Minutes of Meetings – What You Need to Record

About twenty years ago my friend attorney Jonathan Levine wrote a handout that was entitled “MINUTES…NOT HOURS!” It gave a great account of what was and what was not needed in the minutes. Rather than re-write what he wrote, I simply copied (with minor additions) his list below:   Read the article………………………………

Meeting Minutes and the Role of the Secretary

The role of a secretary in a condo association is an important one, as they play a key part in the administrative and record-keeping aspects of the organization. In this article, we are going to focus on Meeting Minutes. Taking minutes at a condo board meeting is an important responsibility that helps document decisions and […]

Understanding the Key Roles of Officers in a Community Association Board of Directors

Community associations play a vital role in maintaining and enhancing the quality of life in their respective communities. At the heart of every community association is its board of directors, comprised of dedicated individuals who serve in various officer roles. In this article, we will delve into the responsibilities and functions of these officers, shedding […]

HOA Board Member Roles

As a homeowner in a community governed by a homeowners association (HOA), commonly referred to as a Community Association, you may be curious about the roles and responsibilities of the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors are elected by the association members to serve as their representatives and make decisions on behalf of the […]

3 Steps to More Efficient Board Meetings

Community association board meetings are the primary forum for directors to make formal decisions that affect the community. With so many moving parts and topics to discuss, running effective meetings that make the best use of everyone’s time can be challenging. Here are three strategies for running efficient meetings.   Read the article………………………..

Best Practices for Board Meeting Minutes (NC)

A question came up during a recent online discussion about “best practices” for board meeting minutes. The answer to questions of what should (or should not) be included in minutes is more complicated than it seems.   Read the article………………………..

Understanding the Role of an HOA Secretary

A homeowners association (HOA) secretary is an important individual without which the association cannot function well. The secretary handles different roles that play a crucial role in the overall productivity of the board.   Read the article………………………..

How to Be an Effective Association Board Secretary

Every board of directors, whether for a Fortune 500 company or your community association, needs a great secretary. Boards are required by law—and by the association’s governing documents—to maintain certain records for the sake of transparency. The secretary is responsible for maintaining those records accurately, including meeting minutes, bylaws and membership records.   Read the article………………………..

TIPS ON HOW TO TAKE GOOD BOARD MEETING MINUTES

The Board of Directors is the governing body that is responsible for the administration of your community association. Board meetings are a time for board members to come together to learn, exchange ideas, debate options, and ultimately determine the path forward for the association. During these meetings, someone is tasked with taking minutes which are […]

A Guide To HOA Board Responsibilities

Serving on the board of a homeowner association is a high calling. Well meaning volunteers are elected to roles that are critical to the well being of the HOA. But what exactly is a board member supposed to do to fulfill this charge? Here’s a handy guide:   Read the entire article……………………………….

What Do They Do? A Deep Dive Into the Roles of HOA Board Officers

Every homeowners’ association (HOA) is required to have an elected board of directors that acts on a community’s behalf. Often, there’s a misconception that all board members do is measure budget performance and create and enforce rules.   Read the entire article……………………………….

Suburbs of Surveillance- Law enforcement officials are encouraging private homeowners’ associations to install license plate reader cameras

One day last April, a homeowner’s association board in Vacaville, California, convened a Zoom meeting to vote on a new way to automate their neighborhood watch.  The community, located in the Sacramento Valley, already had an active page on the online platform Nextdoor, where residents swapped information on missing packages and mysterious loud booms, and […]

HOA Homefront: If it isn’t there, it didn’t happen (CA)

When a corporation acts, its minutes document and prove that it acted. If the minutes do not record that the board of directors by majority vote approved a decision, it did not happen.  The corporate record is critical to document corporate decisions, and the minutes are a critically important part of the governing process. The […]

A GUIDE ON THE HOA BOARD TREASURER ROLE

The primary purpose of a homeowner’s association (HOA) is to protect and increase the value of properties within its community and enforce its governing documents. An HOA board of directors’ acts as spokespersons and figureheads for the community to advance this purpose. The board can establish and enforce rules and regulations within the community and […]

