W.S. from New Haven County, Connecticut writes:
Dear Mister Condo,
The president of the association has sold her unit and left. Who replaces her and how? There is a Vice President, a Secretary, and a Treasurer.
Mister Condo replies:
W.S., it isn’t uncommon for Board Members to leave their associations. After all, they are human beings like the rest of us with families, careers, desires, and other reasons that make people move. If your Board is typical of many condominiums or HOAs, the remaining Board members continue to function as the Board while a new Board member is sought. Typically, the existing Board Members are empowered to appoint a new Board Member from within the members of the association. If it is close to annual election time, they may simply wait for a volunteer to be selected from the unit owners. As for the role of the President, that is up to the seated Board. The Vice President is the logical choice seeing as the job description is exactly to fill in for the President should he/she become unavailable. However, many associations allow the seated Board to select the next President as that is how the last President was selected. This isn’t always the case and you do need to read what your governing documents have to say about Board resignations, replacements, and selection of officers. It is important to have a Board Member designated as President because there are some executive powers that require a President to handle or handle in conjunction with another officer. For instance, banking items may require a President and Treasurer signature. Contracts may require a President’s signature. I am sure your Board will find its new President in short order. All the best!