Are you a Lot owner with an idea or recommendation that you’d like to be considered – but you’re not sure how to go about it?
The good news is – if you follow this procedure, you will be heard. What you need to do is submit an “owners motion”. A motion is defined as the formal step to introduce a matter for consideration by a group.
When to submit an owners motion in Queensland
- In Queensland, a Lot owner in a body corporate scheme can submit owners motions for consideration at General Meetings at any time.
- For an owner’s motion to be considered at the Annual General Meeting, it must be received by the Secretary or Body Corporate Manager by the last day of the Body Corporate’s financial year.
- Otherwise, if a motion is submitted at any other time, it must be included on the agenda of the next Extraordinary General Meeting, whenever one is held.
- The Secretary or Body Corporate Manager must issue an invitation to submit motions to all Lot owners at least three weeks, but not more than six weeks prior to the Body Corporate’s end of financial year.
- If a motion is submitted from an owner, it must be included on the agenda of the general meeting in the form that it is submitted (i.e. without changing the wording).
How owners motions are considered
For a motion to be considered, it must:
- it must be lawful, within the power of the body corporate to enact, and must be capable of being voted upon with a clear YES or NO vote by Lot Owners (or owners may ABSTAIN to the motion).
- The motion needs to have a clear outcome if it is supported by the members.
- If the motion involves expenditure, then the motion must have an accompanying quotation for amounts up to $10,000.00.
- If the proposed expenditure is above $10,000.00, 2 quotations will need to be presented.
The Regulation Module (2008) prevents some motions from being considered more than once each year.
Owners motions may be accompanied by an explanatory note of up to 300 words. The motion and the explanatory note will be placed on the Agenda, Voting Papers and within the Schedule of Explanatory Notes as presented to the Secretary. The type of Resolution – Ordinary, Special, Majority or Resolution without Dissent – must be advised by the Owner moving the motion.
If more than one motion is received regarding the same subject, the voting paper must list, as alternatives, the substance of each original motion submitted.
A lot owner may vote either:
- for the motion, by voting for the motion and for 1 of the alternatives listed under the motion or
- against the motion.
If the motion is passed, the alternative that has the most votes is accepted.