Open Board meetings and Annual Meeting and special meetings?

Started by RobertR1 • 6 replies • 1176 views

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RobertR1 (South Carolina)
Posts: 5,164

Posted:

To all:

Have not seen this addressed.

How does an owner get an audience before the Board or at an owners meeting and excludes the presence of any managers or managerment companies. I think I am correct to say annual meetings are for owners and by request other folks can be invited, for a specific period of time, if desired. Where do you, as an owner present your issues to the Board and to the other Owners, if you want to discuss management issues.

We recently received a survey and one of the questions was the evaluation of the "management." The survey is to be returned to the management office. With 65 owners and provided you didn't sign your name although space was included, no way would the management not know where this information is coming from. To me, sure fire way to start a fight and build resentments. NONE of our meetings of owners, board, committees, etc, happen without the presence of the Management.

Comment please.

KirkW1 (Texas)
Posts: 1,665

Posted:

I would try and contact a board member and tell them you would like to speak about management directly with the member. I personally would listen to your concerns and address them with other board members. But I can't promise all people would do as I would.

SusanW1 (Michigan)
Posts: 5,202

Posted:

Too bad the "survey" was not handled by a committee, rather than being returned to the "evaluated" party. (Wonder if you will actually see the true results of the survey)?

You have a few options: At a meeting (IF non-board members are allowed to speak and IF your board can go into ES) ask for a motion to go into ES to discuss management issues. OR ask that the management officials be dismissed from the regular board meeting.

If a committee handled this survey, then members could have attended those meetings. A report would have gone to the Board with or without recommendations. That's how it should have been handled, anyway.

DonnaS (Tennessee)
Posts: 5,671

Posted:

Robert,
I do not know about S.Carolina laws for HOAs but some States, including Florida, allow any member to address the Board by following certain requirements. Florida states that any owner has the right to address a Board by submitting a written request prior to a meeting, which allows them 3 minutes to speak.

720:306 (6) RIGHT TO SPEAK.--Members and parcel owners have the right to attend all membership meetings and to speak at any meeting with reference to all items opened for discussion or included on the agenda. Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary in the governing documents or any rules adopted by the board or by the membership, a member and a parcel owner have the right to speak for at least 3 minutes on any item, provided that the member or parcel owner submits a written request to speak prior to the meeting. The association may adopt written reasonable rules governing the frequency, duration, and other manner of member and parcel owner statements, which rules must be consistent with this subsection.

JohnK3 (Pennsylvania)
Posts: 967

Posted:

I'd suggest, if you want your PM present, conduct all business the PM is connected to first, then thank them for their input, then excuse them for the night so Membership can speak freely. It's your meeting to conduct, so non-Members are there as courtesy, not a right.

RobertR1 (South Carolina)
Posts: 5,164

Posted:

Thank you John,
I can't see it any other way.

RobertR1 (South Carolina)
Posts: 5,164

Posted:

Donna,
Ours is pretty much as yours. My question of course is why don't all association have a procedure that allows a hearing before your peers. Seems right to me. I also think it is the Boards responsibility to provide this kind of forum upon request and it should be part of documents.

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