In 2015, shortly after purchasing a home in the Wynnfield neighborhood of Mobile County, Doug Roberts decided to take an active role in his community. Like many new homeowners eager to make a positive difference, he ran for a seat on the Wynnfield Homeowners Association (HOA) board — and won.
At first, it seemed like the perfect opportunity: a chance to help shape the future of the neighborhood, to have a say in how dues were used, and to contribute to the betterment of the place he now called home. But what unfolded over the following months tells a very different story — one of exclusion, humiliation, and alleged violations of the very bylaws meant to protect fairness and transparency.
From Election to Exclusion
Not long after Roberts joined the board, he experienced a deeply personal, public humiliation unrelated to the HOA. Word of this incident made its way back to his fellow board members. Instead of offering support, they allegedly turned their backs on him.
According to Roberts, the other board members stopped including him in routine board business. Emails that once kept him in the loop about neighborhood projects and finances suddenly stopped arriving. Board-related communications carried on without him. He was not invited to meetings. He was not consulted on decisions. In practice, he had been erased.
A Seat on the Board — in Name Only
What makes Roberts’ story particularly troubling is that he had done nothing wrong as an HOA board member. There were no violations of duty, no misuse of funds, no conflicts of interest. His only “fault” was being the subject of a personal embarrassment — something outside the scope of his service to the community.
By excluding him from meetings, communications, and votes, the remaining board members not only froze Roberts out — they effectively stripped the residents who elected him of their chosen representative. This exclusion, Roberts argues, was in direct violation of the HOA’s bylaws and neighborhood covenants, which guarantee all duly elected board members the right to participate.
The Human Cost of Exclusion
Being ostracized by colleagues is never easy, but when it happens in the very neighborhood you live in, the impact can be profound. Roberts found himself sidelined in a community where he had hoped to serve, his good intentions overshadowed by the actions of others.
Neighbors watched with unease. If an elected board member could be silenced so easily, what did that mean for the average homeowner? If the board was willing to disregard its own bylaws in this instance, where else might it be cutting corners?
Why This Matters for All Homeowners
The story of Doug Roberts is about more than one man’s exclusion — it highlights a recurring problem with HOA governance: when personal biases override the rules, homeowners lose.
HOA boards are bound by bylaws and covenants for a reason: to ensure fairness, transparency, and accountability. When boards deviate from these guiding documents, they undermine trust and create an adversarial environment. In Roberts’ case, the board’s decision not only disrespected him personally but also disrespected the democratic process that put him there.
The Need for Reform
Situations like this underscore the importance of:
Transparency: All board decisions and communications should be open and accessible. Accountability: Boards must follow their bylaws and covenants, even when it’s inconvenient or uncomfortable. Inclusivity: Personal disputes or judgments should never interfere with an elected member’s right to serve.
A Cautionary Tale
Doug Roberts’ experience with the Wynnfield HOA is a cautionary tale for neighborhoods everywhere. Homeowners associations exist to serve the collective good, not to police the personal lives or reputations of their members. When board members allow personal feelings to interfere with governance, they not only harm individuals but also weaken the foundation of community trust.
For Roberts, being elected to the board was supposed to be an opportunity to contribute. Instead, it became a lesson in how power can be misused when rules are ignored. For the residents of Wynnfield — and for communities across the country — his story serves as a reminder: the health of an HOA depends not on exclusion, but on cooperation, fairness, and respect for the rules that bind us together.