Lotusbud Girl
Junior Member
Maine
There is a road association with apprx. 20 households involved.
The members are bitterly divided in half over various issues.
The slight majority (52% or so) group makes decisions without ever notifying the other half of membership, and they alter the minutes to reflect what they want them to instead of what the meetings were actually about.
They object to the minority group (48%) taping the meetings for proof of what was actually said or voted on, but They tape the meetings and refuse to give us copies of the tapes.
They have voted in expensive road repair which 49% of us strongly object to because they won't tell us the details of what/how they plan to proceed with our money to fix the road - only that they're hiring a very overpriced contractor friend of theirs. (About $1K overpriced.) They didn't wan't to send out for bids. Our dues have tripled as a result.
Questions:
(1) Do we have any rights? They won't meet us in the middle over any issue. They control everything. Anything we try to vote on doesn't pass.
(2) We are warily considering our only power - to withhold all of our dues. There is nothing in the bylaws that speaks about members who don't pay, except that they lose their right to vote. (Our bylaws are vague.)
(3) Can such a large group withhold monies without being sued?
(4) How can we protect ourselves as a group if they go after us?
(5) Can we create our own road association group separate from them? They live on one part of the road, we live on the other.
Please advise as much as you can - Thanks!
There is a road association with apprx. 20 households involved.
The members are bitterly divided in half over various issues.
The slight majority (52% or so) group makes decisions without ever notifying the other half of membership, and they alter the minutes to reflect what they want them to instead of what the meetings were actually about.
They object to the minority group (48%) taping the meetings for proof of what was actually said or voted on, but They tape the meetings and refuse to give us copies of the tapes.
They have voted in expensive road repair which 49% of us strongly object to because they won't tell us the details of what/how they plan to proceed with our money to fix the road - only that they're hiring a very overpriced contractor friend of theirs. (About $1K overpriced.) They didn't wan't to send out for bids. Our dues have tripled as a result.
Questions:
(1) Do we have any rights? They won't meet us in the middle over any issue. They control everything. Anything we try to vote on doesn't pass.
(2) We are warily considering our only power - to withhold all of our dues. There is nothing in the bylaws that speaks about members who don't pay, except that they lose their right to vote. (Our bylaws are vague.)
(3) Can such a large group withhold monies without being sued?
(4) How can we protect ourselves as a group if they go after us?
(5) Can we create our own road association group separate from them? They live on one part of the road, we live on the other.
Please advise as much as you can - Thanks!