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Standing down as a result of ongoing abuse from unit owner
Approximately 2 years ago both my husband and myself were voted in to become both Chairman and Secretary/Treasurer. It was not our intention to become involved. This is not a paid position and even so we undertook our duties and turned things around into becoming a Sectional Title complex instead of a slap dash run establishment and grew the contingency fund substantially whilst maintaining where necessary.
There has been an ongoing animosity with a person (owner) who has treated my husband (Chairman)in the most unpleasant manner and the last straw was when he went to read the water meter on the 8th of the month as per usual, when she almost hit him and then proceeded to try to lock him in the garage (the entranceway to the water meter at the back). She did not want him to read her meter and which she was obliged to do.
As we do this voluntarily and have a situation where the complex of 6 has 4 tenants, we took the books back to one of the owners who lives several kilometers away and told her that we were no longer being involved - we do not like this type of unpleasantness (we were horrified).
Since then we were aware that the accounts were not being sent out and made enquiries - the owner with whom we left the books says they will not be doing anything unless there is a special meeting - but we have notified all the owners that we would be stepping down - we would like Managing Agents and feel that we have done enough and that this type of abuse is completely unacceptable. As a non contracted agent and having had very little financial remuneration except for R85 per month which has been recently made available for stationery etc. - we do not feel it is up to us to call any meeting and that they (the other owners who are worried about spending a little more) should be doing this themselves.
We have been horribly upset and would like to keep these type unpleasantries out of our lives - it would appear that we have hosted AGM'S AND Special meetings at cost to ourselves. Surely we are not wrong in letting them get on with it.
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RE: Standing down as a result of ongoing abuse from unit owner
Hi, Jeanine. If you were elected at an AGM, and have both resigned in writing; and Special General Meeting needs to be held to elect new Trustees. The owner with whom you left the books is quite correct, in that he has not been duly elected as a trustee, and cannot be held accountable for keeping the books. It's a messy situation, but unless that meeting is held, bills will not be paid and the complex could end up in an untenable position. If this happens, the only way out is for the BC or any owner to apply to the Court under Section 46 of the ST Act for the appointment of an administrator.
RE: RE: Standing down as a result of ongoing abuse from unit owner
Thank you - we have collected the books but as it stands there is not enough people to hold a Special Meeting (Quorum) and none of them want the job in any case. We will continue at present and have sent a letter to the abusive owner to read her own water meter and leave the reading in our post box - we are in any case putting our home on the market and have been thinking of doing so for some time. This has been a nightmare.
Jeanine
RE: RE: RE: Standing down as a result of ongoing abuse from unit owner
Just a thought, Jeanine. When Municipalities cannot take a meter reading for any reason, they calculate an average usage (over the past three months, I think) and charge that amount. I don't see why you could not do that.
RE: RE: RE: RE: Standing down as a result of ongoing abuse from unit owner
Hi Ann - We have to report to each owner (these in particular who create mayhem if it is not done)the opening and closing figures and that is why we read individual meters but you are absolutely right. We cannot understand why there has been such a nasty reaction by these owners who have been having their meters read on a monthly basis for 11 years in this complex.!! The only thing that has changed is that the Control Meter which was supposedly damaged so that it could not be read, has now been read every month (no damage ascertained to the glass face) and the sum of water used from the indivual meters has to correlate to the Control Meter....Show More
It was in a terrible mess when we arrived a couple of years ago and this last AGM there was a difference of only R10 between the payments to the Municipality and the income from the tenants!!! (To our benefit).
As I have said before we were intending to leave at some time but this type of abuse which has just become worse and worse, has not made it worthwhile - Managing Agents would be best for this type of situation but owners are not prepared to pay - we cannot have a quorum if we call a special meeting as the owners mainly are not living in this part of the world and would feel that the costs unwarranted.
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