Do your Board Meeting Minutes Actually Mention ALL Controversial Issues? We Doubt It
The more complaints we investigate the more it seems that many condo board of directors sanitize their minutes.
Rarely do we see mention of complaints or suggestions from owners.
What has been your experience, please write and tell us at george@ctcondonews.com and gail@ctcondonews.com and we will include your information. If you don’t want to be identified or you don’t want your complex identified, please tell us.
Also, if you have something important that you want in the minutes, make sure you say at the meeting – or in your letter – that you WANT your information included in the minutes. That should help.
And tell your board members that you want ACCURATE and COMPLETE minutes that include the good, the bad and the ugly.
Please do not publish my name or any other identifying info. Re: Minutes: We have discovered that two officers of the Board of Directors have been requiring the secretary to send minutes to them for editing before minutes are sent to other Board members. We have decried this practice and are waiting to see if the practice changes. Your comment about “the good, the bad and the ugly” is well taken. Unless minutes are accurate and complete (as you suggest) they are really a waste of time. These notes are critically important when push comes to shove!!!
This issue is fighting for.
I agree that a minimum the minutes published for all board meetings should go unedited. If you don’t want your name published then don’t get on the board
You would not feel that way if you were on a Board.
Secretaries can easily make mistakes. Typically after every meeting I find 1 to 3 errors of either omission, misstatement, or confusing wording. I suggest changes to our Secretary. Occasionally I am wrong or the Secretary goes over the tape of the meeting to make sure what happened.
You want minutes that accurately reflect what happened in the meeting, not one person’s draft of what they recall or think they hear on a tape.
Often I go back to minutes months later to make sure my recall is correct or to remind other board members of what happened.
gee gorge when someone says no name why do you print it?
Our association never had minutes and meetings for the first year 1/2 because the BOD did not want to? . . . and when I “pointed” that out “vivaciously”, I was singled out as the problem owner because there was a click of owners whom “thought they were” were “running the show” and getting there own way . . . . . WELL!!!! our association got sued . . . and in the onset of the lawsuit it states . . that if a condo association started out without following these simple protocol issues . . . then they “probably” would not follow other rules and standard operating procedures (setting a precedence hard to defend) . . . our association LOST The lawsuit against an owner . . 6 figures!!! . . . NOW What they do . . . is open up a meeting and go strait into an executive session . . . another blatant abuse of power, that has them in the process of being sued again for even more $$
All too often we see the power blinding the board to prudent actions, resulting in financial loss to the unit owners. We have to – have to – band together and get effective legislation to stop these practices. We, too, have a lawsuit for an unpaid legal bill that the president and board simply chose to ignore. So now we have legal fees, interest, etc., on top of a legitimate bill.
Minutes? Meeting? We have not had an Association Meeting in over 5 years, and the Board Meetings are not made known to unit owners.
Our minutes are controlled by the Secretary who sends around his notes and then we update and he sometimes updates them. I once took the minutes and they removed almost all of the minutes. The do not record suggestions, or conflicts (they are confidential) and the minutes have so little in them that the board does not remember what was covered. Recent minutes state that the board agreed, not motion/second or vote count on three issues and when questioned about it – it was ignored.
Owners have presented letters and requested that they be included in the minutes and it is not even mentioned that a letter was presented in most cases.
I live in a small condo complex and the present BOD does not feel they have to comply with Ct. Stautes. For the past year they have not sent notice to owners of Board Meetings ,don’t tke or publish minutes to owners.The president is a bully. When owners ask a question at Board meetings they are either cut off,or told the Board will get back to them later, which never happens. Executive session is the way they get rid of us and also never publish the outcome of votes, updates tocommunity issues. Our unit owners don’t have a say as to what gets done ,concerns about repairs, assessments either. A few of us have bonded together to try to get information out to the unit owners and to urge their participation at meetings but again many do not want to incur the wrath of thie out of control Board.No Board should have the absolute power to decide the future of a community with their decisions alone.t is very discouraging to live with a feeling of helplessness in a place you want to call home. I wish that there was a uniform code of conduct for Boards to prevent some of these things from happening. Still fighting the good fight.
I agree. Our Board doesn’t post meeting dates, times agenda as required. Since June I requested to have cameras in the parking lot and the Prop manager told me that they could not afford, but at the same time on the same conversation she told me that they just spent $10K on lights for the front of the 3 buildings. I thought items that expensive had to get owners approval. I guess I was wrong again.
