HOAleader.com - Tip of the Week - October 9, 2020
Published: Fri, 10/09/20
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HOA Cynthia Ad Gets a Laugh, Perhaps a Cheap One
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In this week's tip, we shamelessly refer to pop culture, but at least we're doing it to make a good point. We're referring to Geico's HOA Cynthia ad.
It's funny, in part because there's some truth to it. Some board members take their jobs too seriously. But while we chuckle, let's also ask a serious question: What can we learn from a national ad that pokes fun at association board members?
"I think it's hilarious," admits Andrea L. O'Toole, a Walnut Creek-based principal at Berding Weil, a law firm that does only community association law throughout the state. "The whole point with it is to be entertaining.
"Are there overzealous board members?" she asks. "Absolutely. Are there members who break the rules who have to be enforced against? Absolutely. The creators of this ad took a stereotype of a board member and made it entertaining because there are board members who are like that.
"But the vast majority of the board members I've worked with are very good at what they do," says O'Toole. "They're not Cynthia. It's fun to poke at stereotypes, but that's why we do things by committee and have a board of three, five, or seven members. Together, they'll usually make the right decision, and they can keep the overzealous board member in check.
"Lawyers can help with that, too," she states. "They can give board members that reality check by saying: 'You're not being reasonable. You're being a Cynthia.' I'm dealing with this issue this week. A rogue board member has gone off the rails, exposing the association to extreme liability by issuing press releases to the media. I'm sending him a letter saying, 'You need to stop.' I'm here to protect the corporation and I'll tell him that."
Would O'Toole actually tell board members they're being Cynthias? She might. "It comes with experience in how direct you can be," she says. "I'm always professional. But these people aren't professional HOA directors. They have day jobs, and sometimes we have to educate them."
The ad brought an initial laugh from Joe Wloszek, a member at Hirzel Law in Farmington, Mich., which represents more than 100 community associations; he lived in a condo for seven years and now lives in an HOA. But he also thinks it's unfair. Find out why, along with how you can use it to be a better board member, in our new article:
https://www.hoaleader.com/members/4205.cfm
Best regards,
Matt Humphrey
President
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Click here to read full article:
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