Vernon House

The first subject on the agenda was the DVAHC’s new status as an official regional group in the NAHC (National Association of Housing Cooperatives). After much negotiation, we had an approved regional application.  The advantages to NAHC membership are many: Board training, professional guidance, a members’ only website, government representation are all offered to name a few benefits membership would offer. Being apart of a regional group will give us a voice in Harrisburg and the ability to sustain and grow our own organization. 

The annual fee for both membership in both the NAHC and DVAHC is $30 plus $4.25 per coop unit. (For example, if you have co-op contains 100 units; the cost would be $30 + $425 for a total annual fee of $455.)

The main event concerned co-op Bylaws.  Many attendees bought copies of their bylaws to share. Phil Lord of TURN reproduced several of these documents and are currently displayed on our website.

The Bylaws are the contract that shareholders have with each other, along with rules and regulations in running the cooperative.

The Bylaws should be seen as a living instrument and should be amended as needed.

Bylaw changes can either be initiated by the Board, seeing an issue that should be address or a provision that is antiquated or the Cooperative may have a Bylaws Committee who performs the same function.  You do not have to do an overhaul of the Bylaws. You can change items as you go.  In general, you do not need an attorney to amend the bylaws.  However, if you are looking to overhaul the Bylaws, you may want to seek counsel. The only proviso in amending the Bylaws is that they cannot be discriminatory or violate equal opportunity housing provisions.

First step is to review the procedure required to change the Bylaws.

If you are performing a review of your Bylaws, here are some topics you may want to review:

1.)  What happens if there is a death of a member?  Are there provisions that address inherited shares?  Is there an explicit provision that states that heir must go through screening process?

2.)  Do your bylaws reference the 1986 change in the cooperative law that provides further protection of Board Members? Most Bylaws have the language, but some older cooperative Bylaws may not have updated that language. It should be referenced in the Bylaws.

3)  Are there provisions regarding termination of Board Members? (Example:  Failure to participate or attend Board Meetings.)

4.)  Do you have a provision in your Bylaws that effectively states that failure to pay carrying charges is grounds for termination of membership?  It makes eviction more difficult to challenge.

5.)  Are there provisions that are not being used and have been substituted by newer procedures? If so, the Bylaws should be amended to reflect the newer procedures.

Bedbugs- Infestation.  There was a discussion about how bedbugs can enter a complex from moving vans, to just having one bedbug jump in the cuff of a pant leg while out in public to having bedbugs attach to your pocket or pocketbook while in a movie theater.  Bedbugs can lay eggs and multiply without a partner. (Self-fertilize?)  It is important to take swift action.  Bedbugs can burrow into mattresses, furniture and wood and live up to a year without food (“blood”).  You can also get bedbugs in your car if the bedbug jumps off your clothes and into your car seat.  It is better to get a professional exterminator.  (Professional exterminators have to be careful not to bring bed bugs home.) One participant said that a professional exterminator recounted how his car got infested. He regularly treats his car.  In addition, he drives into his garage and strips down.  He puts all his clothes in a dryer before going into the house because temperatures of 118 degrees or higher will kill bed bugs.  

Next meeting:

Topics to include: Marketing Your Cooperative