Board Member Responses to Homeowners
Dennis, what is your recommendation for individual Board members responding to emails/voice mails from HOA Homeowners or tenants.?
About Post Author
1 Response
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Perry,
I recommend that all board members maintain open communication with homeowners. How your any of the board act in the best interest of the member as a whole if they do not talk to members to understand how they feel about any issue?
The concern is exactly what you say to any homeowner. Many homeowners have believed that by speaking with an individual board member, they were obtaining permission to do something that only the board as a whole could approve. Please, for everyone’s sake, make it clear that you, as an individual board member, cannot commit the board to any action. While you are free to relay any issue to the board for their consideration or provide your perspective on the issue, you cannot act or respond on behalf of the board, and the homeowner cannot interpret anything you say as meaning otherwise.
Therefore, please be cautious about what you say to any homeowner, as they may interpret your words as implying consent from you as a board member. Many community managers and attorneys prevent any board member from communication with any homeowner because of this liability but that is counterproductive to your role as a board member as long as you are aware that people will look to find any reason to believe that simple communication or beliefs of one board members implies that they have received the authorization to proceed with a modification or action on their own. Be open and frank, and listen to the concerns of the homeowner, but make it clear that you have no authority to approve anything relative to your conversation.
If you communicate under this general guidance, you will be better informed about issues your community members face, and the board will be allowed the discretion to consider any action carefully and legally.
Dennis