Holding successful homeowner association meetings takes thought, creativity, advance planning and funding. Too many scramble to cobble together this important event — with mediocre results. Few show up and the numbers fall short of the quorum requirements. This doesn’t need to happen. Just think what you can accomplish at this important event: Read the article…………………………….
Virtual Meetings: Easier to Reach Quorum (AZ)
Arizona law requires associations to hold an annual meeting each year. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, holding an annual meeting in person this year has not been an option for many associations and our firm has not advised in person meetings since around March 2020. Our firm is currently recommending that our clients hold their […]
Four Benefits of Virtual Meetings in Community Associations (IL)
Condominium, homeowners, and townhome community associations typically schedule in-person meetings to address association business. However, board members and property managers have begun utilizing tele-conferencing technology to conduct virtual meetings. Read the article……………………………
Facilitating electronic voting (FL)
Q: Our community has an important vote coming up and we want to facilitate electronic voting so that owners do not need to attend a physical meeting due to the virus concerns. How do we accomplish this? Read the article…………………………………..
Are You Using a Virtual Meeting Policy? (CO)
As COVID-19 continues its course, state health orders still limit public gatherings and how many individuals can be together indoors. Additionally, there are still plenty of people who do not feel comfortable attending public gatherings or are in a high risk category and simply cannot take the chance to be out in public surrounded by […]
Considering Hosting Virtual Meetings? Look No Further! (FL)
Watch out Silicon Valley, there is a new group of virtual gatherers in town! From small, collaborative style meetings to large, full-scale board meetings, Associations across all demographics are effectively using virtual meetings to accomplish their goals. Because of this widespread success, many of our Campbell Managed Properties are looking to use virtual meetings as […]
Community Association Meetings: What You Need to Know (NC/SC)
For those who own property in homeowners’ associations, it is important to understand the different types of association meetings that take place throughout the year. It is especially important that board members not only understand the different types of meetings but the rules surrounding who can and should attend these meetings, how to properly and […]
An introduction to virtual meetings Date Published: March 27, 2020
Virtual meetings connect people who, for whatever reason, cannot be in the same physical location. Attendees can use audio or video to communicate in real time. Many conferencing platforms have even developed a phone app so that people can stay connected without having to be in front of a computer. Read the article…………………………….
“Let’s Have Our Meeting or Convention Online!”
Due to the Coronavirus, in the last several weeks we have received a lifetime’s worth of questions about moving in-person business meetings and conventions to some type of electronic format. Our firm’s two Professional Registered Parliamentarian attorneys have assisted many clients in doing just that—board meetings, annual meetings, houses of delegates, etc. However, before jumping […]
HOA Homefront: Navigating elections in 2020 (and beyond) (CA)
Senate Bill 323 took effect in January 2020, creating new procedural requirements for HOAs and also unintentionally creating many problems and unanswered questions. Consequently, California HOAs have many struggles to consider in their elections in 2020 and beyond. Read the article………………………
Homeowners association voting and voting ballots
Homeowner’s Association (HOA) voting mostly happens when it’s time to elect officers for the board of directors. Voting might also be necessary for board member removal, changes in fee structure or to approve special assessments. Read the article……………………………
Best practices for managing difficult people at an AGM
I have attended many Annual General Meetings. Some have been very interesting mostly because they drove me nuts for the same reason, because “Kim” attended. Managing difficult people at an AGM takes practice, but take heart, the skills can be learned. Read the article………………………….
The Risks of Serving as a HOA or Condo Board Member
Just the word “meeting” may cause some association members to roll their eyes. If there’s one meeting that members should invest time attending, it is the HOA annual meeting. This core meeting provides a big picture of governance, goals, budgets, and more. By following several important steps, your board can prepare and conduct a meeting […]
How to Reach a Quorum Through Proxies
Annual and special meetings require homeowner votes for new board members, assessment increases, capital improvement projects, and amendments to the association’s governing documents. The goal is to reach a quorum—a minimum number of members who must be present for business to be validly transacted. Read the article……………………………
Why The Seating Arrangement At HOA Meetings Is So Important
Meetings are a necessary component of homeowner association operations. The seating arrangement at HOA meetings is critical to a productive outcome. Foreign diplomats are particularly careful in choosing the shape of the table and who sits next to who since the slightest faux pas can have disastrous results. In King Arthur’s day, meetings were held […]
Learning Robert’s Rules for More Efficient HOA Meetings
As a board member or association manager who has a full, rich life outside your HOA duties, you are likely looking for a way to increase the efficiency of your association’s meetings. Alternatively, maybe you aren’t bothered by the length of your board meetings, but you have a fellow board member who is incredibly passionate […]
Holding a Meeting? – A Proper Check In is Critical for Success (CO)
It is that time of year when many associations are holding budget meetings and annual homeowner meetings. It is important that the integrity of the voting at those meetings be maintained, especially if there will be a vote on a special assessment or some other matter that may be contentious or controversial. If there is […]
7 GREAT WAYS TO INCREASE HOA MEETING ATTENDANCE
Homeowner’s association (HOA) meetings are an important component of a well-run community association. These meetings are a place where community updates are given, decisions are made and homeowners are afforded the opportunity to share comments with the HOA board. Oftentimes however, many homeowners choose not to attend even though the items discussed at the meeting […]
Annual Meeting – Make it the Best
Has this happened to you? You send your annual meeting notice, prepare reports to present to your homeowners, prepare ballots, get ready for the association’s most important event of the year, but too few people show up to establish a quorum. Or, enough show up to establish a quorum, but it’s mostly those owners unhappy […]
Notice of annual meeting requirement (FL)
Q: The manager of my condominium association sent out the first notice of annual meeting and election late. Instead of sending out the first notice 60 days in advance of the annual meeting he sent the first notice out 55 days before. When I raised my concern he said there likely won’t be enough candidates […]
HOA Meetings are for More Than Board Members (NC)
If you live in a community with a homeowner’s association (HOA), you no doubt have seen signs, received emails, or even had people knocking on your door to alert you about HOA meetings. There are many of different types of meetings — annual membership meetings, board meetings, committee meetings, executive sessions and special meetings — […]
A Change of Venue Can Lower the Temperature at the Annual Meeting (NY)
Many co-ops and condos have trouble getting a quorum at their annual meeting to elect a new board. That is true. But sometimes there’s so much interest that the situation becomes volatile. What do you, as a manager, do in such cases? Read the article………………………..
