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Membership Meetings & Procedures

Types of meetings held within a Condominium Association


MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS AND PROCEDURES

 

TYPES OF MEETINGS

  1. Board

  2. Budget

  3. Annual / Regular Meetings

  4. Special Meetings

  5. Member Meeting

  6. Committee Meeting

  7. Meeting with an Attorney


TYPES OF PROCEDURES

  1. Notices

  2. Agendas

  3. Proxies

  4. Voting

  5. Conducting the Meeting

  6. Minutes


MEETINGS

Meetings provide an opportunity for members to select leaders, provide a forum for adopting and approving financial policies, make changes in the governing documents and address matters for the general welfare of the community.


ANNUAL AND REGULAR MEETINGS

All condominiums are required to hold at least one regular meeting each year. This is often referred to as the annual meeting. Date and Time for this meeting will be set forth in the bylaws.


Example:

Colony Villas Community Association, Inc.

PURPOSE: Annual Meeting

TIME: 7:30pm (EST)

DATE: First Tuesday of November

AGENDA:


*If this date falls on a legal holiday then the meeting shall be held on the next day at the same time. The Board of Directors shall have the discretion to hold the annual meeting at any other time during the first two weeks of November which they may deem more convenient to the members of the association.

SPECIAL MEETINGS

These meetings are limited to their scope and purpose.


 

TYPES OF PROCEDURES


NOTICES

A membership meeting cannot be properly held without notice or when notice has only been provided to part of the association membership. The board of directors needs to preserve proof that notice was given to each of the associations members in written form.


Notice can be provided in one of three ways: U.S. Mail to the unit owner of the last address furnished to the association, hand-delivered to the unit owner, or it may be given by electronic transmission. Posting a notice at least 14 days prior to the meeting must be continuously posted in a conspicuous place on the property.


NOTICES FOR BOARD ELECTIONS

  • The first notice of election must be mailed sixty (60) days before the scheduled election.

  • The second notice of election must be mailed at least fourteen (14) days and not more than thirty-four (34) days prior to the election.

Contained within the second notice is the election ballot and information sheet for each candidate who requests that a sheet be distributed. The information sheet must be furnished to the association not less than thirty-five (35) days before election by the candidate.


AGENDAS

An annual meeting notice must be mailed to all unit owners. Items of substantive and procedural business take place at these meetings. Calling the meeting to order, the calling of roll, & certifying proxies qualify as procedural items. These items take place early in the meeting.


PROXIES

Outlined in the Condominium Act Ch. 718 of the Florida Statutes. the use of proxies are permitted if a unit owner is absent. This proxy can participate and vote in membership meetings. No proxy can be more than ninety (90) days old and may only be used at the meeting for which it was given. No proxy may be used in the election of members of the Board of Administration. Voting in all board elections must be by ballot unless otherwise mentioned in the Bylaws. A proxy may be revoked at any time by an owner prior to or at the meeting.

A downloadable proxy document can be found on https://colonyvillas.wixsite.com/colonyvillas/documents


LIMITED PROXIES

  • Votes taken to waive or reduce reserves

  • Votes to waive financial reporting requirements

  • Votes to amend the declaration of condominium, articles of incorporation, or bylaws.

  • Votes for matters where a vote of unit owners is required or permitted by law.

VALID PROXIES

  • The proxy must identify the person who will vote the proxy at the meeting

  • Identification may be made by name or by designating a specific officer of the association such as the president or secretary.

    1. The proxy must identify the meeting for which the proxy is given

    2. The proxy must state the condominium parcel they represent

    3. The proxy must list the member who is granting the proxy

    4. The proxy must provide the signature block for all owners of record or the voting representative to sign and date.

VOTING

There are five basic ways for voting to take place:

  1. General Consent

  2. Voice Vote

  3. Show of Hands

  4. Roll Call

  5. Ballot/Voting Machine

*In qualifying communities voting can be done through internet based, online voting systems. Unit owners consent must be given in writing. When the members vote is cast over the internet the voting member is then considered present at the meeting for purposes of determining a quorum. The online voting system must provide a method to authenticate the identity of the voting member and be consistent with the bylaws. The system must transmit a receipt to the member acknowledging the vote has been cast and it must store the ballots so that they are accessible for review inspection and recount.


GENERAL CONSENT

Most often used when there is no objection to the issue before the membership. The chairman at the meeting will simply ask if there is any objection to the motion on the floor and if there is none then the motion is approved.


VOICE VOTING

Most often used when an issue before the meeting is relatively noncontroversial. The chairman will ask for those in favor of the issue to say "aye" and for those who are opposed to the motion say "no". Voice vote should only be taken when a ruling requires a majority vote. If a member disagrees with the ruling of the chairman on the voice vote, the member may request a count by one of the other voting methods.


SHOW OF HANDS

Does not necessarily require that an actual count of hands be made. An exact count of hands is more accurate by either roll call, limited proxy or by ballot. A roll call vote requires that the name of each member present be called allowing for the response of "yes" or "no" be made on the issue.


BALLOT (LIMITED PROXY/VOTING MACHINE)

Vote by ballot is required in elections for board members.


CONDUCTING THE MEETING

Every unit owner who desires may speak at any meeting, and no rule may contain a limitation on the total number of unit owners authorized to speak at a meeting. It is permissible, however, to limit each owner to a reasonable period of time and to require unit owners wishing to speak to file a request with the association a reasonable time in advance of the meeting.


MINUTES

Minutes of the membership meeting serve as the permanent record of the proceedings and are considered prima facie evidence of the business conducted.

VALID MINUTES

  1. Time, Place, and Presiding Officer

  2. Establishes Proof of Notice

  3. Exact Quorum in Attendance

  4. An Account of each item of business that was brought before the meeting

  5. Clear and Concise record of item's disposition

  6. Provide any exhibits if necessary

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