Definition : Meeting of co-owners

La webradio du mercredi 26 avril 2023 a porté la présidence d’une assemblée de copropriétaires. Il est connu de tous que l’assemblée des copropriétaires est un événement majeur dans la vie d’une copropriété. À la tête de l’assemblée se trouve son président, qui ouvre la séance, dirige les débats, fait respecter la procédure et l’ordre du jour, annonce les résultats des votes de chaque résolution, en plus de s’assurer du déroulement harmonieux et efficace de l’assemblée. Véritable animateur des débats, son rôle consiste à assurer le respect de l’ordre du jour. Le président d’assemblée doit être neutre et impartial. Or quelles sont les qualités, aptitudes et compétences requises pour être président d’assemblée?

La webradio du mercredi 26 avril 2023 a porté sur la présidence d’une assemblée de copropriétaires. Il est connu de tous que l’assemblée des copropriétaires est un événement majeur dans la vie d’une copropriété. À la tête de l’assemblée se trouve son président, qui ouvre la séance, dirige les débats, fait respecter la procédure et l’ordre du jour, annonce les résultats des votes de chaque résolution, en plus de s’assurer du déroulement harmonieux et efficace de l’assemblée. Véritable animateur des débats, son rôle consiste à assurer le respect de l’ordre du jour. Le président d’assemblée doit être neutre et impartial. Or quelles sont les qualités, aptitudes et compétences requises pour être président d’assemblée?

December 27, 2021- The Meeting of co-owners is a major event in the life of a co-ownership. A meeting at least once a year, it is decisive since it allows the making of major decisions that impact the lives and finances of the co-owners. The board of directors' mission is to take care of the convening and holding of the meeting of co-owners but also of the execution of the decisions it votes. Decisions taken have to appear clear and careful planning is required. It is also important to understand the rules that apply to it.  

Les assemblées de copropriétaire doivent être tenues en bonne et due forme, car il s'agit d'un des deux organes décisionnels d'une copropriété, l'autre étant le conseil d'administration. Des décisions importantes s'y prennent. Par conséquent, il est primordial qu'elles se déroulent dans les règles de l'art.

  Irregularities noted at a meeting of co-owners do not make the decisions taken non-existent, but voidable. Consequently, the co-owner who intends to invoke the irregularity of a decision must initiate a legal proceeding, in accordance with article 1103 of the Civil Code of Quebec. Wishing to promote the stability of the decisions taken by the assembly, the legislature allows such a remedy to be brought only in certain circumstances. Thus, any co-owner may ask the court to annul or, exceptionally, modify a decision of the meeting of co-owners if it is partial, if it was taken with the intention of harming the co-owners or in disregard of their rights, or if an error occurred in the calculation of votes.  

The meeting of co-owners is the gathering of all the co-owners, to make the decisions necessary for the sustainability of the building and the proper functioning of the co-ownership. It is one of the two decision-making bodies of the syndicate. This should be held at least once a year, but it can take place as often as necessary. You should be aware that co-ownership life implies that the co-owners or their representatives meet, occasionally, to discuss and vote upon important decisions. This must be done at meetings of co-owners, where the members of the syndicate can make their voice heard by exercising their right to vote. Their conduct obeys certain rules of form and substance. An overview of the various specific aspects of meetings of co-owners.  

The COVID-19 health crisis and its procession of government restrictions to limit gatherings have often made it impossible to regroup. The legislator was forced to organize the rescue of legal persons, banned from assemblies, to preserve, at least for a time, their functioning. The syndicates of co-owners have thus adopted alternatives to face-to-face meetings of co-owners. Social distancing obliges, COVID-19 has given rise to a phenomenon in co-ownership: virtual meetings of co-owners, also called remote meetings. In order to perpetuate this way of doing things, the law now authorizes syndicates of co-owners to hold meetings by technological means.

A General Meeting of the co-owners cannot take place without an agenda. To deliberate in accordance with the Law, co-owners should be able to become aware, before the General Meeting, of the questions on the agenda. This the reason why it should be annexed to the notice of call, usually prepared by the Board of Directors (Board). It contains all the questions to be tabled for deliberation during the General Meeting. This document must be clear and unambiguous to avoid legal challenges. An overview of the various specificities of the agenda.    

The declaration of co-ownership generally contains the terms and conditions concerning the conduct of the meeting of co-owners by defining rules of procedure and the role of the meeting officers. Key figures of the assembly of co-owners, they ensure the smooth running of it. Their appointment is therefore necessary for the holding of any meeting of co-owners. These are generally elected at the start of the meeting, in a separate vote taken by an absolute majority of the votes of the co-owners present or represented (50% of the votes plus one). This is an obligation that cannot be waived, because any decisions taken before their election has no legal value.

The right to vote is recognized as an essential element of any modern society, and as such, co-owners cannot be deprived of it except as provided in the law. In addition, each co-owner has, in principle, at the meeting a number of votes proportional to the relative value of his fraction. However, in certain circumstances, it is provided that the co-owner may have his right to vote suspended or reduced, by the sole effect of the law. It is important to know who may be affected by these restrictions and what the consequences are.The voting rights of the co-owners of the immovable can, in certain circumstances, be suspended or reduced. It is important to know who may be affected by these restrictions and their consequences.

2 février 2016 — Le terme Varia est fréquemment employé dans les ordres du jour d’assemblées générales annuelles de copropriétaires. Il permet d’ajouter des sujets qui n’y étaient pas initialement prévus, et qui sont débattus en fin d’assemblée. Or, selon l’Office québécois de la langue française, ce terme est une impropriété à éviter.

Je serai à Cuba lors de la prochaine assemblée des copropriétaires. Quelles sont mes options? Puis-je donner une sorte de mandat à quelqu’un pour que ma voix soit tout de même entendue à l’assemblée?

The rules for voting in meeting of co-owners vary depending on the importance of the decision to be made. They require a complex calculations in order to determine whether a the required majority has been reached. To do so, you must make sure that the register of co-owners is up to date, and that the compilation of votes is done according to the relative value specific to each fraction. This reduces the risk of contestation of an adopted resolution. That said, some decisions have extremely important consequences for all co-owners so the requirements in terms of majorities are then higher. For this reason, the law essentially imposes four levels of majority: absolute, enhanced, double.  

During a meeting of co-owners, important decisions are made for each member of the co-ownership. Whether for alteration or improvement of the common portions, the election of the members of the board of directors, it is up to the co-owners to decide. However, if a co-owner is absent and has not taken care to be represented at the meeting, his vote may be sorely lacking. This may  also  prevent  the obtaining of a quorum and consequently the holding of the meeting of co-owners. When a co-owner cannot go there, he can ask the person of his choice to represent him. The mandatary the one who receives the proxy is not necessarily another co-owner. It may be a person outside the co-ownership. The latter will thus be able to represent him in this meeting and vote in his place on all the questions on the agenda. A written instrument is compulsory Tacit mandate being excluded, you must give a written instrument to the mandatary of your choice if you wish to be represented at the Meeting. The latter, who will represent you and vote on your behalf during the general meeting, can be one of the directors of the co-ownership (in his personal capacity), another co-owner, a friend or a person totally foreign to the co-ownership.

A question often arises whether a co-owner can modify the agenda received with his notice of call to the Annual General Meeting, either before or during the General Meeting? The General Meeting of co-owners is governed by strict legal rules that you should know about. In principle the General Meeting deliberates only on the questions inscribed on the agenda before holding the General Meeting. Otherwise, any decision taken upon a question illegally placed on the agenda is null and void and may be subject to a legal challenge.