HOA Member Meetings

Every owner of a separate interest within a common interest development becomes a member of the homeowners association that governs the common interest development upon the acquisition of their ownership interest. The laws of the state where the homeowners association is located and the association’s governing documents will provide for both “regular” and “special” meetings of the members of the association and the specific requirements for notice of those meetings. It is standard for an association’s declaration and/or bylaws to specify the time, place, and manner of calling, conducting, and giving notice of members’ meetings. It is imperative that the particular state laws and the association’s actual governing documents be reviewed for an understanding of the specific requirements that may be applicable to a particular matter.

The following information is general in nature and should not be exclusively relied upon without taking into account the actual state laws and the content of the association’s governing documents.

Regular Meetings
As a general rule, an association must have at least one regular meeting of its members each year at which directors are to be elected. That meeting is typically referred to as an “annual meeting” of the members of the association. Additional regular meetings can be specified in an association’s governing documents (bylaws). The regular meetings are held at the place and time specified in the bylaws. The association’s governing documents will also provide for the percentage of votes that are required for a resolution that is presented for a membership vote to carry. There may also be state laws that specify the required voting percentage for members relative to certain specified matters (i.e. removal of directors, elections of directors by cumulative voting, dissolution of the corporate entity).

Special Meetings
In addition to the regular meetings, special meetings of the members of a homeowners association may be called by a required minimum percentage of the association’s members, a majority vote of a quorum of the association’s board of directors, or by certain officers as may be specified in the applicable state laws and the association’s governing documents. The association’s bylaws will also specify: