Effective Ways to Handle Board Member Absences this Summer
Summer is almost here. Many HOA board members will be out of town throughout the summer. Still, you must continue to hold board meetings as often as outlined in your association bylaws.
Larger HOA groups with a lot of business should meet at a minimum monthly. In contrast, smaller organizations may only need to meet quarterly.
What to do when HOA Board Members are Absent During the Summer Months
You will more than likely have some HOA board members absent from meetings, especially during the summer months. To have productive board meetings, notify the board of any absences before making an agenda for the meeting.
When board members are aware of an absence, they can have the absent board member address relevant questions in advance. For ease of communication and documentation purposes, the missing board member can submit a memo before the meeting that addresses questions and provides a status update of his or her responsibilities. Do this to help keep the discussion on track and ensure that all board members give an update.
Suppose too many board members are out of town for the meeting. One option that is becoming increasingly popular is holding virtual meetings via Zoom or other online conferencing tools. Online conferencing became more popular during the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, it has become increasingly popular and acceptable to hold meetings this way. HOA boards in Florida see the most benefit from online conferencing tools since many HOA board members head north over the summer.
How to Handle Unexcused HOA Board Member Absences
Summer schedules can be hectic. Sometimes board members miss a meeting by mistake. While an unexcused absence is never ideal, it will indeed happen. Check your association bylaws to determine the acceptable number of HOA board member's unexcused absences. Typically, an HOA will allow no more than three unexcused absences by a board member.
If an HOA board member exceeds the number of unexcused absences, again check your bylaws for the consequence. Unfortunately, bylaws often do not contain an attendance requirement. If your bylaws do not have a disqualification for excessive absenteeism, consider asking for a member vote in the future to add such an amendment.
What to Add to Your Bylaws Concerning Board Member Absenteeism
The most common such limit is to deem a director resign if he or she misses three consecutive regularly scheduled meetings. Another could be a maximum of four monthly meetings out of 12 in the year.
Some associations prefer a disqualification after any three consecutive meetings—including special meetings—but this could cause intentional foul play. For example, a hostile board member could wait until a director is on vacation and then schedule three quick special board meetings during the director's absence. Suppose your bylaws are silent on the issue. In that case, someone should approach the director and offer to let them off the hook. Since they cannot attend meetings, they should step aside until they can be of service to the community.
Benefits to Partnering with Condominium Associates
The benefit to partnering with a Florida residential property management company like Condominium Associates is you won't have to deal with planning board meetings around summer vacation schedules. We offer more than 30 years of experience in curating and managing residential communities in Florida. We can help you with superior amenities programming, customized management solutions, and affordable, direct financing for communities. Our wide range of expertise and willingness to support our communities always exceeds our customers' expectations.
Please contact us at Condominium Associates to learn more about how we can serve the needs of your Florida residential community and HOA board.