What is a Quorum and Why is it Important to an HOA Board?
Many associations schedule their annual homeowners meeting in October and there will be talk of making a quorum, but what does that really mean? Read the article………………
Sometimes, All It Takes Is a Town Hall Meeting (NY)
Is it true that most people who live in co-ops and condos have no idea what their boards do? It’s 100 percent true. I find it amazing that most shareholders and unit-owners really don’t know what their boards do, how they do it, what their roles and responsibilities are, the roles of the managing agent […]
The Art of leading a Successful Board Meeting (CA)
Let’s face it – no one looks forward to attending anassociation board meeting. At best, a board meeting is just another to-do item on a board member’s already busy schedule. At worst, a board meeting is a multiple hour scream fest where volunteer directors who are doing their best to run a corporation get publicly […]
Enticing Your Way to a Quorum
Most attorneys are not known for being cute. But Bruce Cholst, a shareholder at Anderson Kill, is not most attorneys. “I was trying to be cute,” Cholst recalls of his unorthodox idea to entice shareholders to attend a co-op’s annual meeting several years ago. “I suggested having a raffle of two or three months’ free […]
AGM: Apathy, Gossip and Mutiny (ON)
The AGM is often the most important meeting of the year for a condominium. The AGM provides the owners with valuable information about the condominium’s affairs with presentations from the auditor, board, management, and other professionals. It also gives owners an opportunity to voice their concerns or ask general questions about issues that might be […]
HOA Homefront – Open Forum guidelines for directors and members (CA)
The “Open Meeting Act” (Civil Code Sections 4900-4955), requires at Section 4925(b) that all membership meetings and board meetings have a time set aside for members to speak. This time is often called “open forum.” In open forum, a member can speak on topics on or off the agenda. Some associations avoid open forum and […]
Annual Meeting Basics: Getting the Voters and Counting Their Votes (NY)
There are four steps to running an annual meeting at a co-op or condominium that result in the election of a new board without unwelcome vituperation or litigation. The first two steps, as noted earlier this week, are distributing a proper meeting notice and collecting valid proxies. Today we look at the final two steps. […]
Putting the “Meet” in a Condo Board’s Annual Meeting
Today we offer a case study of what happens when factions fight over control of a condo board. It is not pretty. Golf View is a condominium on Staten Island made up of 61 homes. In early 2017, two members of its seven-person board of managers resigned. The bylaws of the condo allowed the board […]
HOA VOTING: The Differences Between a Ballot and a Proxy (NC)
Most Homeowner Associations (HOA) will request at least one vote a year and some may have several, depending upon their community needs. The voting can be done at a meeting or based on state or bylaws, can be done by mail. Yet, problems arise, when homeowners don’t understand the differences between a ballot and a […]
Putting the “Meet” in a Condo Board’s Annual Meeting (NY)
Today we offer a case study of what happens when factions fight over control of a condo board. It is not pretty. Golf View is a condominium on Staten Island made up of 61 homes. In early 2017, two members of its seven-person board of managers resigned. The bylaws of the condo allowed the board […]
What’s the point of a condo association quorum? (MI)
Q: Our condominium association’s bylaws state that a quorum of a majority of the association members is required to hold meetings, but we never reach quorum. We’ve tried to get people to come to the annual meeting, but it’s like pulling teeth. Do we really need to reach quorum in order to have a meeting, […]
5 Ways to Improve HOA Annual Meetings
There are few HOA rituals as universal as the Annual Meeting. This meeting, held once a year, sets the groundwork for how the entire community runs. At the annual meeting, the board holds elections, sets the budget, and takes association member questions about the direction of the HOA. It’s important to be prepared as you […]
HOA board has armed guards attend meeting (NV)
Q: I am new to living in an homeowners association community and hope you could help clear up a few things for me. 1. In your experience is it common for the HOA board to have one to three armed security guards present at HOA meetings? 2. Have you ever heard of the HOA board […]
Six Tips to Improve Homeowner Attendance at Your Annual Meeting
Planning for your association’s annual meeting is a big undertaking. With all the effort and expense involved, achieving quorum the first time is a must! On top of carefully planning your annual meeting, below are six tips and tricks you can follow to improve homeowner attendance: Read the article…………………….
