HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 578        FILED ON: 1/13/2017

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 700

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

John W. Scibak

_________________

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.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

John W. Scibak

2nd Hampshire

1/13/2017

James B. Eldridge

Middlesex and Worcester

 


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 578        FILED ON: 1/13/2017

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 700

By Mr. Scibak of South Hadley, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 700) of John W. Scibak and James B. Eldridge relative to the governance and meetings of condominium associations and homeowners associations.  Housing.

 

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 1135 OF 2015-2016.]

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninetieth General Court
(2017-2018)

_______________

 

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: Section 10 of Chapter 183A of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2014 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting in subsection (c)(3) after the words "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: Section 10 of Chapter 183A of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting after subsection (n) the following subsections:-

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 agendas 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 associations ballot to be voted on by the residents.