- Community Associations
In trying to get through the month to month business of conducting a business meeting, Board members, property managers and sometimes attorneys have to deal with certain “types” of people. Perhaps they are a different species than you or I, maybe, spawned from a pod left by an alien. Here are some of the typical attendees that give people ulcers:
I. The Demagogue
It’s always about them, isn’t it? Everything is about them. They never want actually to do any productive work for the Association; they never run for the Board or volunteer to serve on a committee.
They will typically sit outside the circle criticizing and taking “potshots” at everything and everyone without offering any positive suggestions. You can easily recognize them as the discussion progresses, they stand and edge closer to the front of the room, as if to take over control of the meeting.
Sometimes the demagogue will appeal to a small cadre who do not have the courage to speak up and he or she becomes their voice. (This is how Hitler and the brown shirts got started.)
In order to neutralize the effects a demagogue will have at an open meeting, here are some suggestions:
1. The orderly proceeding of the meeting will require firm leadership;
2. The chairman must never raise their voice. (The louder he gets, the quieter you are.)
3. Encourage peer pressure to force them to sit down.
4. In a positive voice, politely ask them to “sit down and shut up!”
5. If it continues unabated, be prepared to adjourn the meeting and immediately leave.
6. Consider enacting a policy that, after ample warning, notice and due process, a disruptive Owner can lose their meeting privileges for a specified time.
7. Consider hiring uniformed security as a deterrent factor.
II. The Assassin
This is a Board member lurking in wait for each opportunity to stab another Board member in the back. They have their own agenda, although publicly professing to work for the good of the Association. They never miss an opportunity to make someone else look bad, usually with a surprise outlandish statement, which is pure conclusion and innuendo, rather than facts.
Sometimes they are not a current director but usually have a pipeline to current or old information which they readily convert to “misinformation”.
III. Vigilante
This individual takes matters into their own hands. Dissatisfied with the democratic process, chain of command or waiting for the next Board meeting, this Owner/director may choose to disseminate confidential information to other Owners, directs and critiques contractors without authority, confronts other Owners for alleged rule violations, sends lengthy letters/e-mails to the Board asking 100 questions, many of which are repetitive.
(My office keeps these letters in a special place, entitled “nut files”).
IV. The Narcissist
This is someone who loves the sound of their own voice (they probably have a karaoke machine at home). They never listen to the answer given to any question they ask, they just keep asking more questions.
They are self-deluded into thinking that everyone supports their agenda and are generally insensitive, inconsiderate, egotistical, blah, blah, blah.
V. The Heat Rash
This is someone who is really, really annoying. They have some very peculiar ideas about things and are always brainstorming how to get them implemented. (Let’s abolish assessments and just charge user fees to everyone who uses something.)
Sometimes they are very passive, easy going people, so it is hard to get angry, but they never take no for an answer. They are not disruptive, just time-consuming and personal energy wasting.
Even if they are made to look foolish, they are so clueless that sarcasm goes right over their head.
VI. The Anal Chef
No answer is ever good enough or complete enough. They are so overly-analytical to the point where they constantly are demanding more data, more information, more facts, more graphs, tables, and charts and as a result, can never make a decision. They always worry that some critical point has been overlooked.
The analytic is resistive to change, cannot make a decision, paralyzed with fear of making a mistake and questions any decision that is outside the box.
VII. The Dictator
Usually, the President, but sometimes can be an outspoken Board member who overshadows the more passive President. Sometimes it is the President’s enforcer.
Their philosophy, “my way or the highway”. Unwilling to work as a team member (does not play well with others), opinionated, aggressive, loud, sometimes rude and often, ignorant. Not a good representative for Association good will and would probably prefer to run the Association without the necessity of having to go through the Board or the Owners for anything.
The Dictators usually wind up costing the Association a great deal of money for poorly negotiated contracts and unnecessary legal fees.
VIII. The Baby (also see Martyr)
Throws a tantrum anytime they do not get their way and tries to evoke sympathy from anyone observing.
The Baby may storm out of meetings and then walk back in or even verbally resign and then demand reinstatement.
If defeated on a vote, or put down on the point they are trying to make, they sit and pout.
The worse thing you can do with them is to offer sympathy or let them know you feel badly.
IX. The One-Trick Pony
These are the most time-consuming and distracting Board members. They ran as a single-issue candidate (they didn’t like paying the special assessment or they had their car towed). That is why they ran; for some real or imagined slight. They usually do not have a constituency amongst the owners and they obstruct the conducting of business at every meeting so the time can be spent focusing on their personal issue. When it finally gets resolved, they manage to find another one.
X. The Nattering Nabob of Negativity
You say black, they say white. They criticize everything, every decision, yet offer nothing in its stead. They are never placated or satisfied with any policy. They can never be relied upon to support any issue because they will find fault with it and either vote against it or at best, abstain.
XI. Finally, the Number One most common species, the unpredictable, quixotic and difficult of all of them….The Lunatic
This person is border-line insane and they are sporadically subject to irrational behavior, outbursts, declarations of persecution, interfering with other people’s rights yet, one-on-one they seem passive and cooperative.
They will call the Association attorney, independent of the Board, write letters to all levels of government, send long, run-on letters and e-mails and make an issue out of everything. If you do not agree with them, you are out to get them and you will be masked as their enemy.
Sometimes their lunatic behavior manifests itself in living in squalor and filth, or wearing ratty clothing.
These are people who may be psychotic or may have dementia and definitely need psychiatric help.
Frequently, their family members are aware of their problems, but feel if they put them in a condominium, the Association can now be the caretaker.
SOLUTIONS
The last thing an Association needs is to have its time monopolized by a difficult director or an out-of-control Owner.
Unruly directors can be suspended or removed from the Board, but they remain unruly Owners.
Techniques that Boards can use in dealing with out-of-control directors are:
1. Have a one-on-one, or two-on-one session and try to talk things out;
2. Bring the disruptive director into a closed session, with the entire Board;
3. If all else fails, consider adopting Rules of Conduct for the Board and repeat offenders can be suspended; and
4. If all else fails, if need be, suspend or remove them from the Board and if necessary, seek a restraining order or an injunction.
With regard to the disruptive, uncooperative Owner who is not on the Board, consider:
1. Appointing a sergeant at arms to keep order;
2. Hire a uniformed security guard as a deterrent;
3. Avoid calling on these people at a meeting until the very end;
4. Call on them only once and ensure in advance that their peers will keep them in line;
5. After fair warning, suspend their right to attend meetings;
6. Create a committee and appoint them as chairman (either you’re with us, or you’re against us);
7. Videotape them at meetings;
8. Work diligently to get people to the annual election meeting and collect enough proxies so that they do not get elected to the Board; and
9. And always thank them for their very valuable point, that the Board will take this under advisement and get back to them.
These are all the most common residents of the human zoo and the Board members, property manager and the attorney are all the zookeepers.
Originally published in Condo Lifestyles (July 2007).
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