86 guides
HOA boards & governance
Board duties, elections, meetings, quorum, minutes, bylaws and CC&Rs - how a community is actually run.
What are the responsibilities of an HOA board?
The core duties volunteers take on, in plain language.
Read the answerHow do you run a good HOA board meeting?
Notice, agendas, quorum, and minutes without the headaches.
Read the answerShould our HOA self-manage or hire a management company?
An honest look at the tradeoff most small communities face.
Read the answerHow do you request and inspect HOA records?
What documents you're usually entitled to see, how to make a records request that works, and what an association can and can't withhold.
Read the answerWhat's the difference between CC&Rs, bylaws, and rules?
How an HOA's governing documents are layered, which one controls when they conflict, and why knowing the difference matters when you're in a dispute.
Read the answerHow do you run for a seat on your HOA board?
Who's eligible, how nominations and elections actually work, and what the volunteer job involves before you put your name in.
Read the answerHow do you remove an HOA board member?
The recall process homeowners can use, the vote thresholds it usually takes, and the limits on removing a director the right way.
Read the answerWhat are HOA open meeting and quorum rules?
When board meetings have to be open to residents, what can lawfully happen behind closed doors, and what a quorum actually means.
Read the answerHow do you amend an HOA's CC&Rs?
Why the declaration is the hardest document to change, the supermajority votes and recording it usually takes, and how communities get an amendment over the line.
Read the answerHow do you call a special meeting of the HOA - and can members force one?
The difference between a board and a membership special meeting, the petition threshold owners usually need, and the notice rules that make the meeting valid.
Read the answerHow does an HOA form a committee, and what can a committee actually do?
Why boards delegate work to committees, the difference between an advisory committee and one with real authority, how to charter one correctly, and the open-meeting and liability traps that catch volunteers who don't set them up carefully.
Read the answerWhat are the conflict-of-interest rules for HOA board members?
What counts as a conflict of interest on an HOA board, why directors owe a fiduciary duty, how recusal and disclosure are supposed to work, the self-dealing and vendor-relationship traps that get boards in trouble, and how to keep decisions clean.
Read the answerHow do HOA proxies and absentee ballots work?
What a proxy is and how it differs from an absentee or mail ballot, why associations rely on them to reach quorum, the abuse risks that make proxies controversial, and how state secret-ballot laws have changed the way HOAs vote.
Read the answerWhat is a quorum, and why do HOA meetings keep failing to reach one?
What quorum means, the difference between the quorum needed for a board meeting and for a membership meeting, why so many annual meetings collapse for lack of turnout, the low-participation spiral that causes it, and the realistic fixes - proxies, adjourned meetings with a reduced quorum, and lowering the threshold by amendment.
Read the answerCan an HOA hold virtual meetings and vote electronically?
Whether HOAs can meet over video and vote online, how state laws and governing documents control what's allowed, the consent and transparency requirements that come with electronic voting, the tension between online ballots and secret-ballot laws, and how boards adopt these tools without cutting corners.
Read the answerCan an HOA suspend your amenity or voting rights?
When an HOA can suspend access to the pool, gym, or your vote for unpaid dues or rule violations, the notice-and-hearing process that usually has to come first, and where suspension crosses into overreach.
Read the answerHow do you fill a vacant seat on the HOA board?
What happens when an HOA director resigns or a seat opens mid-term, how boards appoint a replacement, when a special election is required, and how long the new director serves.
Read the answerWhat records does an HOA have to keep, and for how long?
Which HOA records must be kept, how long to retain them, the difference between corporate, financial, and member records, and the owner inspection rights that make recordkeeping non-optional.
Read the answerWhat should HOA board meeting minutes include?
What belongs in HOA meeting minutes (and what to leave out), how to handle executive-session minutes, when minutes must be available to members, and how minutes get approved.
Read the answerCan an HOA make new rules without a vote of the homeowners?
When an HOA board can adopt new rules on its own versus when an owner vote is required, the difference between operating rules and CC&R amendments, and the limits on board rule-making.
Read the answerWhat's the difference between removing, recalling, and an HOA board member resigning?
How forced removal (recall) by the members differs from a voluntary resignation, the procedure and thresholds for each, and why the difference changes who gets to fill the empty seat.
Read the answerWhat is the business-judgment rule, and how does it protect (and limit) an HOA board?
