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MaritzaP (Florida)
Posts: 11
Posted:
Hello, I need some help. We are trying to recall a Board member. According to the documents and the law we do not need a reason but we have plenty. My question is what is considered a majority vote. This is a single homes HOA and we have 200 homes here. Out documents state that the rest of the Board members can remove him. We have a Board of 4. If the Board does not want to remove him on their own. No one seems to know what a majority vote is. Now the law Statue 720.303 state that Board of Directors may be recalled by an agreement in writing or by written ballot. Now it says that a special meeting must be requested. Our documents state that a special meeting may be requested by 1/4 of the membership. Then Statue 720.303 10-b states that a director can be recalled by an agreement in writing or by written ballot.

This is very confusing and we need help. So far we have collected 50 recall forms and we are not sure how many more are needed. How do we recall this director that doesnt seem to care about the community.
NigelB (Texas)
Posts: 254
Posted:
Quote:
Posted By MaritzaP on 05/06/2017 1:27 PM
Hello, I need some help. We are trying to recall a Board member. According to the documents and the law we do not need a reason but we have plenty. My question is what is considered a majority vote. This is a single homes HOA and we have 200 homes here. Out documents state that the rest of the Board members can remove him. We have a Board of 4. If the Board does not want to remove him on their own. No one seems to know what a majority vote is. Now the law Statue 720.303 state that Board of Directors may be recalled by an agreement in writing or by written ballot. Now it says that a special meeting must be requested. Our documents state that a special meeting may be requested by 1/4 of the membership. Then Statue 720.303 10-b states that a director can be recalled by an agreement in writing or by written ballot.

This is very confusing and we need help. So far we have collected 50 recall forms and we are not sure how many more are needed. How do we recall this director that doesnt seem to care about the community.

The statute seems pretty clear that no meeting of the members is required to remove a director, you can circulate a petition and as long as a majority of the voting interests agree(you have 200 homes so it would require 101 votes out of the 200), the board is required to hold a board meeting. You then send the petition to the board certified mail and the process described in 2 below is initiated.

(10) RECALL OF DIRECTORS.—
(a)1. Regardless of any provision to the contrary contained in the governing documents, subject to the provisions of s. 720.307 regarding transition of association control, any member of the board of directors may be recalled and removed from office with or without cause by a majority of the total voting interests.

(b)1. Board directors may be recalled by an agreement in writing or by written ballot without a membership meeting. The agreement in writing or the written ballots, or a copy thereof, shall be served on the association by certified mail or by personal service in the manner authorized by chapter 48 and the Florida Rules of Civil Procedure.

2. The board shall duly notice and hold a meeting of the board within 5 full business days after receipt of the agreement in writing or written ballots. At the meeting, the board shall either certify the written ballots or written agreement to recall a director or directors of the board, in which case such director or directors shall be recalled effective immediately and shall turn over to the board within 5 full business days any and all records and property of the association in their possession, or proceed as described in paragraph (d).
GenoS (Florida)
Posts: 4,276
Posted:
Quote:
Posted By MaritzaP on 05/06/2017 1:27 PM
Hello, I need some help. We are trying to recall a Board member. ... Out documents state that the rest of the Board members can remove him.

There are a few ways in Florida to remove a director from the board but the other board members voting to kick a director off the board is not one of them. Provisions in governing documents that allow that to happen have been struck down in the past.

You need a majority of the owners to recall a director. It can be done by a written instrument (e.g. a properly executed petition) or at a special meeting of the members. If you've got a written instrument with enough signatures (probably 101 in your case) then you don't need a special meeting.
DouglasK1 (Florida)
Posts: 2,046
Posted:
Quote:
Posted By MaritzaP on 05/06/2017 1:27 PM
Hello, I need some help. We are trying to recall a Board member. Out documents state that the rest of the Board members can remove him. We have a Board of 4.

That would be very unusual. Normally the board can remove an officer, but not a director. For example, if the director is also president (or secretary, treasurer, etc.) the board can elect a new president, but the director would still be on the board. Make sure to read the documents carefully, especially paying attention to difference between officer and director.

Escaped former treasurer and director of a self managed association.
JohnC46 (South Carolina)
Posts: 14,265
Posted:
I should stay away form FL stuff but generally a BOD Memeber can be recalled/removed by a majority of those that got him there.

1. Let us say he was appointed by the BOD to fill a vacancy then the BOD can, with a majority vote, also remove him.

2. If elected by fellow owners then a majority of his fellow owners would be needed to remove him. Let us say 200 members, then 101 to remove him.

As I say, I should avoid FL stuff.
JohnC46 (South Carolina)
Posts: 14,265
Posted:
As addition:

Typically it is much easier to mount a campaign to elect fellow thinkers to a BOD then it is to do a recall.
GenoS (Florida)
Posts: 4,276
Posted:
Quote:
Posted By JohnC46 on 05/06/2017 6:27 PM
As addition:

Typically it is much easier to mount a campaign to elect fellow thinkers to a BOD then it is to do a recall.

That is very true. I've been reading a lot of arbitration decisions from Florida lately and many take 6 months or more to reach a decision. In many cases it's probably better to use that time and energy (and money) to prepare for the next election, but I can definitely appreciate that it might take a decision against the board from the DBPR to wake some people up.
JanetB2 (Colorado)
Posts: 4,219
Posted:
Quote:
Posted By JohnC46 on 05/06/2017 6:11 PM
I should stay away form FL stuff but generally a BOD Memeber can be recalled/removed by a majority of those that got him there.

1. Let us say he was appointed by the BOD to fill a vacancy then the BOD can, with a majority vote, also remove him.

2. If elected by fellow owners then a majority of his fellow owners would be needed to remove him. Let us say 200 members, then 101 to remove him.

As I say, I should avoid FL stuff.

I would agree with John ... If BOD appointed then the BOD can remove, otherwise will take majority of membership as they are the ones who elect directors. Be sure you do not confuse Board of Directors vs Officer positions. As Douglas noted the Board can remove an Officer from their position, but the individual would still be a Board member with Board voting rights. As to your question "Majority" equals more than half of the members. If you have 200 members the "majority" would be 101.

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