private HOA Meetings

Short answer no unless your state allows for it. There are states that do not allow for "public" meetings. However, organized "Social meetings" exclusive to just Board members raises many red flags. Does not necessarily mean a "bad thing". It just looks bad to the membership. Especially if they think that the HOA is paying for these type meetings.

I do not see anything wrong with board members talking/communicating prior to the meetings. You just do NOT make any type of decisions that can't be put in the official meetings notes at the meeting. It is not official until the notes are in and approved.

Now if you all find yourselves at a "Starbucks" at the same time, I don't see why can't talk with each other since you are still neighbors. Just don't make any official decisions or actions.

A quick search found this in ORS 100.420 as applying to Condos:


As used in this section, “meeting” means a convening of a quorum of members of the board of directors at which association business is discussed, except a convening of a quorum of members of the board of directors for the purpose of participating in litigation, mediation or arbitration proceedings.

If the gathering meets the criteria above, it is a board meeting and must be conducted as such.

If yours is not a condo association, there are probably other laws that apply, but they are very possibly the same or similar. Florida has similar open meetings laws, and when I was on the board a director suggested we should meet but call it a "working session" instead of a "board meeting" to get around this but luckily the rest of the board knew enough to not try to go down that path.