K.D. from Litchfield County writes:
Dear Mister Condo,
To call a special meeting of the unit owners, do the condo owners need to sign a document, or is their verbal agreement enough?
Mister Condo replies:
K.D., thank you for your question. Special meetings of unit owners are generally called when there is a major problem or issue facing the association. Recall elections are the most common reason for a special meeting. Your by-laws should spell out how and when a special meeting of unit owners can be called. In most cases, written documentation signed by the owners will be necessary to show that the requirements were met for holding the special meeting. Verbal agreement would not suffice because there would be no written record of why the meeting was called and that the requirements were met for such a meeting to be valid. That can be very important in the case of recalling elected officials. Not following proper procedure could easily lead to lawsuits and further problems for the association. If you feel your association is in need of a special meeting of homeowners and it is for a serious matter, I strongly advise you to consult your governing documents and hire legal counsel to guide you if necessary. All the best!