Condo Association Management Blog

Each condo association works differently. For instance, I'm a trustee on a board that doesn't have a dedicated secretary. Our management company representative takes and minutes at every meeting and we make changes and approve on the following monthly meeting. You will need to check your condo docs to see how your association runs and if the minutes require a signature. 
 
As far as executive sessions, we do have minutes that are created for the use of the trustees and the management company. The reason these minutes are held in confidence is because they have sensitive information on the payment on condo fees and delinquencies of condo owners. I know if I was having difficulty keeping up with my payments, I wouldn't want the other unit owners to know.

I have two comments - in the comment about changes being made and then the minutes are approved is blatantly against the code of ethics. Minutes are taken showing the action of the board - ie a motion was made, seconded and failed. Those are the type of items that go into the minutes. They are then marked "Pending Board Approval". At the next meeting the Board reviews and publicly makes changes with the Board voting on the changes. They are then deemed approved and put into the corporate records. Read Robert's Rules of Order. They are specific on how to take minutes. Secondly, Executive sessions in the State of WA are allowed. However, the results of the sessions must then be put into the minutes. ie - Motion was made and seconded to send all delinquent accounts to collect/attorney. Find Robert's Rules - it will set you straight.

Excellent suggestion regarding Roberts Rules of Order. And a question: You refer to a code of ethics. Where would I find it?

Executive Sections is for legal, contracts and issues that are not to be public, your board should adjourn the regular meeting and go to executive section, the adjourn the executive section and open again the meeting and continue  
 
Is good procedure to sign the board meeting because this is the stamp that the minutes are legal and ready to record on the association docs and no further action can't be taken, otherwise you can change the minutes every time you want and there is no record of it; signature is to put an end on that meeting and open the new on the next month. Check the Robert's Rule of orders for guidance. 
 

read your bylaws.  
 
then read'em again. 
 
then throw out that condo assn. baby with the bathwater, they never live up to 'em, trust me... which makes that 'contract' null and void.  
 
then stop paying your condo fees.  
 
... unless you are fortunate enough to have a condo assn. in the .0009 percentile that has an assn. team that really knows what's what and lives by their own bylaws. 
 
(fat chance) 
 
 
 
~belle

Disclaimer: These comments are just that comments, they should not be taken for fact and may vary depending on your governing documents including local and state law. 
 
The way we do it here is that the unapproved minutes are submitted by the secretary with his/her signature prior to the meeting. At the meeting the minutes are approved, signed by the President and filed by the Secretary. 
 
If the minutes are not signed then how can they be proven to be the actions the Board has actually taken?... See More 
 
Executive Sessions are not minuted, but the result of that session is. What i mean is that discussion only is allowed during an executive session(no voting allowed). Once the discussion is complete the Board will come out of executive session and vote on what ever the final decision was. This vote is entered into the minutes. The only other information from the executive session that could possibly be entered into the minutes is information concerning the rational behind why the action was taken. This is to provide backup if the action is ever challenged. 
 
--HD

We, as unit owners have NOT rcv'd any board meeting minutes w/in the past year! Is that illegal? What can we do about it. Pls any help. 
 
Thank YOU. 
 
 
 
Melinda

Hi Melinda, 
 
It's not unusual that Board meeting minutes are not automatically distributed to unit owners. That doesn't mean they shouldn't be available upon request. 
 
The same holds true for the Annual Unit Owners meeting minutes. In many cases your By-Laws should include a section on the order of business at these meetings and one of the provisions of this order should be the 'reading of the minutes of preceding meeting'.  
 
The main purpose of distributing the minutes is to allow the Board to despence with their reading during the following meeting in which they are to be approved. Depending on the lenght of minutes this may serve to greatly reduce the length of meetings. 
 
-- HD 
 
------- 
Disclaimer: These comments are just that comments, they should not be taken for fact and may vary depending on your governing documents including local and state law.

who is eligible to run for condo office? My husband is not on the deed can he run for ofc?

In general your bylaws should specify who may run for seat on Board. Usually a candidate must be a unit owner. If your husband is not on your deed he is not a unit owner and does not qualify as a candidate.

To Whom It May Concern: 
 
 
 
Thanks for this site. Alot of very good information. 
 
 
 
I have a question in regards to this link and what Melinda asked: 
 
http://www.condoassociation.com/blog/tabid/19257/bid/11890/Condo-Association-rules-for-meeting-minutes.aspx 
 
 
 
Can the association charge for the minutes?  
 
Thank you very much for your time.

Again, in WA State they can only charge for the cost of photo copying. There is no cost for the minutes. You are entitled to see them if you are a member of the association.

Thank you very much!

Sherry you are right on the mark. Roberts Rules are the authority you shoukld refer to when checking in minutes and their processing and content.

We have 32 unit in South Florida. The VP has taken over doing the minutes for the last 3 meetings including our most current annual meeting. She does a great job on the minutes, but never signs them. Her minutes are the only minutes in our master book that are un-signed. All minutes done previously by our previous bookkeeper are all signed. She has been on the board for several years and I feel that she is intentionally not signing the minutes, because she is just too smart to forget to sign the last three meeting minutes. Please advise, is this legal. They look incomplete, with no signature? Please help...I appreciate it..thank you..

In most of te states there is a state condominium act. That law ciuoled with the association by laws usually address the iwssue of minutes. These documents are very important because their content is recofgnized by a court of law as the narration of the conduct of the associations businees. Thus,in case of a dispute before the court the minutes will prevail over any individuals "memory" relating their understanding of the issue. Further should the board use the abbreviated Robert's Rules they will be bound by the dictates replating to minutes therein.

At the last condo board meeting, the owners present not serving on the board were told they (the board) could have closed board meetings and not allow any other owners to be present during the meetings and this was the regular at many condo board meetings. Have you heard of this?