On Monday, we received an email with this simple subject line: “Scary.”

Opening the email, we learned that this past Thursday evening, a homeowner association meeting in Kentucky ended in violence. A past board president was shot and pronounced dead at the scene. Another board member, also shot, passed away on Sunday. A homeowner, reportedly in a dispute regarding the height of his fence, has been charged with murder, assault and wanton endangerment.

It is scary – and it is not the first time, nor likely the last, that a homeowner association meeting ended in violence.

People who work with community associations must always remember that our jobs touch and concern issues and topics central to most of our lives — namely, one’s money and one’s home. These can be emotionally charged issues, so we become very accustomed to dealing with emotionally charged homeowners. We are trained to diffuse emotional situations by remaining calm and non-confrontational. We cannot, however, become so accustomed to conflict, that we fail to differentiate between emotions and threats.

If you receive a threat… take it seriously, report it to law enforcement, and make sure you share the information with the people that need to know. This will likely include your association board, manager, attorney, and any homeowner that might be targeted.

If there is a concern regarding safety at a meeting, consider the available options. Security could be hired. The meeting might be conducted via telephonic or video conferencing – and still comply with open meeting requirements. It might also be possible to conduct the necessary business via a vote by mail. And, if the threat comes at or just prior to the meeting, don’t hesitate to cancel or adjourn the meeting.

The bottom line: Don’t assume that a threat isn’t real. Take it seriously and act accordingly.
See the related news article at: http://www.kirotv.com/ap/ap/crime/1-dead-1-wounded-during-homeowners-meeting/nR5Wg/