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Topic
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When I bought my unit in 2002 the strata manager sent agendas and minutes of EC meetings. Now in 2012 the strata manager does not consider it necessary to hold meetings. All decisions by the EC are now made by email.
1) How common is this?
2) Is it legal to make decisions that the owners do not know about?
3) I sent a painting quote to an owner who was not on the committee and received a reprimand from the strata manager.
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When I was on our EC, we did make some decisions on the smaller things around the complex via email. However, any of the bigger issues needed everyone to get together to put their two cents worth in.
It was very difficult to organise meetings at the best of times. Almost impossible to get everyone available on the one day. If we hadn't made some decisions via email, nothing would have been done. And if there were alot of little issues all at once, it was also more beneficial to have a meeting with as many EC members as was possible.
As far as making decisions that the owners are not aware about, if any decisions involve the exterior look, structural, allowing an owner to do something or anything that costs alot of money then the owners would definitely have to be advised.
We do much the same. Often minor things will be quickly sorted with a round of emails. Where these involve decisions or approvals we make a point of minuting them at the next meeting. Big issues will generally be dealt with by calling a meeting but some big issues also need to be quick. We make a point of copying in everyone, advising the managing agent etc. then minute at the next meeting which will usually be quite soon if there are important issues happening.
This is a perfectly reasonable way of doing things – provided everyone is kept properly informed. In an ideal world you would have a forum like this with the ability to contribute restricted to those who are on the EC but with everyone else able to read it. That would pretty much cover the statutory obligation to allow owners to attend EC meetings where they don’t have the right to speak unless invited to. But all decisions have to be minuted at some point
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