How the business-judgment rule shields HOA directors who act in good faith, the Lamden deference standard, the conditions a board has to meet to earn it, and the conduct it does not protect.
Read the answerHow do I find my HOA's CC&Rs, bylaws, and rules?
How to find your HOA's CC&Rs, bylaws, and rules: your closing and resale packet, the county recorder's office, the board or management company, and what to request in writing.
Read the answerWhat is an HOA management certificate and how do I find one?
What an HOA management certificate is, what information it contains, where it's filed (such as under Texas Property Code §209.004 and the TREC database), and how owners and buyers can look one up.
Read the answerAre HOA board members personally liable for their decisions?
When volunteer directors are shielded from personal liability, when that protection disappears, and how indemnification and D&O insurance fit in.
Read the answerHow do you amend HOA bylaws?
How to amend HOA bylaws, why the threshold and process differ from amending the CC&Rs, who votes, notice and quorum requirements, and whether recording is needed.
Read the answerWhat is cumulative voting in HOA elections?
How cumulative voting works in HOA board elections, how it differs from straight voting, the math behind it, where it is allowed, and how it helps minority owners win a seat.
Read the answerWhat happens if an HOA has no board or goes defunct?
What happens when an HOA has no board, no volunteers, or becomes inactive - whether the association still exists, who can run it, court-appointed receivers, and how to revive a defunct HOA.
Read the answerHow do I get an item on the HOA meeting agenda?
How to place an item on your HOA board meeting agenda, your right to speak at open meetings, when a board can act on something, and how to petition for a special meeting if the board won't listen.
Read the answerWhat is an HOA annual meeting and what happens there?
What an HOA annual meeting is, what happens at it - board elections, the budget, reports and quorum - and your rights as an owner to notice, attendance, nomination, and voting.
Read the answerHow do I challenge an HOA board election?
Valid grounds to contest an HOA board election, the secret-ballot and inspector-of-elections rules that protect it, and the steps - records request, internal dispute resolution, and court - to challenge the result.
Read the answerHow do you fire an HOA management company?
How an HOA board can terminate its management company: reading the contract, giving proper notice, and getting the association's records, funds, and bank accounts back without a gap in operations.
Read the answerHow do you read and understand your HOA's CC&Rs?
A plain-English guide to reading your HOA's CC&Rs: how the governing documents fit together, which clauses to find first, and the legal terms that trip owners up.
Read the answerHow are HOA board members elected?
How HOA board elections actually work: nominations, the secret double-envelope ballot, the independent inspector of elections, how votes are counted, and how terms and staggering are set.
Read the answerCan an HOA board make decisions by email?
Can an HOA board vote or decide by email? Why open-meeting laws bar most email votes, the narrow emergency exception, where unanimous written consent fits, and what owners can do about it.
Read the answerHow do I get copies of HOA meeting minutes?
How to get copies of your HOA's meeting minutes: the owner inspection right, draft vs. approved minutes, the response deadline, and what executive-session content can be withheld.
Read the answerCan an HOA board meet without telling owners?
When an HOA board can meet privately, when open-meeting and notice laws require advance warning, and what to do if your board is making decisions in secret.
Read the answerWhat is an adjourned or reconvened HOA meeting?
What an adjourned or reconvened HOA meeting is, how a continued meeting picks up later, and how a reduced quorum can let a rescheduled meeting finally do business.
Read the answerHow do I volunteer for or join an HOA committee?
How to get involved in your HOA short of running for the board: the kinds of committees, how to volunteer, and what authority a committee actually has.
Read the answerCan you record an HOA board meeting?
Whether you can audio- or video-record an HOA board meeting, when state law protects recording open meetings, the executive-session and two-party-consent limits, and the rules a board can set.
Read the answerHow many board members does an HOA need?
How many members an HOA board needs, why the bylaws set the number, the role of odd-number boards and quorum math, and what happens when seats go vacant or the whole board resigns.
Read the answerCan an HOA board member be removed for not attending meetings?
Whether an HOA board member can be removed for missing meetings, how automatic-vacancy absenteeism clauses work, the member-recall alternative, and how the empty seat gets filled.
Read the answerWhat is an HOA inspector of elections?
What an HOA inspector of elections does - the independent third party who authenticates ballots, counts votes, and certifies results, who can serve, and which states require one.
Read the answerHow do you become the president or an officer of your HOA board?
