Resignation Letters

[MadamPres]

Chairman of the Board sent an email to Madam President. He has been in the neighborhood for over 40 years and knows quite a bit about the neighorhood but the problem is....... he thinks he is the boss and no one can tell him anything. He does what he wants to do without consent of the Board or Association. Recently some concerns were brought to the table and the Chairman did not like them. He says he is "Old School" and if it's not broke, don't fix it". He became very upset and sent an email to Madam President. He stated from the point of the email, he was just a paid member of the Association such he wasn't capable of running the Board. He also said a couple of unnecessary things and signed the email, "X-Chairman of the Board"

Madam President considered that email as a resignation letter and will present it to the Association as such. It has been said that he did not formally resign because he did not submit a formal letter of resignation.

I know resignations have to be written but considering his email, didn't he resign in his email. There is nothing in our bylaws that say a letter of resignation has to be in a certain format, it just states it has to be written which in this case it was.

Feedback please!

[J. J.]

Resignations do not necessarily have to be in writing.

It sounds like a resignation, but I would follow up with a request to clarify if that is what it is.

[Kim Goldsworthy]

I know resignations have to be written ...

Not true.

It has been said that he did not formally resign because he did not submit a formal letter of resignation.

That reasoning is faulty.

He also ... signed the email, "X-Chairman of the Board"

Anyone who signs his letters or his emails as "ex chairman" (or, for the spelling impaired, "X-Chairman", not like the comic book superheroes "X-Men"), and not as "chairman", has submitted a letter of resignation, using only a dictionary and book of English grammar as the tools of analysis of his words.

[Tim Wynn]

He stated from the point of the email, he was just a paid member of the Association such he wasn't capable of running the Board.

I don't see anything that pins down a resignation. Perhaps he's saying he wants more control. Perhaps not.

He also said a couple of unnecessary things and signed the email, "X-Chairman of the Board"

I don't know how he negotiates. Maybe this is just a scare tactic. Maybe not.

Maybe the x is meant to represent a kiss, like "xoxo." Probably not.

Madam President considered that email as a resignation letter and will present it to the Association as such.

As J.J. suggested, I would seek some clarification.

It has been said that he did not formally resign

I'd say that's a fair statement. A resignation is a Request to Be Excused from a Duty (RONR 10th ed,. p. 277), and I wouldn't say that request was made formally, according to the text of RONR(10th ed.), p. 278, l. 19 - 20.

because he did not submit a formal letter of resignation.

A person isn't out of office, just because he says he resigns. A person requests to leave his duties behind, and the assembly grants that request or not.

I know resignations have to be written

Apparently in your organization they do.

but considering his email, didn't he resign in his email.

If that questions has to be asked, perhaps it's not as clear as it should be. I would have trouble taking action on a vague e-mail. It seems a more mature thing to contact your board chairman. Is this organization entrenched in a cold war amongst members?

There is nothing in our bylaws that say a letter of resignation has to be in a certain format, it just states it has to be written which in this case it was.

Your organization must interpret its bylaws, for itself, but I don't think this e-mail measures up to the intention of that rule.

[Josh Martin]

Madam President considered that email as a resignation letter and will present it to the Association as such. It has been said that he did not formally resign because he did not submit a formal letter of resignation.

I know resignations have to be written but considering his email, didn't he resign in his email. There is nothing in our bylaws that say a letter of resignation has to be in a certain format, it just states it has to be written which in this case it was.

I would ask the chairman if he intends to resign. If he does, accept the resignation. If he doesn't and you still want to get rid of him, see FAQ #20, elsewhere on this site.