Frequently Asked Questions

What is an Owners Corporation? The body - sometimes called the corporation - to which all unit owners belong as members. The Owners Corporation holds the Crown Lease of the common property and manages collective affairs of the unit owners.

What is the Executive Committee? The executive committee manages the affairs of the owners corporation, subject to resolutions passed at general meetings of the owners corporation.

What is a General Meeting? A General Meeting is a meeting of all unit owners who have the ultimate say in the affairs of the owners corporation. The Annual General Meeting (AGM) is the most regularly held general meeting, but general meetings may be held on other occasions.

What is a Special Resolution? A resolution of a general meeting of an owners corporation for which:

·        The votes against number fewer than one-third of the total number cast.

·        On a poll—the voting value of the votes against (calculated by reference to the relevant unit entitlements) is less than one-third of the total unit entitlements present.
 

What is a Ordinary Resolution? A resolution at a general meeting of an owners corporation for which:


What are the Default Articles? The articles of an owners corporation are rules—local laws, in effect—governing unit owners, occupiers of units and the corporation and executive committee. A set of default articles is included in the Unit Titles Regulations (sch 1), which apply unless replaced by the owners corporation, and which can be varied by the owners corporation. Additional articles about the conciliation of disputes (which cannot be replaced or varied) apply for owners corporations with only 2 or 3 unit owners.

What is a Poll?  A method of counting of votes at a general meeting of an owners corporation that calculates the voting value (or weight) of the votes cast in accordance with their unit entitlements. Any voter can call for a poll on a motion requiring an ordinary or special resolution at a general meeting. Voting on unopposed and unanimous resolutions is based on the absence of opposition, so polls are irrelevant to these.

 

What is Proxy Vote?  A vote at a general meeting of an owners corporation made by a person present at the meeting on behalf of a person not present at the meeting. The absent person must be entitled to vote, and must sign and give to the person who is to cast the proxy vote a form known as a proxy. A person authorised to vote for someone else in this way may also be referred to as a proxy for the absent voter.

 A proxy form (approved by the executive committee) must be given to everyone entitled to vote with a notice of general meeting.

 

What is a Quorum?  The number of persons entitled to vote at a general meeting, or a meeting of the executive committee, who must be present before the meeting can proceed.

 

What is a reduced-quorum general meeting?  A general meeting of an owners corporation held with a quorum of two persons who can vote, if a full quorum is not present within half an hour after the time fixed for the start of the meeting.

 

What is an unanimous resolution?  A resolution at a general meeting of an owners corporation for which both:

 

What is an unopposed resolution?  A resolution of a general meeting of an owners corporation passed without any votes cast against it.