Imagine living in a HOA where you have elected board members neglecting to do the task they accepted a nomination for. Neglecting to hold management accountable, not enforce the CCRs or bylaws, or even worse, embezzling or misusing HOA funds.
Sounds concerning and it is. Unfortunately this is more common than one would assume. Specially among Boards that have been content serving many years without official voting and balloting, or most importantly abiding by the codes and rules of the Davis Stirling Act.
So how do you remove or replace a board member without much disruption, or the need of legal services? One way is to rally the community supporting your reasoning. If it's "for cause", meaning they are acting unethically and their desire to remain would continue conflict or harm to the community, forwarding this link to them with your request to step down or they resign should suffice.
The formal option is to petition to recall a director by members who represent at least 5% of the association's voting power. The petition should include a greeting, a list of reasons for removal with evidence, a request for action, and a conclusion with the identities of the petitioners.
The board should then give notice to the director and hold a hearing in executive session. The removal process depends on the size of the association:
Associations with fewer than 50 members: Removal requires a majority affirmative vote of all eligible voters
Associations with 50 or more members: Removal requires a majority affirmative vote of the votes represented at a meeting with a quorum
You're not alone and there is a process to end the all of the madness helping you and other homeowners protect their interest. Act sooner than later... continued special assessments, random vendor payments or the need for emergency funding could all be signs of mismanagement and valid reasons to further inspect what you expect.