Special general meeting minutes, done properly
An SGM usually decides one big question, which makes its minutes short but high-stakes. Here is what must be in the record.
Special general meetings happen when a decision cannot wait for the AGM: a special levy for an urgent repair, a bylaw amendment, a contested issue owners want settled. Because the meeting usually exists to pass one or two resolutions, the minutes are mostly about precision: the exact wording voted on and the exact result.
How an SGM comes about
Council can call a special general meeting whenever one is needed. Owners can also force one: under section 43 of the Strata Property Act, owners holding at least 20 percent of the strata corporation's votes can demand a special general meeting by written demand, and council must hold it within four weeks. If a demanded meeting's minutes are ever challenged, the demand and the timeline are the first things examined, so record the date the demand was received.
Notice follows the same rule as an AGM: at least two weeks of written notice to owners under section 45, and the notice must include the text of any resolution requiring a three-quarter vote. Owners vote on what was circulated, so the resolution in the minutes should match the notice word for word.
What SGM minutes must record
| Item | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Meeting header: strata plan number, name, date, time, location or platform | Identifies the record for section 35 purposes |
| Proof of notice, and the purpose of the meeting | Shows section 45 was met; a demanded meeting should say so |
| Registration: units represented in person and by proxy | Feeds the quorum calculation and any per-vote counts |
| Quorum confirmed under section 48 | One third of eligible votes; no quorum, no valid decisions |
| Chair of the meeting | Someone must rule on procedure |
| Each resolution in full, with mover and seconder | The exact wording is what owners approved |
| The exact vote result: in favour, opposed, abstained | Section 35 requires the results of votes; three-quarter votes need real numbers |
| Adjournment time | Closes the record |
For three-quarter vote resolutions, record the counted numbers, not "carried by a clear majority". The threshold is mathematical and someone may check the math.
Why precision matters more at an SGM
SGM resolutions tend to be the expensive kind. A special levy resolution is the document your treasurer collects money under. A bylaw amendment must be filed at the Land Title Office with the vote certified. If the minutes are vague about wording or count, the strata can end up unable to prove its own decision. Our guides to special levies and voting thresholds cover the two most common SGM subjects in detail.
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This page is general information for BC strata councils, not legal advice. See the current text of the Strata Property Act and the Strata Property Regulation on BC Laws.