Your Condo's Annual General Meeting — Quorums, Voting by Ownership Ratio, Proxies and How to Make Your Vote Count

When the annual general meeting notice arrives, many owners consider it something for people with spare time and let others decide. In reality the general meeting is the condominium's supreme authority: it approves the budget every unit pays, elects the committee controlling spending, appoints the manager and decides major repairs that may require special levies. Skipping it lets others decide the value of your property.

Power Structure in a Condominium

Under the Condominium Act, each building has a juristic person managing common property, a manager running daily operations, a committee elected by co-owners to oversee the manager, and the general meeting of co-owners deciding important matters. The committee has no more than nine members serving two-year terms. An ordinary general meeting must be held at least once a year to consider the balance sheet, the annual report, appointment of the auditor and other business.

Votes and Quorum

Each owner's votes follow their ownership ratio in the common property, generally based on unit area, so owners of larger units have more votes. A meeting needs the statutory quorum; if the first meeting falls short, a new one is called with a lower quorum threshold. That is why buildings with disengaged owners often end with a small group deciding major matters for everyone.

Different resolutions need different majorities. Ordinary matters pass by a majority of those present, but important matters specified by law — appointing or removing the manager, setting common expenses, amending certain regulations — require a proportion of the building's total votes, which is much harder, and some matters, such as substantially altering common property, need higher thresholds still.

Proxies

Owners who can't attend may appoint a proxy in writing, but the law limits one proxy holder to no more than three units to stop votes concentrating in one hand. The manager, the manager's spouse and juristic staff should not act as proxies given their direct interest. If you won't attend, appoint a trusted fellow owner and state your position on each item in the proxy form.

Agenda Items to Read Beforehand

Item	What to check
Approving financial statements	Income, expenses, arrears, fund balances, the auditor's opinion
Next year's budget	Unusual increases, e.g. security contracts, maintenance
Common-fee changes	Rationale, supporting figures, comparison with nearby buildings
Sinking-fund spending	Projects (lift overhaul, repainting) and whether competing quotes exist
Committee election	Candidates' backgrounds; conflicts with contractors or the manager
Auditor and manager appointment	Fees, track record, comparison with alternatives

When a Building Is Poorly Run

1. Request documents — co-owners may inspect the juristic person's documents, accounts and reports; ask in writing.
2. Organise co-owners — set up an owners' group, share information and gather votes transparently.
3. Call an extraordinary meeting — owners holding the statutory share of votes can require one to be convened.
4. Propose replacing the manager or committee — via a general-meeting resolution, with alternative providers and clear proposals ready.
5. Complain to the regulator — for breaches of the Condominium Act, contact the Land Office officials who act as condominium registrar.

FAQ

If I don't attend, do resolutions still bind me?

Yes. Lawfully passed resolutions bind all co-owners, including absentees — a common-fee increase, for example.

Can my tenant attend instead?

Tenants aren't co-owners; they can attend and vote only with your written proxy, subject to the three-unit limit.

Can owners in arrears vote?

Owners behind on common fees may have voting rights restricted under the law and the regulations. Settle arrears before the meeting if you want your vote counted.

Conclusion

Your condo's value depends not only on location but on management quality, decided at the general meeting. Read the papers in advance, attend or give a directed proxy, and join forces with fellow owners when the building needs change. Learn to read juristic accounts and more condo guides on the MyProperty blog.