Meeting Minutes

Previous board had workshop meetings a week before every monthly board meeting. These workshops were never posted in an obvious place so homeowners never attended but we have copies of the postings that were in the boxes from the previous management company. In addition to having these somehwhat secreat meetings, it seems that they didn't keep minutes of any of these meetings. There are no written minutes anywhere and minutes of the workshops are never referenced (ratified or otherwise) in any of the minutes of the monthly board meetings that followed.

Is this legal and what can we do?

workshops have to be careful, however, to not cross the line and conduct business, discuss voting issues, etc.. I would advise a board that they were at the top of a slippery slope if they were:

holding workshops that didn't have owners attending, AND
they had no minutes of what was actually said and done in those workshops AND
these workshops were not opened in advance by notice to owners...

Not saying they did anything wrong, just saying they are teetering on the edge, and it would only take a small item to push them over the side. If one board member admitted talking about landscaping contracts, how they were going to vote next week, etc., then it could be construed as a business meeting...

You see, that's just the thing. The notices were posted as Board of Directors Workshop and just the date, time and location were given. There wasn't an agenda and no homeowners would attend because they would post these notices in an entirely different place where they would post the board meeting notices. They would post the board meeting notices on a big sign at the front gate and post the workshop notices in the little glass cabinet outside the doors of the clubhouse. To me it was clear that they didn't want membership to know. furthermore, whenever they had a monthly meeting, they really didn't discuss any business--they would just ratify decisions. While there is no way to really prove it, it seems that a lot of business was discussed at these workshops so that the monthly meetings would be faster.

We were just hearing ratification at the meetings--the motion was made and carried without any discussion. So, yes, it seems that all discussion and decision was made at the workshop meetings and then passed at the board meeting.

if no owners are invited to, or allowed at, the workshop, and decisions are being made, it begins to stink of a closed meeting. not conducive to good HOA board relations.

donna, i never said it was a closed meeting. Just that it begins to smell like one.

If i post notices to a meeting on the front bulletin board all the time, and then suddenly, for this one, i post it on the back wall near the oak tree... am I hiding something? Maybe not.

If i post notices two weeks in advance for all my meetings, then suddenly post this one only a day ahead. Am i hiding something? Maybe not.

If i regularly publish notes and minutes of my meetings, but suddenly, declare that there were none taken, am i hiding something? Maybe not.

If i start using all the tactics of a cabal board, and stop communicating with my owners, become secretive, select, am I guilty of anything? Maybe not.

But in all these cases, better choices could have been made. And when you add them all together, it does begin to stink.

I seem to be missing something here. I'm of the understanding that ANY time a QUARUM of board members meets it IS considered a Board Meeting and must be posted as such, and minutes should be taken. They WILL be discussing association business whether it is called a "meeting" or a "workshop". Sounds wrong to me, too.

Anna,
I forgot to add, YES indeed you are right, that if a Quorum of the Board was present, it would have to be posted 48 hours ahead and have an agenda. The workshops are posted with the subject of the workshop included but do not require a Board quorum. The O.P said that hers was posted but not where everyone was used to seeing it. As I said, just negligence at best from her Board.

Be careful when using the "M" word - for "Meeting"

A workshop, informational session, work session, even pre-meeting, are NOT official meetings and are informational, only.

If you want to have more input, then find out when and where these session are. Express your concern that input is not being received from the general membership.

At the Board meetings, the Board acts and by then it's too late for general membership input (since they can't vote at that time in general Board meetings)