HOA glossaryMeetings & voting

What are minutes?

The official record of what a meeting decided — the association's institutional memory and its primary evidence.

Minutes record actions, not conversation: who was present, that quorum existed, the motions made, who moved and seconded, the vote, and any recusal. They are not a transcript, and attempting to capture debate usually produces a document that is both unusable and damaging.

They are the record a court, an auditor, a lender or a future board relies on. A decision that is not in the minutes is, for practical purposes, a decision the association cannot prove it made.

Owners generally have a statutory right to inspect them, subject to redaction of matters properly handled in executive session. Draft minutes should be approved at the next meeting and retained permanently.

Why it matters to a board

Approve minutes promptly and keep them indefinitely. They are the only continuous record across board turnover.

The common mistake

Recording opinions and arguments. Minutes that quote directors debating a delinquent owner become the plaintiff's exhibit.

Related terms

Open meetingA board meeting that members are entitled to attend, with notice given in advance, as required by many state statutes.Executive sessionThe portion of a board meeting closed to members, permitted only for defined sensitive subjects.QuorumThe minimum participation required for a meeting to conduct business validly, set by the bylaws and sometimes by statute.Board resolutionA formal, recorded-in-the-minutes decision of the board, used to adopt policies that need to be provable later.Records requestAn owner's demand to inspect association records, which most states grant subject to defined limits and exclusions.Fiduciary dutyThe obligation a director owes the association to act loyally, in good faith, and with the care a prudent person would use.
General information, not legal advice. This entry explains what the term means, not what your association must do about it. Any notice period, cure window, fine cap, vote threshold or deadline comes from your recorded declaration and your state's act — those differ in all fifty states and are amended every session. Updated August 2026. Confirm the current requirements with an attorney licensed in your state before acting.
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