Definition : Meeting of co-owners - Resolution

Question: Some co-owners of our syndicate want to put a resolution to a vote at our next annual meeting. What are the steps to follow? Do we have to send the text of our draft resolution to the board members in advance, or can we do that during the meeting? Is there a particular legal procedure to follow? At the time of the meeting, if certain corrections need to be made to the text of the resolution, can this be done during the meeting, or should another meeting be called to present and vote on the new text of the resolution?

L’assemblée des copropriétaires peut adopter un règlement afin de permettre la tenue de réunion hybride ou virtuelle pour les administrateurs et un autre règlement pour la tenue d’assemblée des copropriétaires hybride ou virtuelle, et ce, même après la levée de l’urgence sanitaire et de l’arrêté qui permet la tenue des assemblées virtuelles, sans les rendre obligatoire. Vous trouverez ci-dessous deux projets de résolutions qui ont été élaborés par: Me Christine Gagnon (notaire émérite et associée chez Gagnon Bujold notaires) Me Yves Papineau (avocat émérite et associé chez LJT Avocats et membre du CA du RGCQ Montréal ).    

Question: Can a meeting of co-owners take a regular decision despite the abstention of many co-owners present? How should these absentees be dealt with (a vote for or against)?  And what about non-voting on a decision of the members of the board of directors? Answer: Abstaining is a matter of concern in any democracy. Co-ownership is no exception to this reality. This question concerns both directors and co-owners: what about the scope of an abstention during a vote? However, the consequences are different, depending on whether it is the meeting of the co-owners or of the board of directors. In a meeting of co-owners, abstentionist co-owners are counted with the votes against, while for a meeting of the board of directors, non-voting directors are not taken into account (they have not "expressed themselves").  

The minutes of the meeting are a document of paramount importance to ensure the execution of the decisions of the meeting. Therefore, the decisions taken by co-owners in a general meeting must be recorded and entered in the minutes. This document is essential for a co-ownership because it ensures the written preservation of the deliberations or consultation of the general meeting, as well as the result of each vote so that any co-owner and director can refer to it in due course. It also allows to ascertain that the general meeting was conducted in accordance with the rules. Given its importance, this document must respect a certain formalism.

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.  

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.    

It is possible to make a decision without having a meeting. Article 354 of the Civil Code of Québec recognizes the value of a written resolution: "Resolutions in writing signed by all the persons qualified to vote at a meeting are as valid as if passed at a meeting of the board of directors, at a general meeting or at a meeting of any other organ”. Co-owners and directors may make a decision by the means of a resolution in writing, without any general meeting of the board of directors or meeting of co-owners being held as such. This mechanism is provided by law, when it is not essential for a meeting or a general meeting to be convened, since the salient points of the subject to be discussed have already been dealt with, to everyone’s satisfaction. This is to avoid cumbersome formalism, although written resolutions should be used with caution and parsimony.

With respect to the Annual General Meeting, the article 1087 of the Civil Code of Québec provides that certain documents must be attached to the notice of meeting.These documents are to be sent to co-owners so that they can ascertain the exact nature of the questions and issues to be discussed. Some of these documents, described in the agenda, are a prerequisite to the validity of the decision (such as, a draft amendment to the declaration of co-ownership ). Other documents are, on the other hand, necessary for the information of the co-owners (such as, the budget forecast and the report of the Board of Directors)  

The first step in preparing a meeting of co-owners is to establish a complete agenda. This document summarizes all the questions that will have to be voted on during this general meeting. It thus lists the resolutions that will be debated and voted. Although there is no formalism surrounding its fine drafting, the agenda must be sufficiently precise. He must thus mention all the questions and points that will be submitted at the meeting. Sent to all the co-owners, this program makes it possible to organize the course of the session. Attached to the notice calling the meeting, the agenda is accompanied by the documents necessary for the reflection of the voters.

  Co-owners must make decisions that are essential for the life of their co-ownership, which cannot be adopted by the board of directors without their consent. To this end, the meeting of co-owners brings together the co-owners or their representatives, at least once a year. In this context, the taking of these decisions is subject to a strict framework. Meetings of co-owners make decisions by taking a vote. Any proposal submitted for adoption must be voted on to become a resolution. Without being exhaustive, two voting procedures are set out in article 351 of the Civil Code of Quebec: a show of hands or, upon request, a  secret ballot. The choice is predicated upon competing objectives of simplicity or confidentiality in the decision making process.  

  I was absent during the last meeting of co-owners. The directors are "all-rounders" and I don't see why I should listen to what they have to say. Moreover, as usual, they voted on completely absurd matters, such as sumptuous rehabilitation works for the entrance hall of the building. Question: Am I still obliged to submit to the decisions made there?

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.  

  Our last annual general meeting of the co-owners was opened and held by our directors. The trouble is that we do not know how to conduct an assembly. Question: Is a President of the meeting required? Do non-directors have to make notes? And who draws up the minutes?

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.