@tracer said:
Peter C – Thanks for your views, which I shared until recently. …Abstaining from voting is immaterial as they would be privy to other quotes etc. The particular people involved have always had the last crack at quotations…How do other Owners Corporations handle conflicts of interest issues?
I have experience of somewhat similar instances:
We wanted some particular equipment installed. One owner with relevant industry involvement offered to do one of two things. 1) She could help the EC by scrutinising the quotes from others to ensure we got quality materials and a good price. Alternatively, (2) She could supply most of the materials to an installer she recommended who would then quote for the job, presumably at a good price having got the material cheaply. Our EC preferred option 2. Why should the EC cut off the possibility of getting a better deal this way? The EC did not disclose or discuss the quotes with that owner or anyone else till all were in. The quote using material supplied by the owner was distinctly better than the others and the EC decided to recommend that one to a general meeting.
As it happened we did not ultimately go ahead at that time for unrelated reasons and a few years later when the proposal came up again the owner was no longer in a position to go with option 2. Instead she helpfully commented on quotes from other suppliers.
On various other occasions our EC has considered various approvals applied for by EC members. On those occasions the EC member has absented themselves from the meeting while that matter was discussed and that fact was minuted. Any email discussion on that topic among the EC members excluded that person explicitly.