The Barbeque

Once a summer, we as an association pick a date and have a barbeque in our back courtyard.

It’s a great opportunity to sit down with the neighbors and chat.

Everyone is usually going in so many different directions that we rarely see each other.

The barbeque was discussed at our June meeting and boy were the plans grandiose.

Flyers were supposed to go up to notify everyone in our association in plenty of time. Plans were made to invite other condo associations in the neighborhood.

For whatever reason none of that happened.

So as usual, no one knew if the barbeque was still on or if it had been postponed. Different people were giving different answers.

Actually that’s not entirely true.

Our association lawyer received an e-mail letting him know that he was invited to the festivities.

The rest of us got no notification whatsoever.

Okay, fine---that’s par for the course with my condo association.

That wasn’t the kicker---the kicker was what one of the board members had to say to me.

Board Member: “You said that you’d take us out for dinner if we ever got money out of the (real estate) management companies.”

Me: “I did?”

Board Member: “Yes you did.”

This person went on to talk about how much money has come in from the real estate management/mortgage company owners of the foreclosed upon units.

Insinuating that I basically quit the board for no good reason and I had no idea what I was talking about.

I just looked at this individual like they had a third eye in the middle of their head.

I let them prattle on but managed to insert a one question:

Me: “So you’re telling me that the real estate management/mortgage company paid all of the back assessments owed for the unit(s)? Even the portion they were responsible for?”

Board Member: “No.”

Me: “Oh, I just wanted to be clear on what you’re telling me.”

Selective memory is a bitch in this heat so I’m sure this person failed to remember this little ditty I sent upon my resignation.

I never said that as an association that we weren’t going to collect any money, I said that it was unethical to attempt to stick someone with a bill that’s not rightfully theirs.

Moreover the execution of association financial business was astoundingly slow.

But don’t get me started down that road.

Instead referencing the facts and mucking up this person’s reality, I tied up the conversation in a nice neat bow by saying:

“Well I think it’s just great that we’re on firmer financial footing. Money coming in can never be a bad thing.”

Now wasn’t that so good of me? I didn’t even break a sweat.

I turned to the person next to me and engaged them in conversation. All the while sipping on the champagne I brought with me for just such an emergency.