My subdivision in Eagle has a Home Owners Association, and they held their second attempt at an Annual Meeting this week at Eagle Town Hall. This second attempt was needed, because they couldn’t get enough lot owners to show in their first attempt at this meeting for a quorum. I’m not sure what they did accomplish was anything legal due to the way the meeting was conducted. What did I learn from this meeting?
- The Board members are primarily responsible for enforcing the rules and restrictions of the covenant.
- The volunteers that make up the board deserve our thanks, even if we don’t agree with everything. They take a lot of abuse just for doing their job and they can never find anybody willing to replace them.
- I hate rules telling me what I can and cannot do, especially when it comes to my property, but I understand that the rules were in place before I bought here and that there is a need for rules and enforcing them. (I can’t believe I just said that, maybe I’m getting old?)
- It is more difficult to change a rule or law of a Home Owners Association, than it is to change or create laws in a town, village, city, state or even the United States.
- I enjoy going to these meetings for the same reason fans go to NASCAR races or hockey games. Anticipation of a fight, argument or crash. This is the same reason that a lot of lot owners are no longer willing to attend these meetings.
The other thing I took away from this particular meeting is that the current board does not understand the rules for completing business at a meeting following Roberts Rules of Order. Several motions were made and seconded during the meeting, but only one motion was voted on during the night. They decided not to vote on weather to add somebody to the board, because the person was not in attendance. When it came to the annual budget and the minutes from the last annual meeting, the board seemed to think things were approved once they were seconded, because they never held a vote on them. I think they would have been approved, but nothing was completed.
What does this mean? Is there a need to hold this meeting again? For legal reasons, they probably need to.