HOA Meeting Minutes: Dos & Don’ts

An essential homeowners’ association (HOA) document, meeting minutes are an official, legally binding record of the actions taken by board members at a board meeting. Because they can be used in court and play a key role in financial business, preparing and maintaining minutes is a task that shouldn’t be taken lightly. To help your […]

Does a Virtual Membership Meeting Keep Minutes? (NC)

We’ve recently been asked if there should be minutes of a North Carolina association membership meeting held virtually pursuant to the Governor‘s temporary Executive Order. The short and best answer is “yes.” Why? Most all North Carolina homeowner and condominium associations are incorporated nonprofits. The NC Nonprofit Corporation Act provides that “minutes of all membership […]

HOA 101: Understanding the Role of the Board Secretary

A homeowners’ association (HOA) must have a board of directors authorized to act on a community’s behalf, create and enforce guidelines, and maintain shared spaces. Generally, the board has four officer positions: president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer. Each officer has specific duties and responsibilities related to the operation of the association. Read on to […]

Do You Know Who’s Who in Your Community Association?

You may be a member of a community association but not be familiar with all of the positions and responsibilities of each board member. Maybe you haven’t ever thought about who does what and who is responsible for different things within your community association board, but each member has a distinct role. If you want […]

A Condo/HOA meeting minutes guide

HOA boards are required by law to take down minutes at every board meeting. Keeping minutes is essential for documenting all of the board’s decisions and actions, and can come in handy when there’s a debate or misunderstanding about a particular subject.   Read the article…………………………..

End Minute Madness: Love your Meetings

When I joined my condo board, I absolutely refused to be the secretary because I knew taking the minutes would be a pain. I became president instead. During my term of office, we had recording secretaries of variable quality ranging from excellent to inadequate. One secretary took copious hand-written notes but never managed to get […]

Meeting Minutes – Are You Getting It All, But Not Too Much?

Taking meeting minutes is an art. It is the art of creating a formal record of a meeting and official actions and decisions that were taken and made during the meeting, without getting down in the weeds and writing a novel. The term “minutes” implies brevity, but at the same time minutes are not “seconds” […]

How to make Minutes SMART: Five Must-have Ingredients

No one loves their minutes; no one even likes them.  No one likes taking minutes. The hardest position to fill on any volunteer boards is the secretary.  No one ever does anything with their minutes anyway.  An easy fix would be to get rid of them. Most boards are practically doing this already.     Read […]

HOA Board Meeting Minutes – A Brief Overview

Although by no means glamorous, HOA board meeting minutes are an all-important piece of the HOA puzzle. You will want to master every aspect of them in order to help run your HOA smoothly. In this post we look at who’s responsible for the minutes; how to prepare them; what to include and (as importantly) […]

HOA Board Roles and Responsibilities

It is common knowledge that homeowner associations have a board of directors, but the exact roles and responsibilities of the board are often misunderstood. Simply put, the board is responsible for running the association, occasionally with the assistance of an HOA management company. While the board may consist of 3-7 members as a whole, typically […]

Condo Board Minutes (ON)

Many newly elected board members know that minutes of the board meetings must be kept, but they do not fully understand what is to be recorded in the board minutes.  First of all, the board minutes ARE NOT A TRANSCRIPT of who said what. Rather, the minutes are a summary record of the business conducted […]

3 Record Keeping Tips for HOA Board Members

Sorting through a stack of miscellaneous receipts, contracts, and other documents can be tedious at best. Having no organizational system in place to make that search any easier is downright cruelty. Ideally, every HOA board should take time to analyze their current record keeping habits and consider ways to improve them. Otherwise board members will […]

All You Need to Know About Board Member Roles

Whenever new members are elected to serve on their Board of Directors, a new tone is set for the association.  Each new Board member brings a dynamic to the meeting that sets the tone for the operation of the association. These new volunteers are, most of the time, homeowners who have a vested interest in […]

Hassle Free HOA Meeting Minutes

We know that for so many HOA boards, meeting minutes are often viewed as complicated and a pain to deal with, but that doesn’t need be your board’s reality!  Taking thorough, efficient, and stress-free minutes is possible! Here are our top three recommendations guaranteed to help your board get a system in place, so taking […]

