Something unexpected has occurred, leaving you with a vacancy on

your condo or homeowner association board. Now you and your

fellow board members must step up to the plate and appoint a new

member to serve until your next election. In this week's tip, we

show how you can make that decision without causing dissention

among your members.

Dennis J. Eisinger, a partner at Eisinger, Brown, Lewis & Frankel

PA in Hollywood, Fla., who currently represents more than 500

condo and HOA associations, suggests you focus on achieving

balance. "Consider a balance of personalities on the board," he

says. "You don't want anyone who feels the same way as everybody

else. Also consider a balance in areas of expertise. If you can

be lucky enough to find someone who's an accountant, an insurance

agent, an attorney, or an engineer, that would be tremendous so

you have more expertise when decisions related to those areas

have to be made."

Matthew A. Drewes, a partner at Thomsen & Nybeck PA in Edina,

Minn., who represents associations, has a slightly different take.

"That's a hard question to answer in the abstract," he says. "But

I think boards should think about the leadership qualities

that are important to the association at that time. If the past

board member has left because of some contentious issue or there

are factions forming in the association, you might want somebody

who's more of a consensus builder. At the same time, if there's

been a problem that has plagued the association for lack of

somebody taking firm action, you may want to choose someone more

decisive. It's going to depend on the association's need at that

time, and board members should think really honestly about what

they need."

Those are just two factors to keep in mind as you and your fellow

HOA board members serve as appointers-in-chief. For more insight

on What to Consider When You Appoint a New HOA Director, see our

new article.

Best regards,

Matt Humphrey

President