Every homeowners association must hold at least a few meetings throughout the year. It’s true that these meetings are not something most members look forward to. However, when organized well, meetings can be productive, educational, and even rewarding.
If you’re not very familiar with the structure and purpose of HOA meetings, this article can help you gain a solid understanding of the basics.
Table of contents
- Why do HOAs have meetings?
- Types of meetings
- Meeting requirements
- Meeting structure
- Tips for a successful meeting
Why do HOAs have meetings?
HOA meetings can vary in structure or organization, but every governed community is required to host them. That’s because the association’s governing documents mandate meetings for the HOA. State laws may also impact the structure and frequency of meetings.
However, even if meetings were not a requirement, most HOAs would still host them. It’s easier to make decisions as a community and have productive discussions about important business matters in a structured environment.
Boards and committee members can share lots of crucial information with owners so that they can make informed decisions about short-term projects and long-term goals. Furthermore, owners can also hold the board accountable by asking questions.
Types of meetings
There are several different types of HOA meetings. Your community will follow its governing documents to determine which types of meetings it needs to host.
A few meetings will have special requirements, but most follow a similar pattern.
Annual meeting
Annual meetings, sometimes referred to as annual general meetings (AGMs) are used to cover annual budgets, elect board members, share committee reports, and update the association on what is happening in the community.
The timing of the annual meeting will depend on the requirements laid out in the HOA’s bylaws. However, the meeting is typically held at the same time each year.
It takes several months to plan a successful annual meeting since there are a lot of big items to cover. Owners should be provided with at least 30 days’ notice, and an agenda, before an annual meeting takes place.
Regular session/open meeting
Regular sessions, also known as open meetings or board meetings, are the most common types of meetings. They are usually held monthly if the HOA is large, or quarterly if it’s a smaller community.
These meetings are used to conduct community business, such as reviewing financials, assessing budget adoption, providing project updates, etc. There is usually an opportunity for owners to voice their opinions, concerns, and issues to the board before they vote on matters.
Members are notified of a board meeting and given an agenda anywhere from 7 to 30 days in advance of the meeting date.
Executive session/closed meeting
A closed or executive session is a private meeting that only certain individuals are permitted to attend. These meetings are typically held to discuss sensitive or confidential information, such as personnel matters, contract negotiations, or legal issues.
Minutes from these meetings are not typically available for public viewing, however, there will be an acknowledgment that a closed meeting was held during an open board meeting or in regular meeting minutes.
Work session
Work sessions are meetings that the board uses to discuss and review specific projects or budgets in detail. Decisions are generally not made during these meetings, but HOA members are permitted to attend.
Committee meeting
Committee meetings follow a similar structure to open board meetings. These could be stand-alone meetings, or integrated into open meetings. Members are allowed to attend, and should receive notice 7 to 30 days before the meeting date.
Special meeting
Special meetings are called for a specific reason and can only address the issue included in the meeting notice. A special meeting may be called if there is a need to authorize an amendment of the governing documents or remove a board member.
Most HOAs are required to give at least 14 days, but no more than 30 days written notice. Due to their sometimes-urgent nature, special meetings may be held virtually if agreed to by the members, provided the association’s governing documents allow for this.
Emergency meeting
Emergency meetings don’t occur frequently. They are used to address unforeseen events or urgent situations that require immediate action. If destructive weather is about to hit, or if there is a sudden security issue, an emergency meeting would be called.
Meeting requirements
In most cases, HOA meetings have these requirements. Your governing documents should provide more details about the specific requirements of each type of meeting.
- Create an agenda
- Prepare materials
- Give notice
- Establish quorum
- Take minutes
Create an agenda
An agenda lays out everything that will be covered in the meeting. It is the first step in executing a successful meeting. Members essentially get a roadmap detailing how the meeting will be structured so they know exactly what to expect when they attend.
Not only does this give owners an opportunity to prepare questions, but it helps to keep meetings short and focused. Owners hate it when a meeting that was scheduled for two hours runs on for three.
Prepare materials
The more work that is done before the meeting, the less you have to think about when the meeting date arrives. Make sure packets, reports, minutes from the previous meeting, ballots, presentations, speeches, etc. are all complete before the meeting.
In some cases, materials will need to go out with the agenda, which means the documents will have to be ready more than a month before the meeting takes place.
Give notice
Boards need to provide notice of meetings in accordance with governing documents. Notices must be in writing, and they must include the date, time, and location of the meeting, as well as the agenda.
There are several methods that associations can use to provide notice. In addition to traditional mail, they can post the notice on a website or send it via email if digital communication is permitted.
Establish quorum
Quorum is the minimum number of members required to be present to conduct association business. Quorum requirements are usually stated in the association’s bylaws, and they vary from one association to another.
If you don’t reach quorum, the association ends up having to reschedule the meeting for another time. That requires extra work from the board or staff, and extra money if materials need to be reprinted and a space needs to be rebooked. And, it slows down association business since matters cannot be voted on until quorum is reached.
Online and hybrid meetings have been proven to help HOAs reach quorum on the first try. If your state and association permit e-meetings and/or e-voting, it’s definitely worth considering.
Take meeting minutes
HOAs are required, by law, to take down minutes at every meeting. Keeping minutes is essential for documenting all of the board’s decisions and actions, and can come in handy when there’s a debate or misunderstanding about an issue or subject.
Owners also have the right to review minutes, other than the minutes from an executive session.
It is often the secretary who will take down the minutes, but the board can hire someone, or the property manager may be willing to take on this task.
It is recommended that all board members have an understanding of how to record meeting minutes, even if they’re not responsible for this task.
There is often a deadline as to when minutes must be posted.
Meeting structure
Again, this is a generalization, but many meetings are organized based on the structure outlined below:
- Call the meeting to order
- Review minutes from the last meeting
- Hear reports from the HOA committees
- Discuss old business or unresolved issues
- Discuss new business
- Open forum where owners can speak
- Adjournment of the meeting
Tips for a successful meeting
Successful HOA board meetings don’t just happen. They require a good deal of planning, and collaborative teamwork. However, once you have established a meeting preparation routine, it does become easier.
Devote time to the agenda
The agenda is the plan you will use to execute the meeting so take care when creating it. Make sure it doesn’t try to address too many issues at once.
Set your owners up for success by distributing an agenda that is engaging and easy to follow.
Stay on topic
It’s very easy to get off-topic when you have dozens of people in one room. One thing leads to the next, and suddenly someone is ranting about an issue that does not really concern the community as a whole. While it’s nice to try and include everyone at every meeting, sometimes that just isn’t possible.
Set up guidelines and time limits for agenda items. Anything that falls outside of core issues should be handled at another time. Any meeting that runs longer than two hours is generally too long.
Ensure everyone is on the same page by the end of the meeting
It’s always a good idea to spend a few minutes at the end of a meeting to confirm everyone’s understanding of what was discussed.
If possible, review action items and make sure each board member understands their responsibilities and what needs to be accomplished by the next meeting. It’s better to confirm with everyone while they are still together so that there are fewer misunderstandings later on.
