When deciding matters in the HOA, input from more people than just the board is sometimes needed. It needs to represent a sizeable part of the community population. One way to ensure this is to have a quorum for the meeting, but what exactly does that mean?
What is a Quorum for a Meeting?
Simply put, a meeting quorum is the smallest number of residents or HOA members needed to formally hold an HOA meeting. It applies to both membership-wide meetings and HOA board meetings. The number is not always set in stone and varies by community.
Meeting a quorum is crucial for any HOA meeting where important decisions must be made, such as amending rules or electing members to the HOA board. It makes that meeting legal.
HOA Quorum Requirements
How much is a quorum? The number varies based on several different factors; every HOA should have them outlined in its governing documents.
Typically, homeowner meetings require a defined percentage of the community’s HOA members. In most cases. That number should be between 10 and 50 percent. Board meetings, however, usually need a majority of the board of directors to be present.
However, some states have legislation in place that sets quorum requirements for associations such as HOAs. For example, in Florida, local laws mandate that a quorum be 30% of the members by default, unless the HOA’s governing documents state otherwise. On the other hand, California law offers more flexibility, mandating a quorum only if the HOA’s governing documents requires them.
In-person participation is not the only way a member is counted toward a quorum. Depending on the type of meeting, other forms of participation may be allowed. These may include:
- Personal meeting attendance
- Virtual meeting attendance (if meetings are offered online)
- Proxies and online proxies
- Mail-in ballots
- E-voting (if allowed)
To know what counts towards a quorum for your HOA meeting, it is best to check your governing documents.
Can a Meeting Be Held Without a Quorum?
HOAs can’t legally hold an official meeting if a quorum isn’t met. No quorum, meaning the majority of your HOA is not represented enough to make the meeting legal. This means that any voting procedures, elections, and decision-making must be postponed.
Organizing HOA meetings requires time, effort, and resources. Postponing meetings due to an unmet quorum requirement possibly wastes all that preparation.
Beyond resources, postponing a meeting also delays crucial, time-sensitive decisions that can greatly affect the community. Prolonging these processes exposes the HOA to greater risk and impedes its overall operations.
HOA Meeting, No Quorum: Why It Happens
Quorum problems can sometimes be common to a community. There are usually multiple reasons why it’s so. Here are some things to look out for.
Low Resident Engagement
In some HOAs, many homeowners might not feel very involved in the community. Sometimes, these residents feel that their participation is not important enough. Because of this, they are less likely to participate in HOA meetings.
Larger communities might have a bigger problem with low resident engagement. In such communities, many residents assume other members will participate anyway, so they put less effort into engaging with community decisions. Over time, having that idea causes declining meeting attendance.
Conflicts in Schedule
Many HOA residents are busy. Many of them have work with busy schedules. Others would understandably prioritize obligations at home, such as caring for the kids.
Because of this, even the most well-organized board can have a hard time enticing residents to attend meetings.
Poor Communication
Unfortunately, in some associations, communication with residents is often overlooked. Because of this, an unmet quorum may result from something as simple as residents not knowing a meeting is taking place.
If the HOA doesn’t send clear, timely notices or announcements, fewer people will know about important events and gatherings. This easily causes attendance to suffer.
How to Help the HOA Reach Quorum
If an HOA has trouble reaching a quorum for a meeting, they need to identify the issue and address it. In addition to that, you can also make changes that can contribute to increasing resident participation in HOA affairs.
Here are some tips to help your HOA reach a quorum for meetings.
Proper Communications
When sending communications to residents, they need to be well-crafted and sent at appropriate times.
Long, fluff-filled announcements can exhaust residents who read them. These messages make homeowners less interested in what is said in the notification. Because of this, it’s best practice to create a succinct write-up that still contains all the essential information.
After creating well-written communications, you need to send them out in advance. You can usually send the first notice as early as 1-2 months in advance. After that, you can send reminders a week before the meeting, and another 3 days before the event. Just make sure you don’t send too many notices, as this can annoy residents and deter them from coming to the meeting.
Make Use of Multiple Communication Channels
When announcing a meeting, you can use multiple communication channels. Yes, sending one through their personal mail or email can be effective. However, these can easily be buried under other personal mail the resident may have, leaving the announcement unnoticed.
To remedy this, the HOA can post the announcement on other platforms. The board can use the HOA website, online forums, social media channels, or physical bulletin boards around the community.
Allow Proxies and Absentee Voting
Many homeowners have busy schedules and may not have time to attend a meeting. To remedy this, the HOA could allow residents to send proxies to represent them in meetings.
Absentee votes could also help address unmet quorum requirements at meetings, especially those involving member votes. This and proxies allow residents who couldn’t attend to have their vote count.
However, do ensure that you follow the proper procedures for designating proxies or posting absentee ballots in advance. Usually, governing documents and state legislation can outline the process.
Embrace Technology
As previously mentioned, time and scheduling are among the most common reasons residents fail to attend meetings. To help with this, the HOA should use the available technology.
Modern times call for modern solutions. HOAs can now make attending meetings more convenient through digital means. One way to do this is to host the meeting both in person and virtually. This allows people who couldn’t attend in person to still participate and be counted toward a quorum.
Making decisions through member votes, allowing online proxies, and posting e-ballots are possible ways to also meet the HOA meeting quorum.
Participation and Representation
Having members involved in HOA decision-making is crucial. Without a proper meeting quorum, you can’t ensure that your members are well represented. Taking the necessary steps to keep residents involved can go a long way.
CWD Group offers HOA management services, including meeting management, to community associations in Oregon and Washington. Call us today at 503-488-2008 or contact us online!
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