When Teri Buhl served on the board of the Rancho Viejo South Homeowners Association, she and another director challenged the board majority on several fronts, including community budgeting and long-term finances.

They were immediately frozen out of many deliberations and were not provided with documents or financial records, Buhl said, and other board members had a secret meeting to file a harassment report with the county sheriff against a resident who had challenged them on spending and other issues. The minutes of that meeting were not made available to Buhl.