Voting with Proxy Ballot

[tlpnet]

I'm wondering if it's just me, or do Starwood proxy ballots make no sense? in most elections, and I can use my Hyatt ballot as an example, you are told that you are voting to fill "X" number of board positions, and so you are instructed to vote for "X" candidates.

On the Starwood ballots, and I have 5 different ones, you are given between 3-5 candidates and you are instructed to vote for or against each of them, but nowhere does it say how many positions you are filling. I called SVO, and the guy told me that none of the properties have anything to vote on. I then read the form to him, and he asked someone sitting near him, and he told me for the specific resort I referenced that they were filling two positions, and then proceeded to rattle off how many positions different resorts are filling. Apparently calling is the only way you can determine what is going on.

Am I crazy or does this go into the "makes no sense" bucket? Does it even mean anything to return these wacky ballots?

-tim

 

[calgarygary]

At least you are given the opportunity to vote. My proxy arrives after the meeting is held.

 

[jarta]

tlpnet, "Does it even mean anything to return these wacky ballots?"

Probably not. I am president of my (non-Starwood) homeowners association. Our proxies let the board vote them as the board wishes in the event nobody is selected on the ballot. The only reason you even need proxies is to have a quorum present to do business at the annual meeting.

However, next time you call Starwood about a SVO board matter, you might ask to talk to Shawn O'Brien. Shawn is the Starwood liaison to the resort boards and runs the Starwood training sessions for board members.

But, he might not be in right now. As part of the annual board meetings at the various resorts, Starwood has instituted owner golf tournaments called SVOpens. Shawn has been flying around the country for the past two months (and continuing until the end of this year) since he not only helps the boards run their meetings, he organizes those golf tournaments. The golf tournaments are conceived to get more owners to attend the annual board meetings. It probably won't work, but it's a nice touch by Starwood.

BTW, in addition to electing board members, there is always a budget for the upcoming year to vote on at the annual meeting. The size of the budgeted expenses determines the amount of the monthly MF for the association. Attending the annual meeting is probably the only vehicle by which an owner can have input into this important process. Finally, for all homeowner associations I have ever heard about, the management company (in our case Starwood) pays the monthly bills and puts together the preliminary budget for that the board (usualoly unpaid volunteer owners) which usually approves it after review and private questions but without much public discussion at the meeting since the board really does not run day-to-day matters. You could say that Starwood runs the resorts and the boards merely provide informed oversight of the way they are run.

 

[jjlovecub]

I'm wondering if it's just me, or do Starwood proxy ballots make no sense? in most elections, and I can use my Hyatt ballot as an example, you are told that you are voting to fill "X" number of board positions, and so you are instructed to vote for "X" candidates.

On the Starwood ballots, and I have 5 different ones, you are given between 3-5 candidates and you are instructed to vote for or against each of them, but nowhere does it say how many positions you are filling. I called SVO, and the guy told me that none of the properties have anything to vote on. I then read the form to him, and he asked someone sitting near him, and he told me for the specific resort I referenced that they were filling two positions, and then proceeded to rattle off how many positions different resorts are filling. Apparently calling is the only way you can determine what is going on.

Am I crazy or does this go into the "makes no sense" bucket? Does it even mean anything to return these wacky ballots?

-tim

Glad you noticed. For the Courts one at least - There are 5 people for 5 positions..so it is really a fixed election. I have filed a complaint with the State Dept...not that it will get anywhere

 

[LisaRex]

For my WKORV-N proxy, we're not told how many positions are being filled. We're not given anybody's name or contact information, let alone bios so that we can decide who to vote for. Our options are either to vote for the entire board, for all board owners who are present, or nobody. It is signed by the "Board." It's very, very clear that we owners have no options in our HOA.

 

[baz48]

Our "election material" (and I use that term loosely) for our WKORV ownership came addressed as:

Jane Doe
Verify Password
pumpernickel
123 Main St.
My Town, State, Zip


I added a password, as was discussed here on TUG a while back, to get a little added degree of security. Since all it takes to access our account is name, address and phone (which is not that hard to get), the password seemed like a good idea. In practice, I'm not always asked for it. I was told by an agent once that their computer system doesn't have a separate box for passwords so it is added into the address lines; hence it printed out on my address label. Unbelievable!!