I’ve referred to my condo building before expressing frustration with the ongoing poor management and culture of low standards. Add the lack of organizational justice, the extent to which an organization treats people fairly. Ultimately the stress I experience is because I do not have autonomy in decision making, and autonomy is crucial for my well-being. HOA’s are just not for me and, needless to say, I welcome the opportunity to fly the coop!
Early on in my ownership, there were issues I could not remain silent on. So, I chose to become the activist and advocate. After 7 1/2 years of this, I decided to run for the Board with the intention of greater success with more authority. I was elected in January 2023, and my title became Board VP.
I didn’t realize I was jumping into politics, a low vibrational energetic field. It was a rocky start as 2 of the 5 Board members initially illegally manipulated the election to prevent me and another woman from getting elected, causing our counsel to get involved. Within a few months, our management company gave 60 days’ notice that it was getting out of the HOA business. My strong ally at that company quit, and I knew more trouble would ensue. It was like swimming against the current, but I managed to activate positive movement and accountability and even crossed one big item off of the deferred maintenance list within 4 months.
Then, shockingly, I became a scapegoat for the unstable, nervous front desk attendant/assistant community manager who was an employee of the management company. Disgruntled with his company and having silently quit, he resisted my attempts to get things fixed and stop the safety and security breaches. Completely disrespecting my Board position, fiduciary duties, and accountability to the community, he started denigrating my character and spreading falsehoods that I was micromanaging, bullying, and making him miserable.
Circling back to the 2 Board members who worked to keep me off the Board, they became his allies and ardent protectors enabling him to do whatever he wanted. Mind you, true to form, there was no concern about spending our HOA funds on someone who was emotionally unstable, repeatedly exercised poor judgment, had no follow through, caused safety and security breaches, etc. To my horror, they exacerbated the situation by insisting that our new management company hire him to continue as the assistant community manager and voting to give him a 5% raise without a review.
All communications and requests to these fellow Board members and the new management company to stop him from further damaging my character, disrupting my professional role within the HOA, and promoting divisiveness in the community, were to no avail. I warned them that if this continued I would pursue my rights. Stupidly and myopically, they didn’t take me, the reputed activist and advocate, seriously.
As the situation persisted and this disgruntled employee just could not keep my name out of his freewheeling, gossipy mouth, I enlisted the support of my really good HOA attorney. The day he received a Cease and Desist Notice from her he quit! Walked off the job! But, before he left, he attacked me gain and spread the word he received this letter. Of course, he did not take the time to leave pertinent codes and passwords for our systems, but he made sure to denounce me further. In actuality and per my attorney, he was the bully!
Politics are not for me. This extracurricular activity I chose of being on this highly dysfunctional HOA Board (most are) has brought me great distress. My body has been letting me know I have to make a choice to take care of myself because I have had one weird physical symptom after another. In repeatedly asking myself if this is yet another creative u-turn and distraction to avoid sharing my art and writing with the world, the answer is now yes.
I congratulate myself for signing up for a stronger leadership role. However, as I’ve worked hard to rid myself of people who have harassed and blocked me this lifetime, including a husband and siblings, to be mired in this familiar territory is unacceptable. Resignation is forthcoming, and I’m focusing once again on my creative projects, e.g, this post.
In solidarity, a dear friend addressed me as Warrior Sista and sent this quote by Ara Campbell:
“Everyone loves the feminine when soft and calm. What about when she rages unapologetically against injustice, raises her fist in the air? No. Then she should keep her voice down. You can try to burn her at the stake but flames won’t silence her. She is the fire of truth and she will burn your outdated world to the ground. That is why you fear her.”