Janet – very good description of a BOE that keeps important information from Association members, and unfortuneately, a truthful admission of the difficulty of forcing board members to provide at least the level of documentation that allows discourse between members and directors about matters that affect their homes, equity/property values, and sense of security and enjoyment within their properties.
Our association has complied with the new laws regarding condos. Every resident received a schedule of our monthly board meetings and there is a schedule posted at our mailboxes. The new law says boards must meet publicly and residents should be able to find out where and what time. Interestingly, the people who complain to each other about various things never come to a board meeting. Insofar as the financial documents, the law also says (and has for a long time) that any unit owner may make an appointment with the management company and review the financial documents. Regarding board minutes, our minutes reflect what was said, who said it, what decision was made, who made the motion and who seconded it and the final vote. In order to respect the privacy of unit owners who might be in arrears with their HOA fees, their names are not published in the minutes. Unit owners often forget that some repairs cannot be done as quickly as they would like. Your condo is most likely not the only client of the vendor and most vendors work on schedules. Most management companies manage more than your complex and there may be issues more urgent for them then replacing your light bulb.I’m not making excuses, just thinking realistically. Also, there is a budget to adhere to. Some boards do not budget for unscheduled repairs (they should) and there may be a cash flow issue. It’s not as cut and dry as one would like to believe. Board members are unpaid volunteers who donate their time and energy. Only when you become a board member do you realize some of the issues facing associations. It is quite rewarding and quite an eye opener.
As secretary of our assoc. I try to adhere to Robert’s Rules of Order and basically report what was done and not what was said. I try not to editorialize but do include issues discussed and report no action taken if that is the case. A meeting schedule is published in advance and once minutes are approved they are distributed to all unit owners who have provided us with their e-mail address. Out of 52 uints it’s a rare occassion if more than 1 attends. Difficult to get people to serve on committees and when they do they are ready to resign if anyone dares to question their policy.
Anyone serving on a board or committee needs to develop a thick skin and believe in what they are doing.
At Farmington Woods we are allowed 5 minutes to speak before the meeting…And sometimes we are allowed to speak afterwards ( tho definitely NOT ALWAYS tho RRO says differently). Recently I emailed a message regarding the lack of ANY bids on the cedar siding ($230 K budgeted this year alone). Foolishly I expecte d the topic to be addressed. NOTHING WAS EVER DISCUSSED! We are having financial issues, ESP due to our golf course…one might expect that AT MINIMUM a savings of $46K!! some how it wasn’t important enough to be discussed. As you might know, we had an issue several years ago with a long term general manager who embezzled funds. One would think the president would be very se nsitive to such a major business faux pas. there are many things about the operations of FW which are very curious to say the least…what can we do when the elected resident office holders ignore our concerns.. And this is just the most recent topic. The laws need some teeth…otherwise we are doomed. Please advise.
Although I’ve repeatedly requested (almost a dozen times) that minutes of the Woodland House Condominium Association be posted in the mailroom (so unit owners can read them), the Board has steadfastly refused to do so. Instead, Board President Peter Beckmann has stated that any unit owner who wants to see board minutes can go to the association office during the hours it’s open (8:30 a.m. -> 2:30 p.m.) to request them. You know what means: They don’t see the light of day!
I think you will get fewer responses because you are not clear enough about names being published. One woman distinctly said not to publish her name and you did.
You have no idea the problems you create when names are published. Board members can make your life very difficult. They can fine you for minor infractions, and they can ignore your requests. I have been trying to get a clean (not necessarily new) dumpster for a year and a half. Everytime I call the building manager, he says oh yes I will call them again and request it, but nothing ever happens. And it won’t. I will get tired of calling about it, and I lose out.
Listen, If your board retaliates against you then you need to fight back. CHRO is a venue you might look into There are many more. Don’t let idiots push you around then, you are allowing it. Speak up at your meetings. Connecticut General Statutes say anything involving the entire complex anyone has the right to speak about.
Good Luck!
i positively agree Janet. I have asked several times on here NOT to put our names and they disregarded our request. The board we have makes your life miserable when you object to anything or call them on not following bylaws and state laws.
as for the topic on minutes. : our minutes in our complex are always totally wrong. they change the whole meaning of what was said to fit their needs so unit owners are not aware what the real truths are. We have two bullys on our board who insult other unit owners, lie to all of us, and who are control freaks. These two are the worst we ever had. the treasurer rounds everything off to his liking, our President says he was the worst treasurer before when he was on the board and messed up all the books! But this board member made herself the President and made this same guy, who messed up all the books before, the treasurer because she wanted complete control of the association.
