Body corp AGMs: how decisions really get made
Most owners skip the AGM, which is exactly how a handful of motivated people end up deciding what everyone pays.
Notice and quorum
General meetings need proper written notice with the agenda and resolution texts. Quorum is owners holding at least 25% of unit entitlements (present or by proxy/postal vote). No quorum, no valid decisions — and equally, decisions bundled in after 'general business' that weren't on the notice are challengeable.
Ordinary vs special resolutions
Day-to-day matters pass by ordinary resolution (simple majority). The big levers — amending operational rules, some spending and structural decisions — need special resolutions at 75%, with a defined process for a dissenting minority to object. Knowing which threshold applies to a motion tells you whether it can actually pass.
Proxies and postal votes are the real power
In buildings with absentee owners, whoever collects proxies controls the meeting. If you can't attend, a completed proxy or postal vote is the difference between having a say and funding other people's preferences. Proxy forms must be lodged as the rules require — late forms are dead forms.
Challenging a defective decision
Improper notice, no quorum, wrong resolution type, or interested-party voting can all invalidate outcomes. Raise it in writing with the committee first, then the unit titles dispute path. Time matters: challenges are far stronger before the money is spent.
A unit-title question of your own?
Levies, leaks, committees, consents, disclosure — ask in plain words and get an answer with the Unit Titles Act sections to prove it. First question free.
Ask NZ Body Corp Answers →FAQ
Can I vote if I owe levies?
Unpaid levies can cost you your vote on ordinary resolutions — pay up before the meeting if you want your say to count.
How do I get something onto the agenda?
Write to the committee/manager before the notice goes out and ask for your motion, with its text, to be included. Turning up and raising it from the floor doesn't create a binding resolution.
Was our meeting's decision even valid?
Describe what happened to NZ Body Corp Answers — notice, numbers, resolution type — and get an answer with the Unit Titles Act sections and your challenge options. First question free.
General information, not legal advice for your specific situation.
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