April 21, 2017
Dear Everyone:
This week began with some very intense issues, but is settling down
nicely now.
On Monday, I had a meeting with the “rest” of our
Homeowner
Association (HOA) Board of Directors.
The “rest” of the Board consists of “Phoebe” and “Patty”, the
newest member.
The
legislature of the state of California had passed some new laws that
affect HOAs and we had our attorneys go over the
Covenants,
Conditions and Restrictions (CC&Rs) to recommend any necessary changes.
The attorneys did so and sent the “restated” CC&Rs back to us for
review. This consisted of a
mere 54 pages, since the attorneys only indicated which changes they
felt were necessary. The
actual CC&Rs, originally put in place by the developer, are three times
that long.
CC&Rs are rather like Policies at the Corporate Level.
They tend to be statements like, “...records will be kept in
accordance with Company policy and as required by state, federal and
local laws, ordinances and regulations…”
They are intentionally broad and less-than-specific.
The company then sets “standards and guidelines”, which are more
specific, like “…employees will follow rules and regulations…” which in
turn are even more specific.
“Employees will use the Company Records
Retention
Schedule in determining when documents should be destroyed, except where
directed by Corporate Tax and Law Departments.”
Each level is more specific than the last.
HOAs have Rules and Regulations, based on the CC&Rs, which are
also more specific, but which also frequently include a phrase like “…or
as determined by the Board…”
So having the attorneys review the CC&Rs would tend to be at the
highest, most broad level.
It should have been a matter of the three of us going over each
“restated” clause and, more or less, agreeing with what the attorneys
recommended. Simple, right?
Wrong.
“Patty” proceeded to quibble at every clause and comma.
It would seem that her greatest ambition in life is to be a
roadblock.
There is a rule that owners of upstairs units cannot replace carpeting
with hard-surface flooring.
The reason is very simple:
Hard floors upstairs would magnify every step and movement for the
people living downstairs.
That’s just common sense.
Not for “Patty”. She wanted
to know why the CC&Rs can’t specify exactly how much padding upstairs
carpeting should require.
“Patty” is one of those people who likes everything spelled out in the
most minute detail, unless it’s something she wants to do, in which case
the rules don’t apply.
We adjourned after about two hours, with a list of “questions” to go
back to the attorneys, who probably don’t mind spending hundreds of
dollars per hour answering “Patty’s” persnickety little queries.
On Tuesday, I had what may be the last Board meeting for our local
Chapter of ARMA International.
Last month, “Barry”, the current
Pacific Region Manager sent an
email to all Mt Diablo Chapter Members that was basically an
“ultimatum”. Find seven
volunteers to serve on the Board (four Directors, plus at least three
more incidental positions) or the Chapter will be “shut down”.
All of this hinges on the fact that our last Vice President, who has a
number of ailments, dropped out of the organization without notifying
any of us. That, plus the fact
that no one is interested in coming to any of our monthly chapter
meetings, is just the technicality that “Clancy” has been looking for.
“Clancy” is currently the Pacific Region Advisor for Marketing and
Membership. He is also a
member of the Mt Diablo Chapter, since he lives in
Martinez.
When “Callie”, our last Chapter President, suddenly stepped down
and went scampering off to
Idaho with her husband and many, many Alaskan husky
sled dogs, I became
the acting President for the rest of her term.
When it was time to elect a new Board, no one wanted the job, but
I allowed myself to be talked into it.
And “Clancy” has been bent out of shape about it ever since.
For the last three years he has acted like a bad parent:
“You should be doing this.”
“You should be doing that.”
“Why can’t you be more like your brother?”
Now “Clancy” has the opportunity to shut the Chapter down before he
takes over as the new Regional Manager, as “Barry” has termed out.
So he has pushed “Barry” into issuing the “ultimatum”.
Never mind that the Golden
Gate Chapter (San Francisco) went without any Board at all for
several years without getting shut down.
This is what “Clancy” wants.
And I say give it to him.
While there may be some satisfaction is seeing “Clancy” lose this
particular battle, it’s not worth another two years of consistently
running into a blank wall.
If the Chapter members don’t care, why should we?
Nevertheless, “Kate” and “Natasha”, the other two Board Members, are
trying as hard as they can to “save” the Chapter.
As long as “someone else” does all the work, of course.
And that would be me.
“Natasha” even followed up Tuesday’s meeting with an email suggestion
that “we” should try directly contacting certain individuals who had
indicated that they wanted the Chapter to continue.
I cheerfully responded that, if by “we” she meant that she was
volunteering to do it, she had my blessing.
By Wednesday my only obligation was a blood test ordered weeks ago by my
doctor. Of course, it
required fasting for “12-14 hours” before, which meant no food, or
caffeinated beverages, until basically lunchtime.
But after Monday and Tuesday, that was a piece of proverbial
cake.
Things are much calmer now, notwithstanding urgent emails from “Natasha”
that she had not heard anything back from the recipients of her
entreaties. The Chapter was
established twenty years ago.
I say we had a good run.
It’s time to let go.
Love, as always,
Pete
* “Gloria who?”
“You remember Gloria.
Strawberry
blond with a dimple in her nose?
Sat behind you for three years?
How could you forget Gloria!”
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