The Owners Committee
What is an Owners Committee?
An owners committee is a group of individuals who act as the elected representatives of the property owners.
What is their role?
They are responsible to co-ordinate the maintenance and management of the communal areas of the building. Their primary role is performing the administration of the communal accounts, obtaining insurance, setting the budget, organising maintenance and pursuing non-paying unit owners.
While there is a set framework under the law for the committee members to be compensated for their time and effort, the vast majority are made up of volunteers who donate their time free of charge.
Who can be on the committee?
At the AGM any person can be elected onto the communal owners committee including a third party such as a tenant.
Exceptions:
a) If there are less than 3 members, the members of the committee must all be owners.
b) Any owner in arrears is ineligible to vote, therefore it is commonly accepted that they are also ineligible to be elected onto the owners committee.
Who SHOULD be on the committee
It can be difficult to find unit owners willing to put their name forward as a position on the committee can be time consuming; especially if a building is self-managed.
It is tempting the elect any owner willing to put their hands up, with the theory that any assistance is better than none.
It’s important to keep in mind the people owners elect onto the committee are placed in charge of what is Millions of euros of property, so the decision on who to put in these trusted positions should be carefully considered.
Ideally they will bring relevant skills or experience, and have a vested interest in the success of the building. Negative or argumentative individuals should be avoided, along with individuals who only wish to serve their own interests.
Look for positive owners with something to contribute:
It is always best to have a specific position to fill with clear outlines of the expected roles and responsibilities. For example, someone who is an accountant would be ideally suited for a treasurer. A building contractor may be best suited as a maintenance project leader.
