Annual Meeting Concerns
Disallowing a fair and transparent election
**Update - December 3, 2024:** The annual meeting was held on December 2, 2024, and it went as expected.
12/1/24 Post: The notice for the annual meeting has raised concerns about the ousted Board's attempts to maintain control. As we know, they were removed by unanimous election at the meeting on August 28, 2023, but have refused to step down, forcing us to engage in these absurd practices. The lawyer informed us at last year’s annual meeting that the terms of two individuals, Stephanie P. and Michael K., would expire this year. Even if we were to pretend that this election is legitimate—which it is not—it would still be rigged.
Just like last year's annual meeting, the ousted Board is requiring us to vote by mail or email. This restriction limits our ability to appoint a proxy to vote on our behalf if we cannot attend the meeting. It should also be noted that last year, although it was for show, marked the first time an election was held since Stephenie P. appointed herself president in 2006.
The ballots will be sent to the Board's attorney's office, which undermines the ability to have a fair and transparent election. When the attorney sends the election results to the Board, there is no way for us to verify whether the results presented to us are accurate or if the Board has simply disregarded the actual results and provided us with fabricated numbers. As they did last year, they will assert that the homeowners did not want them removed from the board. Surprisingly, we are allowing them to repeat this process this year. So, why bother voting if we already know they will manipulate the results to benefit themselves?
Lawyer in Attendance
According to the notice for the annual meeting, attorney Billy Todd will be attending again this year. As the board mentioned last year, his presence is required due to pending litigation. This is misleading. The lawsuit the board is referring to is against me, intended to prevent me from taking the position on the Board for which I was elected at the August 28, 2023 meeting. The lawsuit has no relevance to this election or the budget. The lawsuit is entirely about me paying the HOA boards lawyer fees. Nothing else. So do not let them lie, threaten, or intimidate you. Take back your power.
The true purpose of the attorney's attendance is to intimidate us and distract us from the real issues: the neglect of our property and the board's mismanagement. The agenda is focused on the budget, a topic in which the attorney has no expertise. He did not participate in preparing the budget and has no say in whether our HOA fees will increase.
The ousted board is using him to avoid answering questions about their actions related to the board, the property, and the budget. We cannot allow a repeat of last year’s meeting, where we permitted the attorney to respond to our inquiries while Board President Stephanie P. paced around—she even shouted at me once—while Board Secretary Michael K. slumped in his chair with crossed arms, appearing angry and refusing to engage in discussion.
This year, we must not allow the board to evade responsibility again. The attorney is present to distract us from holding the Board accountable. Therefore, I suggest that all questions be directed solely to Stephanie P., Karen H., and Michael K. We should focus on holding the ousted board members accountable instead of addressing Jim Meyers or the attorney.