The HOA Board Quarterly Fall 2013 Issue #7 | Page 10

Overcoming Apathy

By: James R. McCormick, Jr. Esq. Peters & Freedman, L.L.P.

W

hile every association has its share of
naysayers, most associations function in a
world of apathetic owners. This is very unfortunate
as associations are almost always made up of a
diverse set of individuals who all have something
unique and special to offer. The key for any
good board of directors is to take actions that will
hopefully convert a group of individual, apathetic
owners into a thriving community.
One of the first steps that any association can take
to foster a sense of community and combat apathy
is communication. The first step of communication
is often one-way. That is, the board of an association
begins communicating with owners through
newsletters, a website, a blog, a Twitter account,
the minutes, etc. A more complex
step in the communication
process is opening up two-way
communication efforts like a town
hall meeting or a Facebook page.
These advanced communication
tools should not be jumped into
without proper planning and
oversight as they can result in
negative communication.
As a board, taking the time to
communicate with owners lets
them know that you care about
them. Keep them informed about
everything! Once you start, it will feel natural
to let owners know about everything going on
in the community. When you provide as much
information as possible, owners will feel well
connected. Once owners feel connected, if there
is something that interests them, they are more
likely to get involved.
When communicating with owners, talk about
interesting projects or proposed committees that
can help the board. Many owners have talents
just waiting to be tapped by an association. Your
association may have a retired party planner just
waiting to head up the social committee. An
architect may be ready to volunteer her services
on the architectural committee. Everyone has
passions and topics that interest them. The key is
to tap into those talents and passions and permit the
owners to direct them positively for the community.
10 | The HOA Board Quarterly | Issue #7 | Fall 2013

Many associations bring communities together
with social events. Some of these events are local
“block parties” while others are large gatherings
of an entire community either at a common area
building or local park. Our association has hosted
a “movie at the park” event for the past three
years that has brought hundreds of our residents
together for a wonderful night of fun. Create a line
item in your association’s budget for social events
and see if local vendors are willing to offset some
of the costs in exchange for advertising.
The more interaction between owners, the more
likely they are to enjoy each other’s company
and the more likely they are to feel a sense of
community. The bigger the sense of community,
the happier residents will be!
Fostering a sense of community
may be the biggest challenge
in any association, but it is
guaranteed to have a huge payoff
in the happiness of residents.
Owner apathy often leads to other
problems like owners not sending
in ballots for votes or attending
meetings to make quorum. If
owners are already involved,
they are more likely to attend
meetings and/or cast ballots.
Some associations combat voting
apathy by offering prizes at the annual meeting or
raffling off a free month of assessments.
Another big incentive is food. Because most
association boards are made up of volunteer
owners who work during the day, most board
meetings take place after regular work hours.
Offering food at board or annual meetings can
often make the difference between a reconvened
annual meeting and making quorum on your first
try!
Some associations will ask for owner involvement
for a great many things through the use of surveys.
Surveys can be useful in soliciting owner feedback
and making owners feel as if their opinion counts.
Boards must be careful, however, in creating a
belief that the association is run by owner vote
and not by the corporate or governing board. If