Mr. Funk E. Dude
My girlfriend is on the HOA board for the neighborhood and having listened to many conversations, I am fairly certain I know why so many go to shit.
It's not the rules or anything like that. It's boredom.
The longer an HOA member serves on the board, the less willing they are to make efforts to do things like, get a better bid on landscaping, or deal with a tenants legitimate complaints.
My GF is constantly arguing for the other members to do their job. It's ridiculous.
Vincarsi
@Mrfunkedude maybe they need a more fulfilling approach? Like, instead of being about policing the non-legal aspects of the neighborhood (which incentivses pecking down the pecking order), they should pick a mission statement to guide decision making in a way that maximally benefits/stabilizes the neighborhood during 'these unprecedented times' like community garden initiatives or solar panel installations for grid independent power backup?
The Laughing Muse :mastodon:
@Mrfunkedude Yep, that's HOA boards. Though mostly it's burnout, because out of any given HOA, only 10-15% of folks (if that many) will even participate, and they often end up being the ONLY ones who participate. So pretty soon, they start to resent the folks who live in the neighborhood but don't participate but love to armchair-quarterback.
Things might briefly improve - for a while - when a new person moved in and ran for the board.
Mr. Funk E. Dude
@thelaughingmuse My GF has been on the board for ten years and I can't count the amount of times she's called for an audit just to make the other members do their jobs. She's always pushing for better deals with contractors or looking for the best bids for other things. She sees it as her responsibility to her neighbors while it seems like everyone else on the board see's their position as something that they don't want to have to think about often.
The Laughing Muse :mastodon:
@Mrfunkedude That seems to be how things are: one person carries the load until they absolutely can't any more, then they find a way to leave - because they know exactly how much money is being spent unwisely. Makes for lots of extra stress.
I finally sold my condo-cottage after 8 years on the board, and looked for a house in an HOA that didn't have much - if anything - to do in the neighborhood. (Tried looking for a house that wasn't in an HOA, and that's nearly impossible to find.)
𝑩𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒏 𝑯𝒂𝒓𝒑𝒆𝒓
@Mrfunkedude
No HOA at my house. I wouldn't deal well with people telling me what I can and can't do with my property.
SnowWrite ❄
@That_One_Guy @Mrfunkedude I sometimes wish I hadn't gone with an HOA - but the non-HOA areas were scary for a single senior woman looking to buy a house on her own. I regret that I succumbed to my fear.. man a leaf falls off your tree in the fall and that HOA car is right there.. a fine for you and you and you. gah.. When I retire I'm selling this house and getting me a tiny home on my own land near water :D
Chelle (she/her) ?☕
@Mrfunkedude My number 1 requirement when I was looking for a house (after falling within budget) was no HOA. Not subjecting myself to bored ppl with power any more than I have to.
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