Meetings are integral parts of HOA management and aim to ensure successful community operations alongside harmonious living. They are an important and essential part of HOA governance. Homeowner associations operate as corporations and as a result, must regularly hold meetings involving board members and homeowners. In addition to holding regular board meetings throughout the year, two other very important meetings must take place as well: special meetings and annual meetings. So what is the difference between these different types of meetings?
What are Regular Board Meetings?
Regular board meetings typically take place monthly or quarterly, depending on the community and their governing documents. Both the board and all community members can attend. Topics related to projects, maintenance, HOA business, as well as concerns or suggestions from the community are just a few of the items that could be presented on the agenda.
What are Annual HOA Meetings?
Law requires that all HOAs hold an annual meeting at least once yearly. This meeting is to be conducted amongst all owners and proper notice of this meeting must be provided. Many important topics are discussed at this meeting, such as important board business, key issues taking place within the association, finances of the HOA, upcoming projects, capital improvements, and Board elections. The annual budget is often discussed at this meeting as well, as voted on by owners in the community. For this meeting to occur, a quorum must be achieved, which is a specified percentage of ownership present at the meeting to vote either in person or by proxy. The Association’s Bylaws will specify this percentage. A proxy is a form completed by an individual owner that can either be utilized for the purpose of meeting a quorum only or to delegate voting rights to the presiding officer of the Board on that owner’s behalf. Attendance at the annual meeting is generally open to all owners within the HOA. However, the Association’s governing documents will more clearly define this.
It is the Association’s responsibility to notify all owners in advance of the meeting that the meeting will occur. Again, the HOA governing documents will outline this timeframe for notification as well as the form in which notification must be provided (by mail, online, email, and/or posted to doors).
What are Special HOA Meetings?
Special meetings are conducted between all regularly scheduled board meetings and annual meetings to address any outstanding issues or major concerns that occur between these regularly-scheduled meetings. Special concerns are discussed and must not stray off topic. Any issues that do not pertain to the specific concern for which the meeting was called must be discussed at a separate special meeting or postponed for discussion at the next regularly-scheduled board meeting. Individual HOA Bylaws will depict who can call a special meeting, though most HOA governing documents state that individual homeowners can call a special meeting if they so choose. However, there is specific criteria that must be followed. These criteria can be found within the HOA’s governing documents, most commonly in the Bylaws.
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