Remember the joke about weather, everyone talks about it but nobody does anything about it? That can certainly be applied to Home Owner Associations.

People gripe and complain about the board, the decisions, and the rules, but they don't DO anything about it. I receive three or four complaints a week about our HOA and when I asked where they were at the last meeting I get some "lame" excuse. I was going to be there but something came up or I was going to attend but didn't know where to go. My personal favorite is I'm so busy I don't have time.

How about those who serve on the board? Apparently their time isn't important or they can't possibly be as busy as he complainer. How about those who MAKE time to be in attendance? Things come up for them and if they don't know where to go they contact the management company to get directions. Of course the large signs at the entrances to the community might be a source to find the meeting location, time and address.

My rant to all of those who complain, GET INVOLVED. If you don't like how he board operates come and run for the board, be on a committee or at LEAST come to the meetings and voice your opinion and why you think things should be different. Many times the complainer doesn't have a clue why the pool is closed. They think it is a power hungry board flexing their power. When the fact is, Vandals threw broken glass beer bottles in the pool with other trash and it is being cleaned up as rapidly as possible. Come to the meetings and find out why assessments go up and where the money goes.

Don't just complain, GET INVOLVED and find out what is happening and make our community a better place to live. It might surprise you what you will find out if you volunteer your time.