How to table minutes

Started by KevinB6 • 12 replies • 1509 views

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KevinB6 (Illinois)
Posts: 36

Posted:

Does anyone know if a board can permanently table minutes that were never approved. My fellow board members and I are trying to figure out how we can permanently table minutes from a past meeting. The management company conspired with our now ex-president to insert comments into the minutes that will benefit the ex-president in the upcoming election in May. All the approved minutes are posted online by the management company and can be read by home owners. Both the property manager and the ex-president who still currently serves on the board stated they both wanted their comments to be put on record. The comments are based on an artificial issue that was manufactured by the property manager for this purpose.

Since that meeting the property manager has been fired by the board and the CEO of the management company who was also present during that meeting was let go by the management company. This Thursday, the new property manager will be introduced to us by the new CEO of the management company.

Originally, the management company wanted the new property manager to be introduced by the property manager that we fired. Even though, the board warned the management company that we do not want hear from our old property manager after we fired her. The management company still lets her s contact us. I strongly objected to letting the old property manager, which we fired to show up to this upcoming monthly meeting and introduce the new manager. Shortly after objecting, I was attacked through email by the ex-president who still serves on the board for being rude a hate full. The old property manager has a strong personal friendship with the ex-president and enjoys playing a game of one up man ship with her the board.There is a lot of bad blood between most of board and the old property manager. Have any of you ever heard of this type of thing going on?

GlenL (Ohio)
Posts: 5,491

Posted:

Sure, don't let this get out but Board members and PM's are human with all the foibles and follies that arise from that condition both good and bad.

Are the comments the ex and PM wanted posted on the website now? If so taking them down now could case more harm than good and make it appear you are censoring the minutes. The simple way would be to amend the minutes to remove the statements which would require a vote of the Board. Could you post the statement? It may not be as bad or helpful as you think.

Studies show that 5 out of 4 people have problems with fractions

KevinB6 (Illinois)
Posts: 36

Posted:

No, the minutes have not been posted. I though about amending them but we would have to amend 80 percent of the comments. I could ask that the management's comments be permanently stricken from the record. Most of the home ownership knows the story about the ex-president, they probably would not pay attention to any of the comments.

GlenL (Ohio)
Posts: 5,491

Posted:

The minutes should not have a lot of comments (if any) they should be rather dry factual read of what happened; who made a motion, the motion, who seconded it and the results of the vote. Minutes are not a transcript of what was said, at the most it would be a remark of Mr. X spoke on the merits of painting the clubhouse purple, not the verbatim ramblings on the soothing properties of purple.

(I picked purple just for you Donna.)

Studies show that 5 out of 4 people have problems with fractions

DonnaS (Tennessee)
Posts: 5,671

Posted:

purple.......YUMMMM......the color of flowers

SusanW1 (Michigan)
Posts: 5,202

Posted:

The minutes of the meeting have not been "approved". The future minutes cannot be approved until the first one gets approved. This is holding up official business of the HOA

Who is taking the minutes?

Motion the minutes be forwarded to an independent board member who was at the meeting to correct. Take ALL comments, opinions, discussions - anything that did not lead up to a motion - out. Only actions should be in the minutes.

PS - Our HOA had to pay a $12,000 lawsuit settlement because there was a personal comment about a member-family in the minutes. Don't let that happen to your board.

SteveM9 (Massachusetts)
Posts: 3,699

Posted:

I agree. Delete everything in the minute and leave only what actions were taken. You need to re-think what you are writing in your minutes. Official minutes should not be word for word.

RobW (California)
Posts: 279

Posted:

I'm in agreement with the rest. The minutes should be a factual summary of what occurred at the meeting: who was there, what decisions were made, and how they were made. I don't believe it's even necessary to state how each person voted, but the regulations may vary on this.

Rob

KevinB6 (Illinois)
Posts: 36

Posted:

Glen,
Thanks for your comments, I Agree and will ask the board to review and amend the minutes.

KevinB6 (Illinois)
Posts: 36

Posted:

The color of purple is nice.

KevinB6 (Illinois)
Posts: 36

Posted:

Susan, If we vote too not approve the old minutes then the new minutes cannot be acted on? All we did currently was to table the minutes.

KevinB6 (Illinois)
Posts: 36

Posted:

Steve,
that is good to know. The person who is trying to use the minutes as a political tool, has no right to inject her personal opinions nor the management company.

SusanW1 (Michigan)
Posts: 5,202

Posted:

Roberts Rules says the minutes of the previous meeting must be read before the minutes of the later meeting.
RONR, 10th Edition; page 456 Reading and Approval of the Minutes.

I am assuming that "read" means approved, after corrections. So you can't let these minutes hang out there unapproved past the next meeting.

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