REMBAUM'S ASSOCIATION ROUNDUP | The Community Association Legal News You Can Use

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How to Be an Ineffective Board Member – You Know It’s Time to Resign When…

Being a lawyer whose practice concentrates almost exclusively on the representation of community associations throughout the State of Florida, I thought I had seen it all. These days, it is becoming harder and harder to surprise me with stories about association living. But, every now and then, admittedly, I find myself shocked. Sadly, today’s column will describe one such event.

“Condominium living” – the term denotes living on top of one another, literally. It is the great social experiment of the Twentieth Century. Pragmatically, condominium living makes all the sense in the world. Instead of one person enjoying the beautiful ocean view in a single family home, the condominium allows sometimes hundreds of families to enjoy that same ocean view, albeit stacked on top of one another like sardines.

The condominium building is a complex building of various degrees. It can cost tens, if not hundreds of millions of dollars to construct. In many ways it could be compared to a cruise ship complete with HVAC systems, boilers, restaurants, elevators, swimming pools, and in South Florida, the building must weather ocean conditions and storms. Like any ship, the condominium needs a good crew. We call the condominium’s crew, the ever revered board of directors. It is a thankless and time consuming job. Everyone is an expert at what the board members should have done. The association member should be ever grateful to their board members for stepping up to the plate and giving themselves so selflessly.

Unless you yourself have served on the board, then you really can’t imagine the countless hours and aggravation you will sometimes experience. In the utopian association, members serve on the board because they truly care and want to help maintain what is no doubt a fabulous way of living. In the not so utopian association, members want to serve on the board for a whole host of other reasons such as ego, Napoleonic syndrome and power trips. It is to those board members that today’s column is directed.

Board members have a fiduciary duty to their association to exercise their reasonable business judgment. Over the past couple of weeks several regular readers of Rembaum’s Association Roundup have shared an exchange between themselves and their association’s president. The entire association is experiencing a troubling issue with a commercial neighbor. The association members are looking to their board president for information, guidance, support and peace of mind in knowing that their elected “captain” is guiding the ship through the turbulent waters. As you read the verbatim dialogue below between the members and the president, you should know that the association members live out of town most of the year and are a respected doctor and clergyman. Both are well published in their field and have national reputations.

Owner(s) to the President: “I recently sent an email to you and a follow up when I did not hear back. Could you let me know if you received them? I would be happy to meet with you directly regarding the ongoing issue if you prefer.”

President to the Owner(s): “If you want an update go to the board meetings like everyone else… or read the minutes of the meeting… That is what they are for… My job is not to respond on an individual basis to unit owners who make up stories of selling their apartment and are too lazy to attend board meetings!”

Having looked at the minutes from the past year and not seeing much about the issue, the owners write back to the president.

Owner(s) to the President: “I am not sure what to make of your recent email to me except to attempt to impune my character and avoid the issue about which we have previously communicated. Perhaps you are not aware that I reside in New York and work full time as, frankly, a nationally recognized physician… As the problem continued unresolved, as you know, we became stressed and frustrated to the point of considering a sale, of which we informed you. We indicated this to you in earnest… If you would take a moment to re-read your email to me and reflect on whether it went, let us say, overboard, I would appreciate your response.”

President to the Owner(s): “I REALLY DON’T CARE WHAT YOU DO OR ARE… YOUR ROOMMATE TOLD ME DAY ONE THAT YOU WOULD BE A PAIN AND HARASS ME. GO TO THE MEETINGS AND OR READ THE MINUTES!”

Owner(s) to the President: “Are you confusing me with someone else? I own the unit with my spouse of many years and we have never had a roommate…”

President to the Owners: “I DO NOT TAKE EMAILS FROM RESIDENTS… ALL YOURS WILL BE GOING TO SPAM… FOLLOW PROPER PROCEDURES… IF YOU WOULD HAVE ATTENDED THE MEETINGS YOU WOULD KNOW THIS. FEEL FREE TO READ ANY MINUTES OR COME TO ANY MEETING TO ASK QUESTIONS AND EXPRESS YOUR CONCERNS… I HAVE ALWAYS OPENED UP THE MEETINGS TO QUESTIONS AND STAYED UNTIL ALL WHERE ANSWERED!!!! BELIEVE ME I AM VERY PREPARED!!!!”

Clearly, this president is reacting… to what, we may never know. Why does this president feel the need to yell (evidenced by the all caps in the emails) at these members asking for information? Why won’t he take the time to be responsive to the members’ simple request for a status update? Why does a president not take emails from members? Why is this president so rude and callous? Maybe this president will do the ship a favor and disembark at the port!