Virginia Statewide Rule
Virginia HOA Board: Open Meetings & Records (Va. Code §§ 55.1-1816, 55.1-1815)
Key Facts
- Governing law
- Va. Code §§ 55.1-1816 (meetings) & 55.1-1815 (records)
- Open meetings
- Board meetings open to all members of record
- Recording
- Members may record open portions of meetings
- Executive session
- Narrow purposes; open vote; no effect until open reconvene
- Records access
- 5 days (managed) / 10 days (self-managed) notice
Summary
Virginia's § 55.1-1816 requires HOA board meetings to be open to all members of record, with published notice and a member right to record open portions; closed executive sessions are allowed only for narrow purposes after an open vote. Section 55.1-1815 gives owners the right to examine and copy association records on 5-10 business days' notice.
§ 55.1-1816 . Meetings of the board of directors. A. All meetings of the board of directors, including any subcommittee or other committee of the board of directors, where the business of the association is discussed or transacted shall be open to all members of record. The board of directors shall not use work sessions or other informal gatherings of the board of directors to circumvent the open meeting requirements of this section. Minutes of the meetings of the board of directors shall be recorded and shall be available as provided in subsection B of § 55.1-1815 . B. Notice of the time, date, and place of each meeting of the board of directors or of any subcommittee or other committee of the board of directors shall be published where it is reasonably calculated to be available to a majority of the lot owners. A lot owner may make a request to be notified on a continual basis of any such meetings. Such request shall be made at least once a year in writing and include the lot owner's name, address, zip code, and any email address as appropriate. Notice of the time, date, and place shall be sent to any lot owner requesting notice (i) by first-class mail or email in the case of meetings of the board of directors or (ii) by email in the case of meetings of any subcommittee or other committee of the board of directors.
Full Breakdown
Section 55.1-1816 provides that "all meetings of the board of directors ... shall be open to all members of record," forbids using work sessions to evade the rule, and lets "any member ... record any portion of a meeting that is required to be open." The board may enter executive session only for narrow matters such as personnel, legal advice, contracts, or litigation, and only after an open vote stating the purpose; no executive-session action is effective until the board reconvenes in open session and votes. Section 55.1-1815 lets members examine and copy records for "a proper purpose," on 5 business days' notice for professionally managed associations or 10 for self-managed ones, with costs capped at the actual cost of materials and labor.
Violations & Penalties
No specific statutory penalty. Owners enforce these procedural rights through the governing documents and, if necessary, civil action; board actions taken without proper open-meeting procedure or records access can be challenged in court.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Virginia HOA board meetings open to owners?
Can a Virginia HOA board meet in closed session?
Can I see my Virginia HOA's records?
Sources
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