How HOA officers like president, treasurer, and secretary are chosen, why it's different from being elected a director, what each role does, and the realistic path to becoming board president.
Read the answerWhat does an HOA secretary or treasurer do?
The specific duties of an HOA secretary and treasurer - notices, minutes, records, the budget, the books, and financial reporting - and how these officer roles differ from being a director.
Read the answerHow do I find out who is on my HOA board?
How to find your HOA's board members and contact information, the owner records-inspection rights that entitle you to a roster, and where to look when the association is hard to reach.
Read the answerCan an HOA board remove its president or another officer?
The difference between removing an HOA officer and recalling an elected director, who holds the power to remove a president or treasurer, and how the removal process works.
Read the answerCan the HOA board overrule a committee's decision?
Whether an HOA board can reverse an architectural or other committee's decision, the difference between an advisory committee and one with delegated final authority, and the limits on a reversal.
Read the answerHow do you call an emergency HOA board meeting?
How and when an HOA board can hold an emergency meeting on short notice, what actually qualifies as an emergency, the reduced-notice rules, and why the action should be documented and reported.
Read the answerHOA proxy vs. ballot: what's the difference and which one controls?
How an HOA proxy differs from a ballot, what each one can and cannot do, and why in many states a secret ballot - not a proxy - has to decide elections and assessments.
Read the answerWhat happens if no one runs for the HOA board?
If no one runs for the HOA board, sitting directors usually hold over until successors are elected; if every seat is empty, a court can appoint a receiver. Here is how it works.
Read the answerAre there term limits for HOA board members?
Most HOAs have no term limits - directors can serve as long as they keep getting re-elected. Term length, staggering, and any real limits come from your bylaws. Here is how it works.
Read the answerCan an HOA board meet in secret or in closed session?
An HOA board can meet in closed (executive) session only for limited topics - litigation, contracts, personnel, and member discipline. Meeting in true secret to dodge owners is improper. Here is the line.
Read the answerHow do I find out who manages my HOA?
How to find out which company manages your HOA - using your closing packet, dues invoice, county records, the management certificate, and state corporate filings.
Read the answerWhat is an HOA annual meeting notice and agenda?
What an HOA annual meeting notice must contain, how far in advance it has to go out, how it can be delivered, and why members usually can only vote on noticed agenda items.
Read the answerCan an HOA hold elections by mail or online?
Whether an HOA can run board elections by mailed ballot or online voting, how the secret-ballot rules apply to each, and what members should expect from each method.
Read the answerHow do I read an HOA meeting agenda or board packet?
How to make sense of an HOA meeting agenda and board packet before a meeting - what each section means, which items are decisions vs. reports, and where owners get to participate.
Read the answerWhat's the difference between an HOA special meeting and an annual meeting?
An annual meeting is the regular once-a-year membership meeting for elections and budget; a special meeting is called between them for one specific purpose and can be triggered by a member petition.
Read the answerHow do I get a copy of an HOA board vote or resolution?
Owners generally have a statutory right to see how the board voted and to obtain copies of adopted resolutions. Where these records live, how to request them, and what can be withheld.
Read the answerCan an HOA board act without a quorum?
A board generally can't transact business or bind the association without a quorum of directors present. What a board quorum is, what happens to votes taken without one, and the narrow exceptions.
Read the answerCan an HOA limit how long I can speak at a meeting?
Yes - boards can set reasonable time limits on the open forum, but owners have a statutory right to be heard and limits must be even-handed. Where reasonable rules end and unlawful silencing begins.
Read the answerCan an HOA board vote by secret ballot?
Board members generally must vote openly in a noticed meeting, not by secret ballot. Here is why directors vote on the record, the narrow secret-ballot rule for members, and what to do when a board hides its votes.
Read the answerCan an HOA change or cancel a meeting after it's been noticed?
An HOA can usually reschedule or cancel a meeting it already noticed, but the same notice rules apply to the change. Here is how re-noticing works, what happens when quorum fails, and the limits boards have to respect.
Read the answerWhat is a consent agenda at an HOA board meeting?
What an HOA consent agenda is, what belongs on it, how any director can pull an item for discussion, and why it speeds up meetings without hiding decisions.
Read the answerCan an HOA board ratify a past or improper decision?
When and how an HOA board can ratify an emergency, email, or no-quorum action in open session - what after-the-fact approval can fix and what it can't.
