Definition : Fund basis of accounting

The basis of the management of divided co-ownerships, the financing and accounting of syndicates of co-owners must be mastered both by those who must establish the accounts and by those who have to report to the co-owners. A syndicate of co-owners has the obligation to account for its operations by funds. The Civil Code of Québec requires the creation of a general fund, a contingency fund and and since April 2022 a self-insurance fund. The general fund for current operations is also sometimes referred to as an administration fund or an administration fund.    

At our last annual co-owner's meeting, the board of directors informed us that it was going to take $10,000 from our contingency fund to set up a self-insurance fund. To justify their decision, the directors said that this will allow to avoid putting up a special assessment. Several co-owners seemed to agree. Question: Can the board unilaterally decide to use part of the sums accumulated in the contingency fund to set up a self-insurance fund without consulting or obtaining the approval of the co-owners? And if so is this a good way to manage the funds of our co-ownership?

The statement of financial position, also known as the balance sheet, lists the assets, liabilities and net assets of the co-ownership syndicate at a specific time. It is a picture of the financial situation at a given date compared to other statements that usually cover a full fiscal year. The statement of financial position shows assets on one hand and liabilities and net assets on the other. Assets are always equal to liabilities plus net assets. Everyone knows the famous quote "nothing is lost, nothing is created, everything is transformed". This principle is reflected in accounting. The statement of financial position is always balanced since the asset is financed either by the creditors (liabilities) or by the co-owners (the net assets).