I pissed off the old HOA president!

Some backstory. Me and a few neighbors took over our HOA (little over a year ago) from a board that was incredibly incompetent, and running the community into the ground. The previous president was in charge for something like 20 years, and before that on the board, so she's a 'lifer'. Very rude, giant PITA to deal with and constant complains that people don't like her... Received this email out of the blue two days ago. The second person Jeannie is her daughter and has basically been an unofficial board member for years as well. Jeannie has received many payments to complete tasks around the property from her own mom...

We didn't know this, but she was using HOA storage facilities as her own personal storage, so when we changed the locks they got locked out. She apparently thought we targeted her.

I understand that the Board has changed the lock on the storage room located at the pool.  It would not matter to me but I have things in there that belong to me, some which I have loaned to the Association, and now I do not have access to the room (or the pool pump room) any longer in order to remove what belongs to me. The very least the Board could have done was to notify me that they were going to do so as I know that we were the only ones that had keys to that room that Jeannie would access for the purpose of storing the pool furniture during the off season and retrieving it come time for the pool to open. Although she's been the only one who made any effort to maintain the pool area daily for more than a decade, she did provide you with a key to the padlock along with other relevant keys.  The Master Lock that was on the storage room was provided by Jeannie and is one of a set of keyed alike locks which you're welcome to return, along with the key, given that it is no longer in use. I assume that the key to the new lock is in the lock box attached to the fence for others to access and would appreciate the code to the lock box so that Jeannie can retrieve our property before someone else does (as was the case with the large framed picture in the bathroom).  Once you provide the code to the lockbox, or access to the storage room, we will retrieve the items without delay.   

This was the response myself, and the board put together.

It’s great to hear from you! I hope you had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

We were unaware that you had personal belongings mixed with the association's dedicated storage facilities. This is not something we would have anticipated, but it does explain the trash pile we discovered in the storage area that was left exposed to the rain. This created a large, soggy mess, requiring us to stand outside in the rain to remove it. Below is a picture of one item from that pile:

The decision to change the locks was part of a broader effort to update our security protocols and ensure that all common area keys are accounted for under the current Board. Protecting the association's assets and minimizing liability are top priorities. This decision followed multiple concerns, including:

Walter’s complaints about unauthorized access to the pump room.

Member complaints about unknown individuals using the pool.

Jeannie’s report of the missing bathroom painting.

We also consulted the association’s legal counsel to confirm the best course of action regarding liability and security. Typically, internal re-keying efforts do not require disclosure to members, as these changes are operational and should not impact those without explicit authorization to access association storage or equipment rooms.

If these facilities were being used for personal reasons, this should have been disclosed.

Regarding the padlock Jeannie provided, could you confirm why reimbursement was not previously requested? While I do not doubt the padlock was purchased by her, it is unusual to supply an item intended for communal use, then request its return after several years without any prior agreement or documentation. That said, this is not a significant matter—if Jeannie can provide a receipt, she may submit it for reimbursement. If the receipt cannot be found, I can have our legal counsel prepare a receipt affidavit for her to sign.

We appreciate Jeannie’s long-standing involvement and efforts in her community.

To move forward, could you provide an inventory list of the personal items you’re seeking to retrieve? Ideally, these items will be distinctly personal, as any ambiguity might require us to conduct a full inventory of the storage areas to differentiate association assets from personal property.

I do not believe the shed is currently locked, but we can arrange to unlock the storage closet door. I am available to do so this Sunday—please confirm if that works for you.

It was only a matter of time before this band-aid was going to be ripped off, so might as well have some fun. Stay tuned. There will definitely be more.