We need better laws for governing condo complexes . We, the unit owners, should all vote on everything that goes on in our complex. Three board members controling our lives is outragious!
Why Cant board members be human, resoectful to ” everyone” and respect others opinions and suggestions.
We never have any disrespectful unit owners speaking out of line at any meetings, but our board members are crude, yell, embarrass unit owners, totally out of control at meetings. Its a disgrace!
People need respect, encouragement for their opinions and suggestions at meetings. these board members fail to remember they dont own our homes or this whole complex. We all do as a group. And should be treated as such.
these two board members have to go. They have been holding private meetings without notifying unit owners even after a lawyer is involved. They ignore the law, the bylaws, and their friends still stand by them to be in the “group”…
think twice before owning a condo…..Give me my home back anytime for some quiet, sweet neighbors instead we have ” the nazi campers running around watching your every move” There is a law about your right to the enjoyment of your home! Some board members violate this with unit owners they dont like.
I agree with Marianne. We have the same problems here at East Gate Condo in Hamden. I have lived here for 38 years and was involved in all capacities of the board, know all the bylaws and rules and regulations. When I try to correct a misstatement at a board meeting, they tell me to “SHUT UP AND SIT DOWN” There was a recent board meeting and I was told that several times. That made me angry. Immediately the president called for a motion to adjourn and the rest of the board all seconded it. One of “my neighbors?” ran up to me and screamed in my face, nose to nose belly to belly SHUT UP!!!!!. it literally had to be broken up. I am 62 years old and have no want to get into a fist fight. They dragged her away, but the board called the police on me. The police got the boards story then came over to me to “get both sides of story” As I tried to explain the officer didn’t want to hear my side PERIOD.`The police left and I went to sit at the pool, where I was attacked by a man in the pool who ripped off his tshirt like he wanted to fight me. Again I am 62 and just want my concerns to be heard not to get into a fight with a 6 foot 230 lb man. One more thing, at the last meeting they had a position open for rep at large. I was not at the meeting because of an emergency in my family, but as soon as I heard there was an opening, I volunteered for the 3 rep at large position. I was sent a big fat “NO”.When I inquired to a board member he laughed and said the board thinks “I was a pain in the a–” It has now turned into a “witch hunt” only because I am trying to teach them the right way to do things. The “Nazi-like board, run by Jane Murray and her click are out of control. I know that because of the last meeting,I will get my pool passes revoked. Not the 2 attackers, just me. This was a nice place to live for 38 years until this “witchhunt” started with me. I am beyond trying to deal with these people and I guess the rest of the people in this 151 unit condo because they can’t even get a quorum. I am at my wits end because everything they do has my name involved, like cutting 3 beautiful, live,pine trees in front of my unit, saying they are all dead. I hired Savatree and they said they are not dead. A lawyer, which we paid out of our own pockets, had to be retained to stop them. Don’t know how this will turn out but I can expect ramifications from this. If the police won’t help me, what do I do? Is my only choice to call a lawyer and pay thousands to get the witch hunt to stop? I should not have to do that seeing my husband and I are both retired. If there is any advice you can give me to stop this disturbing behavior, it is literally making me and my usband ill. So we have Dr bills also. PLEASE HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ours certainly doesn’t.
Last summer we had a new assessment to cover one project and at the last minute, the board unilaterally added a second side project without allowing a vote on it.
Many owners came to several meetings to complain, more than usually come. This was never mentioned in any of the minutes.
During meetings, owners have made requests for certain financial statements, or for certain arrangements to be made regarding our accounts. The board agrees during the meeting, then omits it from the minutes and next meeting, pretends it was never raised.
Fortunately, at Watch Hill in Branford, we do have minutes, a schedule of meeting dates, and a time to speak at meetings. But no one on the Board has any financial background and they don’t understand that the members must authorize expenditures. Yes, members do approve the annual budget, but then they find a project that is not budgeted and do it anyway. The membership approved a well-planned project to vinyl side the buildings — a loan with a 10-year repayment and 10 years of increased monthly fees. They started the increased dues but did not start repaying the loan for 15 months. They are using that 1st year’s extra fee money on “projects” that they think need doing. Our payoff will now take 12 years and about $80,000 in added interest. They refuse to admit they are not following an approved plan. They think they have the authority to make a “new” plan. Membership doesn’t know about this, yet.
Suggestion: I think CCOC could provide a big and sorely needed service to members by providing limited legal services — like writing a letter to wayward boards or offering to come to a meeting to explain proper procedures.