Condo Association Management Blog

Proxies are frequently misunderstood. 
 
 
 
A proxy is awarding your vote (I prefer right to vote) to another to vote AS THEY SEE FIT on your behalf. 
 
A proxy does not give you just one vote for one candidate. It gives the awarded party the power of the vote for that home/homeowner. For example, if each home has one vote and homeowner A awards homeowner B his proxy and there are three candidates for two seats, homeowner B can vote for the two candidates of their choice. 
 
When a homeowner awards their proxy to the board of directors, the issue is who casts the vote? I have been told by legal counsel for one association that the board must have a vote of the board to determine how the ballot should be cast. It can get heated and messy, which is why it is better to assign it to one person. The person in many cases does not need to be a homeowner to carry someone's proxy, but this should be confirmed by consulting the HOA by-laws.

If the use of a proxy at the annual election is lacking in your bylaws plewase refer to your state condominium act for clarificaion and/or additional information. You most commonly shall find that cotes at the annual election carry w weight factor attributable to the size iof your unit. This is referred tio a percentage of ownershio.