The Springfield Hills HOA Trustees have failed our community, violated their duty and broken our trust. Below is explained how our trustees have failed us, along with, not only what the expectation should be, but also, what we deserve.

• The trustees are poorly managing the funds for the community for unnecessary legal fees and lawsuits.
• The trustees try to remain anonymous, referring to themselves collectively as trustees, without their names. This is a role where they're supposed to be representing.
• The trustees have appointed trustees without following election processes, and only after being questioned by attorneys. This goes against even information they have provided residents.
• The trustees have failed to communicate information with the community, including annual meetings. Even the most recently scheduled homeowners meeting was cancelled, little information and without offering a new scheduled date.
• The trustees seem to want to cause unnecessary discomfort to families of the community as well as create financial strain on them. The trustees conduct actions that the sheriff's department has reported as menacing by stalking.

Now, here is the expectations and what we deserve:

Home is not only the place where one lives, but also the place where you feel that you belong. Home is where we expect to be welcome, feel comfort, find relaxation, experience privacy, and have the ability for self-expression. Home can expand to our neighborhood. To assist in creating home and community, we also have a HOA, or homeowners association.

HOAs are designed for a few critical roles within a neighborhood. HOA manage common or shared property, protect owners’ property values, provide services to residents, and develop a sense of community through social activities and amenities. All residents have an important role to play in a community’s success, but board members have a particularly vital job.

Trustees are elected to make decisions that will affect our community, both operationally and financially. These trustees are a fiduciary for our community – that is they have the duty to put the interest of others above their own while making decisions as a board member. HOA board members / trustees actions can have a significant impact on the community’s wellbeing.

A fiduciary duty is defined as the obligation that a fiduciary owes to the beneficiary. In this context of HOAs, the fiduciary is the board of directors and the beneficiary is the association (and its homeowners). Since fiduciaries are placed in a position of trust and authority — meaning they can act on behalf of the association — it is their duty to act in the best interests of the association and homeowners.

What are the fiduciary duties of a board member? The fiduciary duty of HOA trustees has three components: duty of loyalty, duty of care, and duty to act within the scope of authority.

     1) DUTY OF LOYALTY: Duty of loyalty requires HOA board members to act in good faith to promote the best interests of the entire association.

     2) DUTY OF CARE: Duty of care requires HOA board members to make informed decisions regarding HOA matters. The duty of care also means trustees are expected to uphold bylaws and enforce standards. An HOA board member must first make sure that he/she is up-to-date on the association’s rules and regulations. HOA boards must follow the protocols as clearly outlined in the bylaws.

     3) DUTY TO ACT WITHIN THE SCOPE OF AUTHORITY: In this third component, board members are required to only act within the scope of their authority. They cannot act or make decisions on matters that are outside the boundaries of their roles and HOA responsibilities to homeowners. This must be done fairly and equally.

We are all members of this neighborhood. Every household, every family, should feel at home. We need to take action and ensure the HOA is not abusing their authority and is unbiased. We also need to ensure our HOA has all of our interests at heart and is ensuring the growth of our community.

This petition is to take immediate actions to remove the current board of trustees. This is for the everyday life of all families within our community. Show your support and take a stand with us.