Log in

Opinion

Andrews: There are reasons for one person running boards in Sun City

Posted

I appreciate the detailed information provided by Rusty Bradshaw in an article (“Agencies Work to Solve issues,” Sun City Independent, June 30, 2021).

In that article, Jerry Walczak, Condo Owners Association of Sun City board president, stated that some owner associations are run by a single “dictator” and not by a majority of the association’s board members. No doubt this happens.

But why does this happen, Mr. Walczak?

Let me give some possible reasons.

No one wants to serve on an association’s board. After all, this is a retirement community.

I have contacted people to serve on an association board. Typical response is, “I will serve if I do not have to do anything.”

Board positions are unpaid, volunteer, thankless jobs. Jerry even pointed out that board members have to follow a plethora of rules/laws and that board members “have fiduciary duties of acting with care, loyalty and confidentiality with respect to all their association members.”

Board members can be held liable for mismanagement.

Some association people love to complain but not to serve on the board.

No one wants to hire a management company at nearly $200 per year per unit owner. Plus, management companies do not replace the need for an owner’s board of directors anyhow. Management companies also overload your assigned property manager with many other association’s management responsibilities as well. You simply do not get your money’s worth.

Jerry stresses the need for board action, never the action of a single board member, as that would be contrary to the rules. Yet I find it ironic that if an association board cannot do business, a real dictator is appointed. If an association cannot conduct business, say, due to lack of a quorum, a receiver, normally an attorney, can be appointed by the Superior Court to manage the owner’s association in lieu of the board.

It is therefore OK for a single individual to run the show if it’s a high-priced legal beaver.

Go figure!