top of page
Writer's pictureOur Community Mgr

HOW TO STAY ENGAGED IN YOUR HOA?

Updated: Sep 27, 2023

Much of what happens in an HOA starts with a meeting. Check out the meeting types so you can stay engaged.

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 include

  • Review and track the progress of maintenance projects.

  • Review the work being done throughout the community

  • Resolving member issues

  • Review community info and provide regular community updates

Please note:

  • Only topics that are on the agenda will be discussed or voted on unless otherwise stated in the community CC&Rs.

  • Homeowners' attendance is not required but highly encouraged.

  • This meeting is the best opportunity to raise questions/concerns, offer suggestions, and be part of the decision-making process.

  • Minutes of these meetings will be recorded and then made available to all HOA members.

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

  • The board votes on actions during an executive meeting and those votes are binding.

  • The executive meetings can be called at any time, according to the rules outlined in the governing documents, to address certain needs.

  • The 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 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 Committees focus on a particular area of the community. They are created to help the board

  • The ability to have extra committees, and who is eligible to serve on those committees, are 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.

  • Examples include the Landscaping Committee, Social Committee, Welcome Committee, Safety Committee, Activities Committee, etc.

  • Committees are usually convened as either a standing committee or an Adhoc

    1. Standing committees are formed for matters that demand constant attention and are of continuing vital concern to the Chapter. Such as Architectural Committees

    2. Adhoc committees are formed for handling one-time special projects. Such as the Document Review Committee

Special Meetings The 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 immediate action is required. Some examples of this would be natural disasters or significant physical damage to community property.

  • Because Special Meetings are urgent, these meetings do not require 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.

All HOA meetings are governed by state laws and community CC&Rs. Governing documents define who can call a meeting, who can attend, and the rules that must be followed during the meetings. Being an active part of your community means also attending the meetings that are available to you. Don't miss the meeting.




Our Community Management, LLC | CMCA

Phone: (214) 838-0868

"Not my Community, Our Community"

49 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

Comments


bottom of page