Board Boots Owners Out of Meeting

[CindyLouWho2]

What is the name of your state? IL
At a quarterly board meeting tonight, the President of the board told all owners to leave because they were going into "executive session". My understanding was that in Illinois only 3 issues could be discussed behind closed doors. Litigation, employee details, and fines. The attorney agreed with me, but said there was a new definition of what constitutes a "meeting" in IL. He said they could meet as long as there were no votes. He caught me off guard, so we all left. I can't find anything about that change in IL.

 

[HomeGuru]

What is the name of your state? IL
At a quarterly board meeting tonight, the President of the board told all owners to leave because they were going into "executive session". My understanding was that in Illinois only 3 issues could be discussed behind closed doors. Litigation, employee details, and fines. The attorney agreed with me, but said there was a new definition of what constitutes a "meeting" in IL. He said they could meet as long as there were no votes. He caught me off guard, so we all left. I can't find anything about that change in IL.

**A: thanks for posting.

 

[CindyLouWho2]

Welcome. But, I don't have any evidence of this change. The Board was flabbergasted with mouths fully agape when I asked for the agenda of the Executive session. The attorney said that it didn't constitute a "meeting" if there was discussion only, therefore our right to observe was not in place. He suggested that this was some change in the definition of the meeting, ie, 4 Board members casually meet, should unit owners have right to notice? Apparently the answer to that is now NO. But, how on earth does a quarterly Board meeting escape the Unit owners right to observe regardless of whether anything will be voted on? Thanks for any direction.

 

[HomeGuru]

who is "the attorney"? Hired by the HOA?

 

[CindyLouWho2]

Attorney was, as he said, not the Association attorney, hired as a consultant for the meeting only. I asked him if he was there to represent the Board and Property Manager and he said yes. (I saw his name on a resolution recorded last year also, so he must come on board (no pun) occasionally). He appeared to be mortified at some of the behavior and procedures of our Board. He told me candidly when all the Board members ran out of the room that he planned on informing them of many improprieties that occurred during the meeting. The president had adjourned the meeting while we were still asking questions, without motion. (Must have been a rerun of Quincy on at 9pm)
I guess the bigger question is, even if they were obviously violating our rights as owners, short of lining them up for the "spanking machine", what is our recourse? And, did IL law actually change to redefine a "meeting"?
We have a very unfortunate "adversarial atmosphere" at all Board meetings that, to the delight of the Board, keeps attendance down, and generally no one has to miss Quincy. I understand the long term solution to that problem, but what to do in the meantime?

 

[HomeGuru]

Attorney was, as he said, not the Association attorney, hired as a consultant for the meeting only. I asked him if he was there to represent the Board and Property Manager and he said yes. (I saw his name on a resolution recorded last year also, so he must come on board (no pun) occasionally). He appeared to be mortified at some of the behavior and procedures of our Board. He told me candidly when all the Board members ran out of the room that he planned on informing them of many improprieties that occurred during the meeting. The president had adjourned the meeting while we were still asking questions, without motion. (Must have been a rerun of Quincy on at 9pm)
I guess the bigger question is, even if they were obviously violating our rights as owners, short of lining them up for the "spanking machine", what is our recourse? And, did IL law actually change to redefine a "meeting"?
We have a very unfortunate "adversarial atmosphere" at all Board meetings that, to the delight of the Board, keeps attendance down, and generally no one has to miss Quincy. I understand the long term solution to that problem, but what to do in the meantime?

**A: owmers need to band together and hire their own attorney.