Caustic’s Folly

As if acting like a shrill toddler at the community meeting weren’t enough, Caustic pulled out a whopper at one of our monthly association meetings.

In the first two years of the association the general association meetings were few and far in between. Communication between the board and the general membership was virtually non-existent.

Last year in 2005 the new board decided that since we had so much facing the association it would be in our best interest to have a general meeting every month. In both theory and practice it was a great idea so we could get together and brain storm as well as be informed about the multitude of issues facing the association.

While I’ve been giving you kind people the blow by blow about the porches, it isn’t the only maintenance/capital improvement issue facing our association. Quite frankly it was simply the one that needed the greatest attention at the time.

Anyone who lives in a vintage building will tell you that these old girls require a great deal of time and commitment to keep them looking their best.

The buildings that comprise our association are no different.

Being solidly middle class wage earners, the totality of saying to your general membership that a huge special assessment needed to be levied didn’t leave anyone jumping for joy.

After all, we belong to the association and pay assessments as well.

The special assessment we levied for the porches was bad enough. I can’t even begin to imagine if we totaled up all of the work that needed to be done and levied a special assessment based on that.

They would be coming for us with pitchforks and knives.

Caustic’s issue happened to coincide with the old homestead hitting the market.

At one of our monthly meetings, Caustic had the gall to suggest that the association file a claim with our insurance company to fix a plumbing problem in the basement.

Now I’m sure Caustic meant to have that money cover all of the plumbing issues in all of the basements, not just the one that affected Caustic’s potential home sale---but who knows a person’s true intent?

I was dumbfounded. I lost the power of speech.

At the time we just---and I mean just---renegotiated a significant reduction in our insurance rates.

Why in God’s name would we want to file a claim to have them skyrocket up again? And all for a cost that more than likely could be covered out of our (meager) reserve fund.

Let me not mince words here, it was the way it was demanded and the tone it was demanded in that struck me dumb.

Mind you the board wasn’t asked how this latest wrinkle could fit into the budget or Caustic take the onus to find estimates and work up a presentation at a future meeting.

It was just the attitude of “I’ve graced you dumbasses with my presence. Note that my concerns are far more important than the overall good of the association.”

Are you fucking kidding me?

Could Caustic’s sudden concern for the building’s plumbing problems and the home sale be any more transparent? Not to me it wasn’t.

I love the type of people who don’t give a flying fuck about something until it affects them directly.

Blinded by the tunnel vision of the goal, Caustic continued to rant about filing an insurance claim until someone, I can’t remember who, thankfully put the kibosh on that crazy talk.

I’m not against self interest but not at the expense of fiscal fitness of the association.