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New HOA Secretary

Just elected HOA secretary? Here's what you own.

The secretary is the record-keeper of the HOA — meeting minutes, governing documents, homeowner notices, and official correspondence all flow through you. Here's how to get organized.

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What the secretary owns

Four categories of records that every HOA secretary is responsible for from the moment they take office.

MM

Meeting Minutes

The legal record of every board decision. Permanent records — never discard.

GD

Governing Documents

CC&Rs, bylaws, rules — and every amendment ever made to them.

HR

Homeowner Roster

Current names, addresses, and contact info for every lot.

NC

Official Notices & Correspondence

Meeting notices, demand letters, lien notices, certified mailings.

Your first 90 days

Eight things to do before your first board meeting as secretary.

  1. 1

    Get access to all existing records — where are the minute books, governing documents, and homeowner roster stored?

  2. 2

    Audit the minute books — when were minutes last recorded? Are there gaps?

  3. 3

    Verify the homeowner roster is current — outdated contacts mean undeliverable notices

  4. 4

    Locate all governing document amendments — many HOAs have CC&R amendments that aren't attached to the original document

  5. 5

    Review your state's records retention requirements — know the minimum you must keep and for how long

  6. 6

    Set a records storage system — off one person's email; accessible to future secretaries

  7. 7

    Review the annual meeting notice timeline — when is the next annual meeting and what notice is required?

  8. 8

    Draft a notice template — for board meetings and annual meetings per your bylaws

What goes in HOA meeting minutes

Meeting minutes are a legal record, not a transcript. Include enough to show what the board decided and why — nothing more.

Include

  • ✓Quorum confirmation
  • ✓Motions with exact wording
  • ✓Vote counts (for, against, abstain)
  • ✓Action items with responsible party
  • ✓Executive session notation (topic only, not content)

Don't include

  • ✕Verbatim arguments or debates
  • ✕Personal opinions of individual members
  • ✕Member complaints word-for-word
  • ✕Anything that creates unnecessary legal liability

Minutes are draft until approved at the next meeting. Note this on the document until the board votes to approve them.

Keep records where every future secretary can find them

The most common records failure in HOAs isn't losing documents — it's storing them in one person's email or personal Dropbox folder. When that person leaves the board, the records go with them.

  • Document library for meeting minutes and governing documents — organized, searchable, and not locked in anyone's inbox
  • Homeowner roster always current — no separate spreadsheet to maintain
  • Board access from any device — not locked in one board member's personal email account
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Frequently asked questions

What does an HOA secretary do?▾
The HOA secretary is responsible for the official records of the association. Core duties include: preparing and distributing meeting notices with proper advance timing (as specified in the governing documents); recording accurate minutes at board meetings and homeowner meetings; maintaining the official corporate records — meeting minutes, governing documents, CC&R amendments, resolutions, election results; managing the homeowner roster and keeping contact information current; tracking proxy submissions for annual meetings; and certifying copies of official records when homeowners request them. In many HOAs, the secretary also handles official correspondence — formal notices to homeowners, demand letters, and certified mailings.
What meeting notice requirements do HOA secretaries need to follow?▾
Notice requirements vary by state law and governing documents — always check both. Common requirements: board meetings typically require 48–72 hours posted notice in a conspicuous location, or notice to all members in some states; annual meetings typically require 10–30 days written notice delivered to each member's address of record. For special meetings with significant business (budget adoption, assessment increases, rule amendments), notice requirements are often longer and more formal — sometimes requiring certified mail. If you miss a notice requirement, decisions made at that meeting may be challengeable. When in doubt, give more notice than you think you need.
How do I take proper HOA meeting minutes?▾
HOA meeting minutes are a legal record, not a transcript. Record: the meeting type (regular board meeting, special meeting, annual meeting), date, time, and location; who was present (board members and whether quorum was met); motions made — the exact wording, who made the motion, who seconded it, and the vote count; key discussions that led to significant decisions (not word-for-word, just enough context); action items — what was decided, who is responsible, by when; and any executive session that occurred (note that it happened and its general subject, without disclosing content). What NOT to include: member complaints verbatim, personal opinions, heated exchanges, or anything that shouldn't be part of a permanent record. Minutes are approved at the next meeting — until approved, they are draft minutes.
What records is the HOA secretary responsible for keeping?▾
The secretary is typically the custodian of: meeting minutes (all board and member meetings), governing documents (CC&Rs, bylaws, rules — including all amendments), election records (ballots, proxy forms, tallies), board resolutions and policies, official correspondence, and the homeowner roster. Some states specify minimum records retention periods. Florida, for example, requires HOAs to retain most official records for 7 years. Even where not required by law, retain meeting minutes permanently — they are evidence of decisions the board made and why. Store electronic copies in a system that doesn't depend on one person's email account.
How does the HOA secretary handle proxy voting?▾
Proxies allow a homeowner to authorize another person to vote on their behalf at a meeting — important for quorum at annual meetings. The secretary's role: distribute proxy forms with the meeting notice, collect and validate proxies before the meeting (check that they're signed, dated, identify the meeting, and name the proxy holder), count proxies toward quorum, and retain proxy forms as official records. Some states have specific rules about proxy format, duration, and what votes can be cast by proxy. Check your state's HOA statute and governing documents before the annual meeting.
Can Hivepoint help an HOA secretary manage records?▾
Yes. Hivepoint provides a document library where the secretary can store and organize governing documents, meeting minutes, notices, and official correspondence — accessible to board members from any device. Homeowner contact information and the lot roster are centrally managed, so the secretary isn't maintaining a separate spreadsheet. In Community Edition, homeowners can access documents through the resident portal — reducing records request volume. Hivepoint doesn't write minutes for you, but it gives you a place to store, organize, and share them without depending on one board member's personal email.

Get your records organized from day one

Hivepoint gives the secretary a central place for every document, every notice, and every homeowner record — accessible to the whole board, not just you.

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