A quorum is defined as a simple majority of the members of the association. The specifics for your community are more than likely defined in the governing documents or CC&Rs for your association. If your community bylaws do not specify the exact number (or percentage) of homeowners needed to achieve quorum, at least one-third of the voting power of the association who are present in person or by proxy constitutes a quorum, according to most state laws (but do be sure to check laws for your own state).

Why Does Quorum Matter?

Quorum is required in order to protect the interest of the whole community, as this requirement prevents board members from taking any action without first receiving majority approval. This more or less guarantees that board members do not act in their own self-interest.

Without meeting quorum, votes cannot be taken and rules cannot be changed; essentially, no official business can be conducted. A meeting can be conducted without quorum; however, no minutes can be taken, no decisions can be made, and no actions can be ratified. Really, holding a meeting without meeting quorum is a waste of both time and money.  Rescheduling for another day is the best (and really, the only) option since no business can be transacted without quorum present.

Not reaching quorum basically stops the association from conducting any business, which affects everyone in the community. Not only can it be costly for the association to reschedule a meeting, it also delays any association-related action, potentially costing even more money if budget issues are delayed or overdue.

Trouble Reaching Quorum?

Reaching quorum in order to run a meeting is a common problem for many HOAs. Luckily, there are a few ways to help remedy this issue:

  • Proxy forms are one way for your HOA board to circumvent the problem of not meeting quorum. By signing a proxy form, a person can assign their vote to another person, and can thereby effectively ‘participate’ in the meeting, even though they are not able to be present in the room.
  • HOA board members should do all within their power to ensure that all meetings are well-advertised and held at reasonable times when the majority of people should be able to attend in order to avoid the chance of failing to meet quorum requirements.

Meeting quorum ensures fairness and takes into account the best interests of the whole community. It’s important that each board take the necessary steps in order to meet quorum and avoid delays and often costly rescheduling of board meetings.

For help managing your HOA community, contact Spectrum Association Management today and see what makes us refreshingly different from other HOA management companies.