How to Reconvene an Annual HOA Meeting
To avoid the extra cost and effort of reconvening an annual HOA meeting, it’s really important to reach quorum the first time around. Reconvening a meeting means planning a new date and time, securing a new meeting place, and drafting and mailing a new notice— which are all time and resource-sapping tasks your HOA can […]
Meeting Tips #4 – Little Things Set a Tone & Help You Get Stuff Done
Excellence does not come about by accident. Nor is it typically the result of heroic leaps and bounds. It is usually the accumulation of incremental actions, the compounded interest earned from habits applied to what might seem to be insignificant details. Exceptionally productive meetings are no different. They don’t happen by accident. And there are […]
Meeting Tips #3 – O Say Can You Hear?
Community association boards do the bulk of their business at board meetings (or at least, they SHOULD). It can be tough for community members to observe the proceedings and resist the urge to chime in from the audience, especially on hot topics. This happens often with residents who do not understand that community associations are […]
HOA Meetings That Don’t Stink
We know. Your HOA runs like a well-oiled machine. The grounds are beautiful. Everything works. Your reserves are funded. Neighbors never fight. People always pay their fees on time. And nobody ever complains about anything…except the meetings. Yeah, right. Why are you here again? Read the article…………………..
Meeting Tips #2 – Prepare TO Die? Or is it Prepare OR Die? Same thing!
The Five Ps: Proper preparation prevents poor performance. Think about meetings of any type you’ve attended where the participants were well prepared. Quality discussion, good decisions, the right balance of thorough and efficient, right? Board members are fiduciaries. They have been entrusted with taking care of association members’ assets. Their decisions can make a difference […]
Helpful Tips for Successful Condominium Association Annual Meetings, Elections (FL)
This is the time of year when many Florida condominium associations conduct their annual meeting and election of directors. Here are some helpful reminders about the process to ensure that your community’s meeting and election avoid potential glitches and remain in compliance with Florida law. Board membership should be viewed as being akin to a […]
How to Prepare for Your Annual HOA Board Meeting
Now is a good time to set a date for your annual HOA board meeting if you haven’t already done so. Annual meetings are a common best practice to keep members informed and get them involved. You may be thinking that it’s going to be a waste of time because the majority of members don’t […]
HOA Voting Rules
There are certain rules and processes that must be followed when it comes to HOA elections. This will help you know a little bit of what to expect when election time comes around. An HOA must hold an election vote before taking any of the following actions: Read the article……………….
How To Ensure A Successful Condominium Annual Meeting And Board Election (FL)
As the calendar turns to fall and we approach the end of the year, it is time again for board members and managers to make sure they are prepared for their annual meetings, including board elections. While running an effective election is critical for every association, it shouldn’t be a stressful or dreaded event. By […]
Preparing for a Productive Annual Meeting
The mantra “Always be prepared” is especially critical in environments that could quickly devolve into chaos. Have your homeowners association’s annual meetings become a forum where the most critical homeowners regale your neighbors with an endless list of complaints? Annual meetings serve a specific purpose—primarily to receive financial reports and elect board members—but are often […]
Achieving an HOA Meeting Quorum
It’s five minutes until the Annual Meeting starts. The governing documents require the presence in person or by proxy of at least 25% of the eligible voters to establish a legal quorum. With only 21% of the members so represented, the meeting has to be canceled and rescheduled. Read the article………………
SB 261 Signed! Changes to Individual and General Notice (CA)
Homeowners associations are often required to disclose information to their membership. There are two forms of disclosure: general notice or individual delivery. When homeowners associations are required to deliver documents by “individual delivery” or “individual notice,” Civil Code Section 4040 permits delivery by email, facsimile, or other electronic means (“electronic delivery”) only if the recipient […]
Meeting Street: Safely Traveling the Road to Community Association Annual Meetings
Indeed, North Carolina law requires that all community associations hold a meeting of the association’s members at least once a year. Unfortunately, meetings of large groups, especially in the community association context, are inherently inefficient and can be more frustrating than they are useful. But this does not have to be the case with annual […]
7 Ways to Make the Most of Annual Meetings
Annual meetings are important events in the life of an association, and making the most of them takes careful planning. Required by the association’s governing documents, annual homeowners’ meetings have legal and functional purposes: to elect new board members, vote on assessment issues, and more. But less obvious is the opportunity for image building and […]