L.L. from Fairfield County writes:
Dear Mister Condo,
Our superintendent recently left to take another job out of state. Our Board Vice President has assumed the position of superintendent! Can he hold both positions? I don’t know if he is being paid by the association. Do we have a right to know? Thanks!
Mister Condo replies:
L.L., it is highly unusual to have a volunteer Board member functioning as a paid worker for the association. It creates a potential conflict of interest that should not be overlooked by the rest of the Board and unit owners like you. As a superintendent, the employee reports to the Board. As a Board Member, the superintendent is subordinate to the Board. In this case, the employee is reporting to himself, which is where the conflict of interest arises. As a Board Member, he could influence decisions about his salary, working conditions, and much more. Also, how can he determine when he is volunteering his time as a Board Member versus when he is billing his time as an employee?
The correct solution is to either find a different person for the role of superintendent or for the Vice President to resign his position on the Board. There are many folks qualified and capable of handling either responsibility. There is no need for the association to put itself in this potentially compromising position that could erupt due to the potential and likely conflict of interest. Good luck!
Condo Board Member Getting Paid as Condo Superintendent: https://t.co/ttvprjPrPR
The woman who became a board member of an 8-unit condo raised HOA fees 15%. I suspect she is getting getting $900.00 (perhaps more) a year for her services. I can’t or wont be given the receipts of any bills for all of 2021? I thought that was against the law?
A.M., as an association member, you have a right to review any and all association records. However, the association may charge you a fee to review those records and set a date and time when you can do so. Depending on your governing documents and/or state law, it may bel illegal for a volunteer to get paid for their services. My advice is to vote this person out of office and replace with an unpaid volunteer. Good luck!