Motions, resolutions and amendments at BC strata meetings

Last reviewed November 10, 2026, against the current Strata Property Act, Strata Property Regulation and Standard Bylaws on BC Laws.

The life of a motion

1. A member moves it: "I move that council accept the quotation of Harbour Roofing at a cost not to exceed $3,950."
2. Someone seconds it, if your practice or bylaws call for a seconder. The Standard Bylaws do not require one.
3. The chair states the motion so everyone is voting on the same words.
4. Discussion.
5. The vote.
6. The chair announces the result, and it goes in the minutes.

One motion is on the floor at a time. Discussion before a motion is fine for working out what the motion should be, but nothing is decided until a motion is voted on.

Motions that need notice

At a council meeting, any council member can make a motion on any matter within council's authority. At a general meeting it is different. The notice of meeting must describe the matters to be voted on, and must include the proposed wording of any resolution requiring a 3/4 vote, 80% vote or unanimous vote (section 45). Those resolutions cannot be introduced from the floor. Majority-vote matters can be raised under new business if the meeting accepts them, though surprising absent owners with significant business is poor practice.

Owners holding at least 20% of the votes can require a resolution to be put on the agenda of the next general meeting by written demand (section 46).

Amending a motion

An amendment changes the wording of the motion on the floor: an amount, a date, a condition. The amendment is moved, discussed and voted on first. Then the meeting votes on the main motion as amended, or as it was if the amendment failed.

For majority-vote motions, an amendment needs a majority. The proposed budget, for example, may be amended by majority vote at the AGM before it is voted on (section 103).

The special rule for 3/4 vote resolutions

Section 50(2) allows amendments to the proposed wording of a resolution requiring a 3/4 vote only if the amendments:

• do not substantially change the resolution, and
• are approved by a 3/4 vote before the vote on the resolution.

The reason is fairness to owners who read the notice and decided not to attend. Correcting a typo, fixing a date, or modestly adjusting an amount are the kinds of change usually treated as minor. Doubling a special levy, changing its purpose, or rewriting a bylaw so it does something different would be substantial. If in doubt, do not amend. Defeat or withdraw the resolution and bring a corrected one to a new meeting with proper notice.

The Act does not provide the same route for 80% or unanimous resolutions, which are measured against all eligible voters, including those not at the meeting.

Tabling, withdrawing and reconsidering

• Table or postpone. "I move that this item be tabled to the June meeting." Needs a majority. Record where it is going so it returns under unfinished business.
• Withdraw. The mover may ask to withdraw a motion before the vote. Record "withdrawn by the mover".
• Refer. Send the matter to a committee or to the manager for more information, with a date to report back.
• Call the question. A request to end discussion and vote. The chair can simply ask whether the meeting is ready to vote.
• Reconsider. Council can revisit an earlier decision by a new motion at a later meeting, provided the first decision has not already been acted on in a way that binds the strata. For general meetings, the Act has its own reconsideration process for 3/4 resolutions passed by voters holding less than half of the strata's votes (section 51).

Recording motions in the minutes

Record every motion that was voted on, whether it carried or was defeated, with the count. Record amendments in the order they were voted on. Record withdrawn motions in a line. Our motion wording examples give patterns for each.

Questions councils and owners ask

What is the difference between a motion and a resolution?

A motion is the proposal. A resolution is a motion that has been passed. In practice the words are used interchangeably, and the Act speaks of resolutions.

Can a 3/4 vote resolution be amended at the meeting?

Only if the amendment does not substantially change the resolution and is itself approved by a 3/4 vote first.

Does a motion need a seconder at a strata meeting?

Not under the Standard Bylaws. Many stratas use one by custom.

Can a motion be made on something not on the agenda?

At council, yes. At a general meeting, only for majority-vote matters, and only if the meeting accepts it. Resolutions needing higher thresholds must be in the notice.

What happens to a motion that is tabled?

It returns at the meeting named in the tabling motion, under unfinished business.

This page is general information for BC strata corporations, not legal advice. Your strata's own filed bylaws may differ from the Standard Bylaws. See the current text of the Strata Property Act and the Strata Property Regulation on BC Laws.

Related guides

Motion Wording Examples
Robert's Rules and Strata Meetings
The 3/4 Vote
How to Chair a Meeting
Voting Rules
Meeting Notice