A little help here!e

I became a Board member of my HOA to advocate for the best interest of all owners. Our HOA has a checkered history including theft from a Board member's partner and preferential treatment and services for select Board members.

Several events transpired at our Annual Membership meeting. in July. Our Board consisting of one person increased to six, our property manager terminated services and we had a massive hail damage claim to move forward.

One of the owners called a meeting to order by looking at a new resident from his building and said " I'm not here to pick up on your wife or anything" Next, he introduced a contractor who presented a proposal to fix our roofs, paint and repair siding. Our HOA insurance policy has hail damage deductible in the amount of $12,500 due from each owner. Our next Board meeting I spoke up about the proposal we received to fix the roofs. I objected to a line item in the proposal indicating cost for interior work is attributable to the property manager. The interior work was only for one owner"s building, there is no cap or estimate of cost and we no longer had a property manager. I emphasized the interior work is the owners responsibility and questioned the the damages because my building, has similar leaks. I told the Board member that I have receipts from all the drywall supplies I used to repair my water damage over the past several years and I could submit them for reimbursement. He said No.

I suggested we have 3 -4 contractors present proposals and as a board vote on the best one.to

A second contractor presented a proposal and no real specifics about the work to be done or how depreciation was determined. Not having time to read this proposal I motioned the take the proposal home and vote after we had a discussion at our next meeting. A minute after the meeting in the hallway the the Secretary calls for a vote on the proposal and everyone including me raised their hand. I raised my hand in objection to the vote, and was counted as a vote for the proposal.

It turned out that our HOA did not have the down payment to accept the proposal but the contractor lowered the down payment. Before the next meeting I prepared a list of points to discuss from the proposal at the next meeting. I was told we don't have time. I asked the Board member if the new proposal will be reflected in the adjuster's report, to which he said yes . I did not get to speak about the proposal and asked about the other contractors estimates to which I learned was No. A second vote on this proposal was called, I raised my hand in objection and was counted as a vote for.

I have still not received the final numbers from the last proposal that I need to send my insurance company for HO6 coverage.

In fact I was not allowed to read the 2nd proposal final copy nor do I have one

Works about to begin and I've just learned learned the new contract which I never got to see until after the voting states it uses the same numbers from the first adjusters report.

I look to the new contractor's contract that stipulates 2 pages of fine print rules that could be applied to charge to owner during work. No guarantee that costs won't exceed the deductible.Any objections need to be filed in a different county court than our property.

I am the only member on the Board who doesn't have some have some questionable expense be paid by the Board. Sewer repairs for one member, interior work for another that should not have been paid. I expected to be part of a Board making good decision and instead Im now under the control of a contractor who made it clear the customer is responsible for the terms in the contract.instead of details about the work to be done, I have two pages of ways I can be fined or penalized. The HOA laws passed to protect a Homeowners have been skirted.

Despite new laws affording more protection and the right to cure before a penalty I'm subjected to system I have no legal protection

If I object to some frivolous fine or penalty from a contractor I could try to take a case to the county the work is done and the contractor says nope contract says our county. I go to the contractors specified county and they ask where the complaint occured and that's where I'm told file. The good intention of new legislation can't even be evaluated when a law firm advises how to avoid it altogether.