Association Issues: Keep It In Perspective; Keep It Professional

As a board member, you have generously volunteered your time to assist your neighbors and community in dealing with the many issues that arise at your association. When these issues come up, they often affect you in a very personal way because the outcomes may affect what, for many of us, is our most valued investment and home.

Keeping that in mind, because these issues regarding our homes can affect us personally, it is important that we look at situations at the association in a reasonable manner from a business perspective, rather than an emotionally charged perspective.

Look at the association as a business. You may be upset that an owner did not pay dues when their house went through foreclosure while you still had to pay. However, look at the economics of the situation. If we have concluded that a former owner has no viable assets after they have lost their home, it generally does not make very much sense to keep on pursuing collection just based on principle. It will end up costing the association a lot money to get nothing.

The same goes for any dealings you have with other owners or contractors. Something may upset you very much, so you are compelled to call or write a strong complaint. Keep in mind whatever you write may end up as evidence in court someday. Even if you are in the right, sending an emotionally charged email or letter may make the association sound unreasonable to a judge or jury. If you are distraught when dealing with association issues, for example, write your letter, then try to step away from it for 24 hours before actually sending it out. Read the letter from the perspective of the other party. Is your communication going to foster a resolution of an issue or is it going to alienate the party to the point that they no longer wish to deal with the association in a reasonable or amicable matter?

Let’s face it. There are things that upset us all. Sometimes we have urges to really give people a piece of our minds. But using unreasonable language, such as profanity, or language that mocks or taunts the other party, reflects badly on the board and the association.

The main point here is to take some time to put things in prospective. An unreasonable conversation or written communication could buy the association a lawsuit or permanently alienate a professional or neighborly relationship. Specifically, in dealing with other owners or tenants, board members have to keep in mind that you are bound by fair housing laws, so any purported violation could end up at the Ohio Civil Rights Commission. Even if claims are erroneous, the costs to defend the claim are significant and cannot be charged back to an owner.

In short: keep it in perspective. If you are angry: sleep on it. Your actions reflect on your entire board, not just you.

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