Condominiums are a convenient housing option for people in many different stages of life. Older adults may enjoy living in a condominium because they no longer have the physical ability to maintain the exterior of a property. Those just starting out their careers or with young children may want to outsource lawn care and large maintenance projects.
Living in a condo offers many of the benefits of traditional homeownership while shielding people from the maintenance obligations and expenses associated with standalone properties. The condominium association helps to ensure the maintenance of common areas and the overall structure, while individual owners are only responsible for the interiors of their units.
Those living in condos typically pay a fee every month to the condominium association. The board for their association usually needs to have regular meetings in which residents can express their concerns or wishes for the community’s future. Occasionally, the way that condo boards handle meetings might eventually lead to legal issues. One mistake, in particular, is quite common.
Boards may fail to offer open meetings
Unit owners elect the members of a condominium board and have the right to take legal action if those board members don’t serve their roles well. The state statutes in Texas discussing condominium boards require meetings that are accessible to individual unit owners. These meetings help people validate the performance of the board and take action when there are issues in the community.
At a bare minimum, a Texas condominium association needs to host at least one meeting that is open to residents each year. They need to provide advance notice of those meetings and give all unit owners a chance to provide feedback or raise concerns.
Meetings held behind closed doors are one of the ways that condominium associations violate Texas state statutes. Not holding enough meetings or excluding certain residents from attending the meetings are also potential violations of state law. When residents can show that the condominium association board has violated Texas laws, those residents may be able to seek the removal of individual board members or take other legal actions.
Complying with Texas state requirements for condominium association board meetings can help those serving on the board protect their roles and meet the needs of their community.