are a person who has to get his own way. Throughout your post, there is a theme, and it is the thinly veiled suggestion that the people who disagree with you are being irrational, but that YOU, with your carefully researched and meticulously prepared position papers, are objective, factual, and persuasive. Ergo, there must be something wrong with those who were not persuaded to adopt your point of view.

I have been an HOA board member for roughly 13 years now. One thing I have noticed is that for some people (certainly not all people, and probably not a majority of people), getting their way on an issue, or a vote, becomes a question of ego, and it is not really the objective, factual matter they claim it is. One of the things about your post which made me think of that is the enormous amount of time and effort you have devoted to this one thing, including the time and effort which went into your original post here. Since you have that much time available, perhaps you should consider running for the board at the next election?

Thanks for taking the time to comment. The intent of my well researched papers was to open the Board's minds to new ideas and to give them evidence of the favorability of these fees, but apparently it didn't work.

[mateo45]

Originally Posted by Happs

Thanks for taking the time to comment. The intent of my well researched papers was to open the Board's minds to new ideas and to give them evidence of the favorability of these fees, but apparently it didn't work.

Psychologically-speaking, it has been my experience that the type of folks who typically live in the sorts of places that have HOA's, are often not the sorts who welcome "new ideas" to begin with. HOA's are almost by definition, all about conforming to the "Rules".

Perhaps you might have more success by finding a way to "frame" the issue less as an "innovation" or "change" (however 'logical' and well-researched), and instead more as something that'll ensure "security" (fiscal & otherwise), and appears to be in everyone's personal best interests.

[CA4Now]

Originally Posted by Happs

I replied back with additional persuasive comments on the benefits of these fees and that another HOA's members voted in favor of them by a 4:1 margin.

Few HOA boards are interested in what other boards do in other developments that have little to do with them or their residents.

I also wrote (edited for anonymity)...

You were right (and courageous) in calling them out for their undemocratic and unprofessional behavior.

Does persuading an HOA Board on an issue they probably haven't heard of (e.g. capital improvement fees)...

They've heard of it. They think they know what "most" of the homeowners want. You need to persuade them that there are homeowners who might feel differently.

I would also like communicate with other residents in the HOA my suggestion for capital improvement fees. Should I send them a well researched persuasive college type essay as well to gauge their thoughts on the issue?

No. As others have said, get to know your neighbors, and find out how they feel about your proposal. If they're in agreement with you, bring that information to the meeting.