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I don't even know why I am answering your seemingly lack of knowledge post.
Home owners in good standing (which means they have paid their HOA fees and any assessments that were voted on and approved by the owners) have the right to vote and run for office to obtain one of those volunteer non-paid positions. Once on the Board you get to hear folks like IC who did not read their DOC's prior to purchase and/or fail to pay their HOA fees leaving the burden on the other owners to take up the slack. These are the constant complainers, the ones that never have anything good to say about anything but never come to Board Meetings or offer constructive suggestions. Thankfully people like IC make up only a tiny fraction of owners in a HOA community.
Good to see you admit that there is no right to vote or run for office in an HOA.
Shouldn't have taken so long for the confession. There is no "right" when the board gets to decide whose votes count and who is "permitted" to run against incumbent board members.
The compensation for board members is sometimes money and always ego. GreggT, I'm not one of the "whiners" at board meetings - especially since board meetings are conducted in secrecy anyway. I'm one of the many homeowners that folks like you sitting on a board decide to mess with by sending tacky letters or threats. Unlike some other homeowners, however, I tell ya to take a hike. Your ego flares up so you try to step it up with more threats. Ultimately we end up in litigation and I prevail. In the meantime, the HOA coffers get drained for attorney fees during the litigation to pay the lawyer vendor who is oh so happy to provoke and maintain the litigation. At the conclusion of the litigation you pay more out of the coffers (or even special assessments) to pay me for your incursions - in some cases that money will come out of your pocket, not the HOA corporation. In the interim no one can sell their home. More and more homeowners start speaking out about eliminating the useless, predatory HOA.
Here's a constructive suggestion: get rid of the HOA and you won't need to worry about depriving homeowners of voting "privileges" or who the chief despot is any more. An HOA is the biggest threat to marketability and use and enjoyment of the property and your bank account anyway.
I don't know about other states, but in Florida HOA members cannot be compensated unless they hold an active Community Association Management license. I tend to think that there are few HOA members getting paid. In my state, laws clearly favor the home owner over the HOA board.
Sure, there are some board members with a "Hitler-like" attitude, but not all HOA's are evil like you seem to think.
Good to see you admit that there is no right to vote or run for office in an HOA.
Shouldn't have taken so long for the confession. There is no "right" when the board gets to decide whose votes count and who is "permitted" to run against incumbent board members.
The compensation for board members is sometimes money and always ego. GreggT, I'm not one of the "whiners" at board meetings - especially since board meetings are conducted in secrecy anyway. I'm one of the many homeowners that folks like you sitting on a board decide to mess with by sending tacky letters or threats. Unlike some other homeowners, however, I tell ya to take a hike. Your ego flares up so you try to step it up with more threats. Ultimately we end up in litigation and I prevail. In the meantime, the HOA coffers get drained for attorney fees during the litigation to pay the lawyer vendor who is oh so happy to provoke and maintain the litigation. At the conclusion of the litigation you pay more out of the coffers (or even special assessments) to pay me for your incursions - in some cases that money will come out of your pocket, not the HOA corporation. In the interim no one can sell their home. More and more homeowners start speaking out about eliminating the useless, predatory HOA.
Here's a constructive suggestion: get rid of the HOA and you won't need to worry about depriving homeowners of voting "privileges" or who the chief despot is any more. An HOA is the biggest threat to marketability and use and enjoyment of the property and your bank account anyway.
Our Sun City goes out of its way to remain as transparent as possible. There are a very few things which are discussed in executive session - but they are all pretty reasonable. Only way an Association member is not in good standing is failure to pay the HOA fees. Nothing else effects standing. The election ballots are always publicly counted. Even bid openings for major purchases are held at public sessions. All candidates get the same access to communication channels. And there is a vigorous non-HOA internet forum for those who wish to express opinion without HOA involvement.
IC rarely has anything nice to say about HOA's. Best not to bait him/her.
Who's baiting who? All I see is a bunch of folks trying to defend the indefensible.
Quote:
Originally Posted by dontaskwhy
I don't know about other states, but in Florida HOA members cannot be compensated unless they hold an active Community Association Management license. I tend to think that there are few HOA members getting paid. In my state, laws clearly favor the home owner over the HOA board.
Florida's record on enforcing such laws is abysmal. Embezzlement, graft, etc. in HOAs in Florida isn't any better than elsewhere. Even the name of the license is a joke. Perhaps you are an HOA manager - not a "community manager". Extending property management (of the HOA property) to "community management" is a marketing gimmick from the HOA corporation industry of management company vendors. Anyway my comment was that board member compensation "is sometimes money and always ego".
