Thursday, June 7, 2007

Tenets of HOA Board Members

Source: Raunstar Internet Blog

ERASE INDIVIDUALITY. Create Conformity: The First Duty is to ensure that all traces of individuality are erased from the community. Conformity is the creed. Everyone must look alike, think alike, landscape alike, and be alike. Call the lawyers, they’ll advise you as to the exact shades and tones of every house, rooftop and flower in the community.

BUILD A COMMUNITY OF TERROR. Ensuring every member of the community feels terrorized ensures submission and subjugation. This is important to ensure conformity. Use the lawyer.

FORCED ALIENATION. If any thinking member comes forward with any questions, or ideas, put their name on the list for daily inspections. Study their habits. If you determine they arrive home every evening at 6pm, then pass a new rule requiring the garbage bins to be brought in by 5pm. This will give you the excuse you need to send them violation notices at least once per week. Then send a copy to the lawyer every time, and instruct the lawyer to send them letters too.

SUBJUGATION. If any member dares to question your decisions, especially at meetings or in front of other members, shut them down immediately. Tell them you don’t recognize their right to speak, and tell the group that they are trouble-makers and gadflys that cause disharmony in the community. Then call the lawyer, or pay the lawyer to come to the next meeting. They will listen to the lawyer because everyone believes that the lawyer is the final authority.

PROVIDE NO INFORMATION. Simply make your decisions and implement them. If anyone questions it, see Rule on Subjugation. Then call the lawyer and have the lawyer send letters to those questioning it to silence them.

PROVIDE NO ACCOUNTING. Send out a newsletter notifying everyone that their dues are going up and tell them only that “expenses are rising”. If they complain as a group, blame it on the one you labeled a gadfly and explain to them how that member is forcing you to call the lawyer every month.

DISREGARD ALL LAWS. You are a private community and you are above the law. There is no oversight, no checks and balances, and you do not have to adhere to anything. If anyone or group of people show up to the meeting spouting the laws, have them removed, and call the lawyer.

RECOGNIZE FINANCIAL LIMITS. Pay the lawyer first every month. Make sure to put away 20% of all money collected into the reserve fund. We’ll teach you how to make this money disappear during private consultation with the lawyer. Then use some of what’s left to maintain the community. If funds fall short that month, skip the area in and around the fadfly’s house.

CAPITALIZE ON OPPORTUNITY. If you hear that one of the resident’s has fallen ill or has an extended stay in the hospital, take that opportunity to send him past due notices. It doesn’t matter if he’s already paid, he has to prove it. Make sure to send copies to the lawyer, so they can send him letters too and collect their fees for doing it.

RULE WITH AN IRON FIST. Your rules are your rules. If you start bending them in any way for any kind of special circumstance, you are opening the door for chaos. Remember there can be no “special circumstance” in a truly successful conformed community. If everyone is the same, then there are no special circumstances or reasonable arguments. Even if the entire community bans together to disagree with you and threatens to vote you out, don’t worry and don’t give in. Just make sure the votes are counted in private and then give them the tally that you won again. Your perpetual service will ensure that the conformity and subjugation you’ve created will be maintained. Remember to send copies of the tally to the lawyer.

The final rule of thumb; WHEN IN DOUBT, CALL THE LAWYER.