Online Short Course
UCT Sectional Title Meetings
Sectional title trustee and member meetings are at the heart of effective scheme management. All-important decisions are made at these meetings. Implementing unsound decisions and practices made from sectional title meetings can have a devastating effect on a sectional title scheme that can result in costly and time-consuming legal battles with affected parties.
Compiled by Graham Paddock, this practical four-week online course deals extensively with all facets of the law applicable to sectional title meetings: prescribed management rules, the law of associations, the law of meetings and the common law. The course will empower students to control and manage meetings with clarity and confidence built on a broad and thorough understanding of the law of sectional title meetings.
Module 1: Introduction & calling meetings
In the first module we introduce meetings and the types of sectional title meetings that can be held. It goes on to cover how to prepare for meeting and how to know when and why notices of meetings are required. Students will understand the law and rules that apply to the calling of trustee meetings; as well as when and how general meetings can and must be called, what documentation is needed, where meetings can be held, how to calculate notice periods and how to deliver the notices.
Module 2: Meeting formalities & chairperson’s role
In this module we deal with the required formalities at meetings, who can attend meetings, how to calculate quorums, who must chair any meeting, and we learn to draw an agenda and the minutes of a meeting. The module also shows what rules govern a chairperson’s role, how he or she is elected, what the office requires and what his or her duties and powers are at meetings.
Module 3: Making decisions in meetings
In module three we look at the rules governing meeting procedure and focuses on making decisions at meeting through motions; how they are introduces, requirements for and form of a motion and reviewing the changing and reversing of resolutions. The module also looks at the different type of motions from subsidiary motions to amend, suppress to motions to postpone and stop meetings. Students will also learn how chairpersons should deal with motions.
Module 4: Voting & elections
Module four unpacks voting and elections at sectional title meetings. Students will learn about the voting rights, disqualifications and procedures for trustee meetings as well as understand all the aspects involved in voting at general meetings; including proxies, voting rights and the different voting procedures: show of hands and poll, ballot, silent vote, special resolutions and unanimous resolutions. The module also looks at trustee and chairperson nomination and election.
Anyone who wants to be empowered in their understanding of the law of sectional title meetings, including managing agents, portfolio managers, trustees, owners, accountants, attorneys, property developers, property development financiers and other interested parties.
Graham Paddock
Graham BA.LLB (UCT) is a practising Attorney, Notary and Conveyancer, specialising in all forms of community schemes. He was the lead consultant to the government in the introduction of the Sectional Titles Schemes Management Act and the Community Schemes Ombud Service and an adjunct professor at UCT for ten years.