Annual Meeting Minutes

What are the annual meeting minutes of an HOA board of directors?

Homeowner associations, like most nonprofit corporations, are required in most jurisdictions to hold an annual meeting that is open to all members. Annual meeting minutes constitute a permanent record of any actions taken by the directors at such gatherings. (Minutes should be recorded for other HOA board meetings, as well.) Such minutes typically should contain the following information:

• Formal name of the association
• Type of meeting (monthly, quarterly, annual, special, etc.)
• Date and times (call to order and adjournment)
• Location
• Board members present (and absent)
• Establishment of quorum
• Review of prior minutes
• New business items
• Reports
• Motions (approved or not) and actions taken
• Votes on each motion (who voted for, voted against, or abstained)
• Financial transactions

Why are annual meeting minutes important?

Annual meeting minutes of a homeowner association are required by law in many jurisdictions. Beyond that, practical reasons to record, approve, and permanently keep minutes are many. 

Because HOAs frequently deal with issues that pit one property owner against another or even against the entire community, a chief purpose of minutes is to serve as a record to which parties can refer when disputes arise, and clarity is needed. The minutes constitute an official record of issues addressed, reports made, and actions taken and are useful to parties involved in disputes, even to the point of being admissible in court proceedings.

Further, minutes enable members to stay informed of HOA actions even if they cannot attend such meetings.

How can you use “annual meeting minutes” in a sentence?

HOA members can refer to the annual meeting minutes to stay informed about community updates, board decisions, and important discussions from the previous year.