The Woodlands Master Association, Inc.

I respect your opinion. I am on a HOA Board. Your response is not on point. Your personal opinion reflects your misunderstanding of HOAs and borders on the fanatic.

Having said that, I can state that there are HOA Board members that have nothing to do except find fault with their neighbors. I think their personal viewpoint overrides the objectivity that an HOA Board member must strive to achieve. It is difficult for those of us who try to be fair as human nature intervenes. That is not a cop out for power hungery Board members or those with an axe to grind. It is just a fact. 

I ask only one question of those that confront me or make snide remarks behind my back in my prescence: "Would you like to run for the Board?" Most will cop out or say yes but never submit their names for consideration. In fact most will say no. 

It is because of opinions like yours that people will not run for the Board. They can not stand the heat. 

There are a lot of things wrong with HOA Boards but there are a lot of good and a few great HOA Boards, but I have yet to find one.  

Power corrupts. There chould be a time limit on subsequent terms of office, but then the business of the Board would never be accomplished. 

Join a HOA Board and learn as I have of some of the difficult decisions that have to be be made, some of which are painful.

I can certainly understand how a frustrated homeowner can have these feelings.  I myself have felt that the board and the manager sometimes seem to go out of their way to make people feel uncomfortable living where they do.  There are a few cases in which dishonest board members have funnelled HOA funds to themselves, but diversion, or embezzlement by the management company is far-more common.  Boards trust their managers (as well they should), but get so comfortable that they fail to take the necessary measures to make sure their safeguard procedures are in place and followed.  However, I have never witnessed any collusion to defraud or steal from an HOA in my 30 years as a board member in HOAs where I have lived, or in my 20 years as an HOA manager.

Of course, the entire community needs to be aware and engaged, but that is difficult to do in this day and age.  Also, most people move into a neighborhood where everything is taken care of for them, just so that they don't have to concern themselves with what they view as minutiae of life.  In other words, they abdicate this to others to act on their behalf, and then hope that those folks do their job correctly, but therein lies the problem.  As you have noted, people have ulterior motives, not necessarily illegal, but certainly disturbing, nonetheless.  For 4 years now, our board has had at-least-one power-hungry person and one control freak.  These folks are the ones who make living in the community uncomfortable.  Here where I live, that person and the manager colluded to drive one long-time homeowner out of his home by harassing him incessantly, even illegally (and they turned on me when I pointed this out to them.)  It's OK; I can handle them by virtue of my experience and knowledge, which far exceed theirs, but I miss my neighbor, and consider it obscene what they did to him.  As a manager, I have never ridden someone to the point where he felt he had no choice but to move.  I would be ashamed of myself if I ever did!  I work for the homeowners, and must always be considerate of them, even if they are whacky or out of control.  Eventually, I am able to "dewhackify" them though proper communication and respect.  But many managers and board members do not understand those concepts.

It's a constant battle on our board to do things correctly, given the egos involved, but I just keep chipping away at it, hoping to have a positive influence in the end.  Yet and still, far-too-much time is spent arguing personal issues, which could better be devoted to doing something postitve for the community.

I have owned my property with Foxdale since 2001, a new construction.  I have not asked for anything except a bush to be replanted after the previous one died.  I have also called over for information and such.  Each and every time I call, I get a really crappy attitude and the encounter usually ends with NO you can't get what you need or ask for.  Maybe not Mob behavior but we pay way too much ($220.00) to be treated this way.  I am very unhappy with Foxdale HOA (yes you Daniel) and everyone else there with the usual snobish sense of entitlement.  You may try to retialiate is you want but I will be ready.  You're not the only one with access to lawyers.