Serving on the HOA board can be a very rewarding experience. You’re on the front lines of helping to guide the community and make it a better place to live. It can be a wonderful opportunity to give back and get more involved in the neighborhood. But sometimes, it is necessary to step down and hand over the reins to someone else. Whether you’ve been a long-time member and are ready to move on, or your professional and personal life have become more demanding, if you feel that you can no longer commit yourself to your board responsibilities, resigning may be in your best interest.
However, this does not mean that you should drop everything and disappear. Quite the contrary, in fact. Check the HOA’s governing documents to see if there is a formal procedure in place for resigning from the board. Even if there is not, you still want to be professional, courteous, and help with the transition.
Notify the board and homeowners in writing. Compose a short letter letting them know that you are stepping down and what the effective date is. If possible, it is a good idea to give advanced notice so that they can work on finding a replacement or covering your duties in the interim. Whether you give a reason for your resignation is up to you.
Help drum up interest in board service. Your leaving creates a vacancy on the board and an opportunity for someone else to step up. Encourage others to take advantage of this opportunity to serve on the HOA. Be open to answering questions potential board members may have and discussing some of the responsibilities that you held so they have a better idea of what they are getting into. Don’t burn bridges – keep discussions honest yet positive.
Be supportive of the transition. While you don’t want to step on toes once someone has taken your place, being available should they have any questions about projects or tasks you were working on can be helpful. Offer your support as they learn the ropes and settle in.
Regardless of your reason for choosing to resign, be respectful of the board and the community. After all, this is where you live, and as you know, it’s a tough job meeting the needs of the neighborhood and making difficult decisions. A change in leadership can be good, so be supportive of new board members and continue to be an active member of the community and show your support in other ways outside of board service.
If your HOA could use additional support with day-to-day operations, management of community needs, communication with members, how to run a more effective board, or a variety of other issues, consider partnering with a property management company such as Kuester. We’ll help you to stay organized and take steps to improve your HOA management.
