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One area of the law which our community association lawyers get asked about on a regular basis is the notice requirements for the various types of condominium association board meetings. Condo associations must strictly follow the statutory requirements for noticing board meetings in order to avoid potential legal complications. This article will serve as a refresher for condominium association board members and unit owners on compliance with the basic laws governing notification of association board meetings.
There are two levels of notification which are required by law for different types of condominium association board meetings. For all general board meetings that must be open to the unit owners, the minimum standard requirement is that the notice with the corresponding meeting agenda (“Notice”) be posted at least 48 hours immediately prior to the meeting. The association must post and maintain the Notice in a conspicuous place on the condominium property, and the Notice must specifically identify the agenda items that are slated for discussion.
However, some board meetings must be noticed 14-days in advance. The notice for such meetings must be posted on the condominium property as well as delivered to each owner. 
While Section 718.112, Florida Statutes, does not require the Notice to be mailed, we highly recommend it given that the post office may provide proof of the mailing, which may become necessary if the distribution of the notice is called into question. Further, many owners do not reside in the building and have provided another address for all association correspondence, making personal delivery impossible in some instances. This 14-day Notice is required for board meetings involving discussion and voting of proposed annual budgets of an association or revisions to such budgets, non-emergency special assessments, establishment of the deductible for property/casualty insurance, or changes to the association’s rules regarding unit use.
Exceptions to the above-described meeting notice requirements may apply for emergency board meetings. However, these meetings are generally limited to emergencies that may result in harm to persons or property.
Closed meetings of the board which are not open to unit owners are limited by law only to meetings with the association’s attorney with respect to proposed or pending litigation, when the meeting is held for the purpose of seeking or rendering legal advice, or meetings of the board alone to discuss personnel matters. While the law allowing for such closed meetings does not speak to a notice requirement, as a conservative measure, we recommend that the Notice be posted in a conspicuous place on the condominium property at least 48 hours prior to the meeting. The notice for such meetings should clearly indicate that it is a closed and private meeting of the board.
Should the board fail to notice meetings in accordance with the requirements of The Condominium Act, the board may be required to re-convene any meetings which are found to be non-compliant with the statutory requirements, and any votes and decisions made during such meetings may have to be repeated. Boards found to be repeat offenders may be fined by the state’s Division of Condominiums. Additionally, decisions that are made during the improperly noticed meetings can be called into question, and owners who have been adversely affected by board actions can mount challenges. Such unit owner challenges may result in litigation, which is time consuming and costly to associations. There is also the potential that prospective owners will look into the complaints filed with the Division of Condominiums against the association, possibly raising a red flag in the minds of potential buyers as to the desirability of owning a unit in the condominium.
Associations and their boards should bear in mind that the majority of their board meetings will only require the 48-hour posted Notice, so compliance with that aspect of the meeting procedures should be fairly simple and straightforward. However, there will be instances in which Notice of a meeting must be posted conspicuously on the condominium property and mailed to each unit owner at least 14 days prior to the meeting, or in which the association’s governing documents require a different procedure regarding the issuance of a board meeting notice. If uncertain as to which notice requirements are applicable, it is advisable to contact the association’s legal counsel for guidance.
Our community association lawyers write about important legal matters for condominium associations and HOAs in this blog, and we encourage association directors and members as well as property managers to enter their e-mail address in the subscription box at the top of our blog in order to automatically receive all of our future articles.