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ivoc
Only way an Association member is not in good standing is failure to pay the HOA fees. Nothing else effects standing.
So yet another poster confirms there is no right to vote and no right to run for election. Any ability to vote or run for office or against an incumbent is at the whim of the incumbent. Fine model you have there.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ivoc
The election ballots are always publicly counted.
Which is at best ceremonial in nature since there is no right to vote or run for office. There are a few quotes attributable to Josef Stalin that seem apropos in your example:
1. "Those who vote decide nothing. Those who count the vote decide everything."
2. "It matters not who the people vote for, they always vote for us"
So yet another poster confirms there is no right to vote and no right to run for election. Any ability to vote or run for office or against an incumbent is at the whim of the incumbent. Fine model you have there.
You make that statement over & over,but I don't see anyone confirming what you claim they are confirming. Please show us that exact quotes. Then show us anything resembling proof of the claim, whether anyone else has confirmed it or not.
Who's baiting who? All I see is a bunch of folks trying to defend the indefensible.
YOu views make much smolke and noise. But never any meat.
Quote:
Florida's record on enforcing such laws is abysmal. Embezzlement, graft, etc. in HOAs in Florida isn't any better than elsewhere. Even the name of the license is a joke. Perhaps you are an HOA manager - not a "community manager". Extending property management (of the HOA property) to "community management" is a marketing gimmick from the HOA corporation industry of management company vendors. Anyway my comment was that board member compensation "is sometimes money and always ego".
More noise no meat.
Quote:
So yet another poster confirms there is no right to vote and no right to run for election. Any ability to vote or run for office or against an incumbent is at the whim of the incumbent. Fine model you have there.
All democratic organizations have qualifications to vote. For federal elections you must be of age, a citizen and not a felon. For our Sun City you must be a member of the Association and pay your fees.
Your rights can be enforced through the Real Estate Division or the Courts. Don't believe it has ever become an issue in this Sun City. In fact the issue is always getting a bigger vote out.
Quote:
Which is at best ceremonial in nature since there is no right to vote or run for office. There are a few quotes attributable to Josef Stalin that seem apropos in your example:
Anyone can run. You can in fact nominate yourself. I don't believe anyone has ever been disqualified.
All get to sit there and watch the ballots opened and see the actual ballot.
Quote:
1. "Those who vote decide nothing. Those who count the vote decide everything."
2. "It matters not who the people vote for, they always vote for us"
Nonsense...only in the lonely recesses of your mind.
All I can say is that I will be so happy not to deal with landscaping, snow plowing and the pool opening/closing/maintenance at the single family home that I am selling that I will be glad to put up with the typical HOA shenanigans, as long as they are not too crazy.
IC, your statements seem to get more crazy the more you post. You have no clue about how HOA's are operated, only a twisted opinion with no basis or facts. You seem to come up with many hypotheticals and no real stories.
I suppose you feel state licenses mean nothing and that those with licenses have free reign to do as they wish. Can't be farther from the truth. Licensees are subject to civil and criminal penalties and there are potential consequences for professionals and individual HOA members.
IC, your statements seem to get more crazy the more you post. You have no clue about how HOA's are operated, only a twisted opinion with no basis or facts. You seem to come up with many hypotheticals and no real stories.
I suppose you feel state licenses mean nothing and that those with licenses have free reign to do as they wish. Can't be farther from the truth. Licensees are subject to civil and criminal penalties and there are potential consequences for professionals and individual HOA members.
Quit tilting at windmills, Don Quixote.
If you are referring to a "CAM" license - no it isn't worth much.
If you are referring to a real estate agent license - I don't think much of most holders of them either.
I'm well acquainted with how HOA corporations and the vendor trade groups operate. Florida's DBPR offers nothing for homeowners in HOAs and has a poor history of assisting condo owners.
The conduct you claim is "hypothetical" is quite ubiquitous with HOA-burdened properties. Who are you kidding? Obviously as a real estate agent, your livelihood must depend upon keeping up the myths about "mini-democracies" and "necessity" and "preserving property values". How'd that last one work out for you in Florida?
Those "licensees" are part of the trade group that lobby heavily against any regulation of their activities to begin with. Not impressed with the myth of consequences. There are plenty of homeowners that have lost their homes and life savings to members of the trade group. You won't find the trade group concerned about "consequences". There was no accountability for CAMs that failed or refusal to follow Chapter 718-720 (718-condos, 719-coops, 720-HOAs). There is a new law (applicable only July 1, 2013 forward) in Florida under which CAMs might start being held accountable - however that is yet to be seen.
Last edited by IC_deLight; 05-26-2013 at 07:47 PM..
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