An HOA going astray
By Charles P. Eberson
Senior Moments
After all these years, I am now living part time in a 55+ community overseen by an HOA (Homeowners Association). If you are new to HOAs, their goals are generally well intended: to preserve your neighborhood and maintain or even increase property values.
There are rules and regulations to help the HOA meet these goals, some of which owners may agree or not agree with. Fees are charged to owners to help keep the community appealing and to maintain the common areas. This all sounds rather idyllic. That’s what I thought in the beginning. Until I became a board member.
I was approached, ostensibly, for my clear thinking, communication skills and character. Actually, in such a community, there is not a deep bench, as they say. Many residents are either unable or unwilling to put in the time to endure the slings and arrows from owners and even fellow board members. My reply, since I abhor any kind of committee “groupthink,” was that I had to talk it over with my wife.” It was a short conversation. She said, “It will be good for you. It will give you something to do. It will be a nice social activity.” All of which is exactly what I didn’t want, but I accepted the position with guarded optimism. It was all well and good for a while.
Communication ebbed and flowed. The concerns of residents were addressed while keeping an eye on the budget, and I thought this wasn’t so bad after all. I could do this. With the expiration of some terms, voting was conducted among the residents, and there were some changes on the board. Some say Washington, D.C. is a political swamp, but HOAs can be a close second without the financial benefits. The desire for power and control is no less. It was then I realized I was, in fact, recruited to fit into a cadre of followers seeking control of the HOA board.
It wasn’t long before I felt strongly about a project that would have a negative impact on the residents that lived closest to me. They were upset that their quality of life would be impacted in a negative way. However, their their needs were ignored because it was all about a personal agenda. I took action to represent their concerns.
Now, the very qualities in me that were allegedly sought out were depicted in a negative light by some board members. The sociopathic actions of one in particular, resulted in a storm of emails distorting facts, forming fictional conclusions from dysfunctional perspectives and making defamatory statements about my character.
My emotions ran the gamut from disbelief, to hurt, then anger and a desire for retribution. I’m over the first three. In conclusion, I am sure that most of the people who serve on HOAs serve with integrity and with the best intentions. However, there are always a few who abhor the feeling of being irrelevant and finally have a chance to fill that void with a false sense of importance.
If possible, screen your HOA officers as best you can and if offered a seat on the board, be careful…be very, very careful.
Charles Eberson has been in the newspaper business for over 25 years. He has worked as a writer, advertising executive, circulation manager and photographer. His photography can be viewed at charles-eberson.fineartamerica.com
