The Types of HOA Meetings

So, you’ve purchased a home in an HOA – what are all these meetings? Do you need to attend? In this article, we will discuss the various types of meetings that are commonly held in an HOA. From board meetings to annual meetings to committee meetings – and more – there is a lot going on to keep your HOA running efficiently.

It’s beneficial for you to know the purpose and importance of each of these types of meetings and why you should attend them.

Board Meetings

These are the most common type of HOA meetings, and they are held regularly, either monthly or quarterly. This is a meeting of the board of directors and is open to all members of the community. Members will be given advance notice of the date and time before the meeting. The notice will include the agenda for the meeting.

Agenda items often include reviewing the property manager’s work, resolving member disputes, and tracking the progress of maintenance projects. Only topics that are on the agenda will be discussed or voted on, unless otherwise stated in the community CC&Rs. It is important for homeowners to attend these meetings so that they can raise questions, offer suggestions, and be part of the decision-making process. A board member will keep minutes of these meetings, which will be available to all HOA members.

Executive Meetings

Only the board of directors attend these meetings. This is when the board discusses confidential or privileged information (for example, ongoing litigation, personnel issues, or delinquent assessments).

The board is allowed to vote on actions during an executive meeting, and those votes are binding. An executive meeting can be called at any time, according to the rules outlined in the governing documents, to address certain needs. Details of these meetings are not made available to the members; however, a notice that the meeting was held is usually presented in the minutes of the next open board meeting.

Annual Meetings

As the name suggests, this meeting is held annually and is usually open to all members. At this meeting, board members address the big issues facing the HOA for the coming year, present the annual budget, elect new board members if/when necessary, and announce any upcoming projects.

Any HOA committees that the community has will present their annual reports at this meeting.  All homeowners are encouraged to attend annual meetings so that they know what is happening in the community as a whole, and what they can expect for the coming year.

Minutes of this meeting are also taken and made available to members.

Committee Meetings

Some HOAs, especially large ones, have separate committees to focus on particular area of the community. For example, a landscaping committee, a safety committee, an activities committee, etc.

Whether a board has extra committees, and who is eligible to serve on those committees, is controlled by the community’s governing documents. The committee meetings are generally required to provide notice of a meeting to the community and keep thorough minutes of the meeting which can be accessed by any member of the community upon request.

Special Meetings

An HOA board can call an emergency, or special, session in order to deal with an urgent need. These meetings are rare and are only held when an immediate action is required. Some examples of this would be natural disasters or significant physical damage to community property.

Because of their urgent nature, these meetings do not required advance notice and can often be held virtually, so long as it is permitted by the governing documents.

Minutes of special meetings should be recorded and made available to members.

HOA meetings are governed by state laws and community CC&Rs. These documents define who can call a meeting, who can attend, and rules that must be followed during the meetings. Because of the unique nature of an HOA community, the neighborhood belongs to every homeowner, so it is important that each owner participates actively in HOA meetings.

Remember, when decisions are made at an HOA board meeting, the rules must be followed by every member of the community regardless of whether they were present at the meeting to vote or not. Because of this, it is in everyone’s best interest that each homeowner attends every meeting to make sure that his or her opinion is heard. One thing is for certain – the more involved each homeowner is, the better the community will be! For board members with specific questions regarding HOA management, contact SpectrumAM today and see what makes us refreshingly different from other HOA management companies.