Friday Fun: HOA Questions - some you can ask, some you can’t …

Sometimes in an HOA you get requests that you just can’t judge – the right side of your brain will want to ask a lot of questions, but the logical left side of your brain tells you "you can’t". This was the case recently in an association where tree Infestations, of the magnitude of the Red Bark Beetle, Asian Longhorned Beetle and Emerald Ash Borer had taken its toll on the trees in the common area. After consulting with expert arborists and working several years on solutions to save the trees, the Board following the advice of the experts, opted to add some diversity of trees in age and species. This however meant that some trees specifically select by the arborist needed to come out.

As the work began to take out some trees a resident showed up at the office and loudly “demanded to talk to someone” about the tree work that was going on, because the resident “wanted it stopped right now!”

Rule # 1:  First always seek to understand - don’t defend, or explain, listen and ask questions that will help you understand - “What seems to be your concern?”

“You can’t cut down the trees behind my house! I want to know if you are going to cut down the trees!”

“The Association is working with an arborist to identify the trees that cannot be saved and is replanting trees where the sick trees have to be removed. I don’t know which trees specifically are slated for removal and replacement, but I can find out for you.”

“Well that is not acceptable, I need those trees, not a replacement tree, you are replanting with small trees that will take 5 years to reach the height of the trees you are taking out.”

“According to the experts planting the smaller trees will provide for a greater chance of success...”

“You don’t understand…”

“No I don’t, I am sorry.”

“I need THOSE trees for my privacy. I am a nudist, and sometimes we have parties with 30 to 40 of our friends. If you take down those trees, I could get in trouble with the law…”

At this moment in HOA management you can’t ask the questions you want to ask and you can’t have a “look” on your face. You have to proceed without a momentary delay to manage the homeowner’s expectations. Generally there is a huge disconnect between what is coming out of your mouth from the logical left side of the brain and what is going through the wild and wacky right side of your brain.

Left brain and mouth - “I will get back to you with after I talk with the arborist to see what the status is of those trees behind your house. He won’t be on-site until next week, but I will call him. I will also make sure the landscape crews work in another area until I get an answer. If we find there is an infestation in the trees behind your house, we have an ‘accommodation and modification’ form that you can fill out or you can put your request in writing to the Board to request another solution.”

Right brain jumping up and down waiving his arm “pick me –pick me”- Really? REALLY? OMG you are not kidding? There are 30 to 40 nudists in our little town? What do you wear to a nudist party? I mean you have to get from the street to the house. Wait a minute, what happens when the leaves start falling? What do you do when it snows? 30 to 40 nudist and you let them sit on your furniture???

In HOA management, it can be a battle between what you want to say and what the logical left side of your brain will let you say……