monthly board meetings

Started by SalG1 • 7 replies • 238 views

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SalG1 (Pennsylvania)
Posts: 2

Posted:

Our board likes a unified front but I disagree.

I want the member votes on an issue documented in the minutes.

thanks

Sal

MelissaP1 (Alabama)
Posts: 13,836

Posted:

Okay. What you want is not always what you get. Have your read your rules to see if this falls under a board vote or a member vote? Not everything is decided by members. The members vote for board members to cast votes as a united front.

Former HOA President

LaskaS (Texas)
Posts: 1,025

Posted:

unfortunately, the board decides how the board will keep minutes. there are no generally accepted board meeting standards. akin to accounting practices.

Congress and city governments keep a record of who voted how. That's information that will be considered by some voters when elections come around.

I like your idea. But unless there is some rule or requirement in your documents requiring the vote breakdown to be kept as part of the official records. You can't force the board to do it.

You could always keep the records yourself and submit an addendum to the minutes. I don't think the board can prevent you from doing that and I don't think they can refuse to add them to the end of the official minutes.

TimB4 (Tennessee)
Posts: 21,062

Posted:

It's a nice thought. However, it's not always practical to have the membership vote on everything.

From the governing documents I've seen, required membership votes are typically only for elections to the board, amendments to the governing documents, special assessments and increase in assessments over a certain amount. Some documents might have approval of budgets.

The practicality of having a membership vote takes time and money.
There are notice requirements, printing costs and meeting place arrangements that have to happen.

Typical notice requirements are 30 to 60 days. Include prep time, based on annual meetings, a membership vote could add 3 months or more for decisions. Add to that, if the governing documents don't specify that the membership has the right to make those decisions, any vote would technically be a recommendation to the board with the board making the final decision. Of course, that would be if a quorum of members can be achieved.

My suggestion: Find out the actual costs and time associated with a membership meeting. Then determine if the Association can absorb that cost or if assessments would have to be increased to allow this to occur. I think you might be surprised at the cost and time involved.

SheliaH (Indiana)
Posts: 6,964

Posted:

That's awfully cryptic and who are you really talking about - the board making a decision no one else likes or one or two board members get outvoted on everything? Are YOU the board member?

As Tim noted, it would take too much time to get a homeowner vote on everything. That why you have a board of directors to do this. Homeowners can vote on who those board members are and they also vote on big issues such as special assessments. Nothing's stopping you from going to meetings and listening to the conversations that lead to the vote. Hopefully, the meeting also features a resident forum where homeowners can sound off on various issues, making suggestions or offering constructive criticism. There could also be town hall meetings where people can debate a specific issue.

That's what usually happens in a democracy and you don't always get your way, so get used to it. And get involved - what's stopping you from running for a board position? Then you can see for yourself what really goes into these decisions.

If it is not right do not do it; if it is not true do not say it. Marcus Aurelius

JohnC46 (South Carolina)
Posts: 14,265

Posted:

I have seen it where after a vote, a Member of the BOD can request BOD Members votes be recorded.

KerryL1 (California)
Posts: 14,550

Posted:

Our Board voted long ago to write the names of the directors when votes are taken at board meetings and there are yays & nays.

Like someone else, though, this is a board meeting right, not a meeting of the members (Owners).

LaskaS (Texas)
Posts: 1,025

Posted:

a board can present a unified front in that once a decision is made, the decision is a valid decision for the association. Without having to leave out who voted what.

The minutes are the record. Unless the agreement is unanimous, I think every board members vote should be recorded. The board members in the minority still have to abide by the decision of the board.

This is how it works with highly functioning boards.
However, a rogue board majority can take actions and make decisions that are in violation of the bylaws,declaration, statelaws and or are outside of the boards authority .

If a board member strongly disagrees with a board decision because you question the authority of the board to make that decision or you question the boards interpretation of the bylaws. You should speak up, and continue to speak up. This will definitely make you enemy number one of the board. But you owe the duty to the association.

If it's a legal, moral or ethical issue, I would make sure dissent was recorded in the minutes.
If it's a truly discretionary issue, like what color to paint the doors, I would defer to the decision made by majority vote of the board. Lots and lots of caveats in everything though.

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