Taking the Trouble Out of Meeting Minutes for HOA’s

One of the most important, and sometimes dreaded, tasks of the board is to take detailed meeting minutes. The secretary board position is often one of the hardest spots for HOAs to fill, but today we want to dispel any preconceived ideas about meeting minutes. Despite their reputation, meeting minutes can be simple and straightforward […]

Taking the Angst Out of Writing Meeting Minutes

How many of you have been to the meeting immediately following an election, ready to choose officer positions and you get to secretary and not a single Board Member volunteers? Property Managers, Board Members and Homeowners have all witnessed this I’m sure. That is because one of the daunting tasks of the secretary is to […]

A Guide To HOA Board Responsibilities

Serving on the board of a homeowner association is a high calling. Well meaning volunteers are elected to roles that are critical to the well being of the HOA. But what exactly is a board member supposed to do to fulfill this charge? Here’s a handy guide:    Read the article………………

FAQs on HOA Board Member Roles and Responsibilities

The president leads the Board and is responsible for overseeing and handling many of its procedural duties. In order to succeed in this role, the Board president must be knowledgeable about the community’s CC&Rs and governing documents and understand how to run an effective meeting. He or she serves as the authority on all association […]

HOA Board Meeting Minutes – A Brief Overview

Although by no means glamorous, HOA board meeting minutes are an all-important piece of the HOA puzzle. You will want to master every aspect of them in order to help run your HOA smoothly. In this post we look at who’s responsible for the minutes; how to prepare them; what to include and (as importantly) […]

Condo Culture: Redacted minutes may limit conflicts

Q. I requested and received a copy of the minutes of our board meeting. However, I noticed there has been some items blacked out so I cannot read them. Can I not read complaints or issues that are discussed regarding other owners? What about motions that are made or decisions reached? I find my copy […]

Clarifying Board Roles: Who’s On Board?

Chances are if you’re a resident in a co-op, condo, or HOA community, you’re familiar with your property’s board of directors (or trustees, or managers, depending on what part of the country you live in). Boards are usually made up of volunteers, or members appointed by the community’s initial developer, depending on the property’s age […]

Being Secretary of the Association Carries Significant Responsibilities

Questions often arise about the duties of the secretary in taking and producing minutes of meetings and providing association records to members. The primary functions of the Secretary are to produce minutes of meetings and maintain the records of the association. The secretary must produce a draft of the minutes for approval, and then finalize […]

Five Roles of the Board Secretary

Maintaining records and meeting legal and financial obligations is key to a successful association. And the person responsible for this is your Board Secretary.   Read the article…………….

4 Steps to Better HOA Meeting Minutes

For some, the task of recording HOA meeting minutes is second nature (most likely our studious friends). For most, this is a tedious, burdensome task. Either way, it’s a very serious and important duty. Board meeting minutes are helpful in reviewing past meetings, particularly to catch up new board members. Minutes are considered official records […]

Taking Minutes Whose Job Is It And Why?

The responsibility to take minutes of meetings of the association or its board is typically that of the secretary.  Specific responsibilities of directors serving on an association’s board are most often stated in the by-laws of the association.     Read more………

How long should your HOA retain its records?

You are elected Secretary of your homeowners’ association. Congratulations! Someone hands you the minute book, owner roster, and the governing documents. You think, hey this is not overwhelming at all. Then the retiring Secretary mentions in passing that “If you’re home tomorrow I’ll deliver the boxes.” You ask “What boxes?” “Oh, all of the HOA’s […]

Board 101: What Are the Duties of a Condo or Co-op Board Secretary?

Time to do the minutes. See? Bet you didn’t know there were board-secretary jokes! What else do co-op / condo board members and residents not know about the position of board secretary? For one thing, he or she is responsible for a lot more than just the minutes. How much more? Hours’ worth!  Read More……

The Art of Taking Minutes at Your Association’s Meeting

Detailed minutes can prove troublesome for your Association. Minutes are required at any Association or Board meeting. They serve as a record of the actions and decisions made at a meeting; however, they are not meant to be a transcript of the meeting. The more unnecessary, superfluous detail is included in Board meeting minutes, the […]