Read the answerHow does an owner make a motion or proposal at an HOA meeting?
Whether a homeowner can make a motion at an HOA meeting, the difference between a board meeting and a membership meeting, and how to get a proposal formally heard.
Read the answerWhat is the difference between an HOA board resolution and a rule?
How a one-time board resolution differs from an ongoing operating rule, why the distinction changes the notice and member-reversal rights you get, and how to tell which one you're dealing with.
Read the answerCan an HOA board meet by Zoom or conference call?
Whether an HOA board can hold meetings by video or telephone, the open-meeting and member-access conditions that still apply, and how a virtual meeting differs from an email vote.
Read the answerHow do you get HOA meeting minutes corrected or amended?
Minutes are the official record, and wrong or incomplete ones can be fixed. How HOA minutes get approved and amended, what can and can't be changed, and your rights as an owner.
Read the answerWhat is a quorum call or roll call at an HOA meeting?
The roll call at the start of an HOA meeting confirms enough people are present to do business. How a quorum is established, what happens if it is lost mid-meeting, and why it gets recorded.
Read the answerHow do you take HOA meeting minutes?
A practical guide for the HOA secretary: what to capture, what to leave out, and how to turn a board meeting into clean, defensible minutes that record actions, not talk.
Read the answerCan an HOA board hold a meeting owners can't attend?
Do owners have a right to attend HOA board meetings? The open-meeting default, the narrow executive-session exception, and how to spot an illegal secret meeting.
Read the answerCan an HOA board member also be the property manager?
Can an HOA board member also be the paid property manager? The self-dealing conflict, disclosure and recusal rules, and how to protect the community from insider deals.
Read the answerWhat's the difference between an HOA membership meeting and a board meeting?
How an HOA membership meeting differs from a board meeting - who attends, who votes, what each one can decide, and why the notice and quorum rules are different for the two.
Read the answerHow often does an HOA have to hold meetings?
How often an HOA must meet - the annual membership meeting, the board's own meeting cadence, what bylaws and state law require, and what to do if your board stops meeting.
Read the answerWhat is an HOA organizational or reorganization meeting?
What an HOA organizational or reorganization meeting is, why it happens right after the annual election, how directors pick officers, and what owners can expect from it.
Read the answerWhat is an HOA voting threshold or supermajority?
What a voting threshold is, how a simple majority differs from a supermajority, and which HOA actions - elections, budgets, CC&R amendments - need which level of approval.
Read the answerCan an HOA board member serve consecutive terms?
Whether an HOA director can be re-elected back-to-back, how term length and any term limits work, and what happens when the same volunteers keep serving.
Read the answerHow does an HOA count or tabulate election ballots?
How HOA election ballots are opened, verified, and tallied - the neutral inspector of elections, the double-envelope secret-ballot process, quorum and tie-breaks, and your right to watch the count.
Read the answerWhat is a write-in candidate in an HOA election?
What a write-in candidate is in an HOA election, whether your documents allow one, how it differs from a floor nomination, and why secret-ballot and acclamation rules can rule write-ins out.
Read the answerWhat is the difference in quorum for a board meeting versus a membership meeting?
How quorum differs between an HOA board meeting and a membership meeting, why membership meetings fail to reach quorum far more often, and the proxies, ballots, and adjournment tools that fix it.
Read the answerHow do you nominate someone for the HOA board?
How to nominate someone for the HOA board - self-nomination, nominating committees, floor nominations, getting the candidate's consent, and the equal-access rules that protect nominees.
Read the answerCan an HOA change its election rules right before an election?
Whether an HOA can change its election rules before an election - the member-notice requirement, the statutory freeze on last-minute changes, and the limits that stop a board from rigging a race.
Read the answerCan an HOA hire a board member's own company for work?
Whether an HOA can pay a director's own business for landscaping, repairs, or management - conflict-of-interest rules, disclosure and recusal, and competitive bidding.
Read the answerCan an HOA disqualify you from running for the board?
When an HOA can reject or disqualify a board candidate - delinquent dues, co-ownership, felony convictions, conflicts - the reasonable-and-even-handed limit, and how to protect your candidacy.
Read the answerHow do you force an HOA to hold an overdue or skipped board election?
When a board won't hold the required election and directors cling to their seats, owners have tools: a written demand, a member-called meeting, and in many states a court order compelling an election.
Read the answerLess guesswork, more good neighbors
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