HOA Protest: Residents In Dispute With Association Leaders In Illinois

Signs in an Illinois community have revealed an ongoing HOA protest where residents are fighting against their leadership.

HOA Protest in Progress

The Darien Club homeowners association is a high-end neighborhood in Darien, IL. Recently, posted signs around the community revealed that its residents are protesting against their HOA. Residents who opposed the HOA’s leadership also protested in Driftwood Park.

The protest is primarily aimed at the association’s president, John Becker. According to Becker’s opponents, the president is allegedly holding on to power inconsistent with the association’s bylaws.

Some of the messages on the signs include, “Throw Becker’s Bunch Out” and “Bye Bye Becker’s Bunch – Say Hello to Your Brand New Board!”

Supporters Fight Back

Becker’s supporters, though, are not taking the protest lying down. According to them, the disgruntled residents are simply protesting against Becker due to a decision on fences.

Marie Ciaglia Becker, John Becker’s wife, said that the residents did not agree with the decision. However, the association’s lawyer upheld the fence rule. In an email, Becker’s wife then contacted Ward 3 Alderman Joe Kenny, asking the latter to do something about the protest.

Becker believes that the residents are bullying, intimidating, harassing, and maligning the board members and their families. The association’s president checked the city’s guidelines on signs and found permitting requirements.

One resident, Cindi Lopez, also emailed Mayor Joseph Marchese to complain about the signs. In her email, Lopez asked Marchese if there was something he could do about the disgruntled homeowners and their signs, saying the signs were a “disgraceful form of bullying.”

“We have children out playing and residents driving through our subdivision all day,” Lopez said. “Everyone is reading these signs and asking questions.”

Nothing They Can Do

At a recently concluded City Council meeting, both Marchese and Kenny said there was nothing they could do about the signs. According to them, the residents have a right to free speech.

Bob Dreveny, a fellow HOA board member who opposed Becker, agreed that the residents had a right to display the signs. Dreveny believes that there is no truth to Becker’s supporters’ claim of children feeling bullied or harassed.