HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 278        FILED ON: 1/13/2011

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 379

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

John W. Scibak

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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act relative to condominiums or homeowners association governance and meetings.

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PETITION OF:

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 278        FILED ON: 1/13/2011

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 379

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the Year Two Thousand Eleven

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An Act relative to condominiums or homeowners association governance and meetings.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1: Subsection of C, clause 3, of Section 10 of Chapter 183A of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2008 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the words in line 71 “to the extent such minutes are kept”, the following words:-

“which shall include decisions made during the meetings of condominium or home owners associations that directly affect the unit owners”

SECTION 2: Chapter 183A of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2008 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting at the end of the Section 10 the following paragraphs:-

o) All unit owners should be given reasonable notice of all regularly scheduled open and relevant board meetings of the organization of unit owners, including information on the meetings logistics and the agenda’s subject matters. There shall be accurate and complete minutes of said meetings, which are to be available to the complex’s residents within thirty days of the meeting recorded. 

p) The trustee chair of the condominium or homeowners association shall reside within the condominium that the association is governing. The trustee chair position shall be chosen by annual election within the association. An individual cannot hold the trustee chair position for more than 1 one-year term within a three-year period. At least a month prior to annual elections of new board members, a notification shall be sent out to the complex owners stating what trustee position term is expiring and what steps an interested condominium owner may take to be considered for election on the next ballot.

q) Residents shall be able to petition to trustee board, with a minimum of 25 percent of the signatures of the complex’s total residents, to place the subject of the petition on the association’s ballot to be voted on by the residents.