This post is based on the article, HOA Homefront: Presidents are board members not bosses that acknowledges a serious and common problem with most HOA governance. By Kelly G. Richardson | Kelly@Rodllp.Com. August 26, 2022.[1]
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The HOA president’s role is often misunderstood and can result in a very serious board dysfunction. It can as well cause stress and risk for the president. First, it is critical to understand that the role and power of the HOA president are dramatically different than that of a for-profit corporate president.
In a for-profit corporation, the day-to-day running of the business is typically the responsibility of the president, the “boss” so to speak.” However, in most HOAs the day-to-day execution of board decisions is executed by the association’s professional manager. “The HOA’s boss is not the president but is [] the HOA board.”
The president has just one vote on the board, and that vote is no more valuable than any other director. Directors should take heed that those “who always automatically defer to the president are not fulfilling their responsibility to the association.” Furthermore, corporation law holds any director as implicitly agreeing if he does not post a dissenting opinion, which unfortunately, the governing documents are silent and do not provide an explicit right to file dissenting opinions.
By taking the “boss” role, a president is often outside his authority and disrespects the board that is the actual authority. Such a president could also be acting without corporate authority and exposed to personal liability for corporate commitments made without board approval.
Note 1. Kelly G. Richardson, Esq. is a Fellow of the College of Community Association Lawyers and Partner of Richardson Ober LLP, a California law firm known for community association expertise.
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HOA Constitutional Government 