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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>64764</law_id><section_number>55.1-1953</section_number><catch_line>Meetings of unit owners&amp;#8217; association and executive board; voting by unit owners; proxies</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>55.1-1952</reference><reference>55.1-1962</reference><reference>55.1-1964</reference><reference>55.1-1973</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="55.1">Property and Conveyances</unit><unit label="subtitle" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="IV">Common Interest Communities</unit><unit label="chapter" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="19">Virginia Condominium Act</unit><unit label="article" level="4" order_by="1" identifier="3">Management of Condominium</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> The bylaws may allocate to each unit depicted on plats and plans that comply with subsections A and B of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Contents of plats and plans" href="/55.1-1920/">55.1-1920</a> a number of votes in the <span class="dictionary">unit owners</span>&#x2019; association proportionate to the undivided interest in the <span class="dictionary">common elements</span> appertaining to each such unit. <a id="paragraph-235666" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/55.1-1953/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> Otherwise, the bylaws shall allocate to each such unit an equal number of votes in the <span class="dictionary">unit owners</span>&#x2019; association, subject to the following exception: Each <span class="dictionary">convertible space</span> so depicted shall be allocated a number of votes in the <span class="dictionary">unit owners</span>&#x2019; association proportionate to the <span class="dictionary">size</span> of each such space, vis-a-vis the aggregate <span class="dictionary">size</span> of all <span class="dictionary">units</span> so depicted, while the remaining votes in the <span class="dictionary">unit owners</span>&#x2019; association shall be allocated equally to the other <span class="dictionary">units</span> so depicted. <a id="paragraph-235667" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/55.1-1953/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> Since a <span class="dictionary">unit owner</span> may be more than one <span class="dictionary">person</span>, if only one of such <span class="dictionary">persons</span> is present at a meeting of the <span class="dictionary">unit owners</span>&#x2019; association, that <span class="dictionary">person</span> shall be entitled to cast the votes appertaining to that unit. If more than one of such <span class="dictionary">persons</span> is present, the vote appertaining to that unit shall be cast only in accordance with their unanimous agreement unless the <span class="dictionary">condominium</span> instruments expressly provide otherwise, and such consent shall be conclusively presumed if any one of them purports to cast the votes appertaining to that unit without protest being made forthwith by any of the others to the <span class="dictionary">person</span> presiding over the meeting. For purposes of this subsection, &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">person</span>&#x201D; is deemed to include any natural <span class="dictionary">person</span> having authority to execute deeds on behalf of any <span class="dictionary">person</span>, excluding natural <span class="dictionary">persons</span>, that is, either alone or in conjunction with another <span class="dictionary">person</span>, a <span class="dictionary">unit owner</span>. <a id="paragraph-235668" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/55.1-1953/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="D"><p><span class="prefix-number">D.</span> The votes appertaining to any unit may be cast pursuant to a proxy duly executed by or on behalf of the <span class="dictionary">unit owner</span>, or, in cases where the <span class="dictionary">unit owner</span> is more than one <span class="dictionary">person</span>, by or on behalf of all such <span class="dictionary">unit owners</span>. No such proxy shall be revocable except by actual notice to the <span class="dictionary">person</span> presiding over the meeting, by the <span class="dictionary">unit owner</span> or by any of such <span class="dictionary">persons</span>, that it be revoked. Except to the extent otherwise provided in the <span class="dictionary">condominium</span> instruments, any proxy is void if it is not dated, or if it purports to be revocable without the required notice. Any proxy shall be void if not signed by or on behalf of the <span class="dictionary">unit owner</span>. If the <span class="dictionary">unit owner</span> is more than one <span class="dictionary">person</span>, any such <span class="dictionary">unit owner</span> may <span class="dictionary">object</span> to the proxy at or prior to the meeting, whereupon the proxy shall be deemed revoked. Any proxy shall terminate after the first meeting held on or after the date of that proxy or any recess or adjournment of that meeting. The proxy shall include a <span class="dictionary">brief</span> explanation of the effect of leaving the proxy uninstructed. <a id="paragraph-235669" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/55.1-1953/#D"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="E"><p><span class="prefix-number">E.</span> Unless expressly prohibited by the <span class="dictionary">condominium</span> instruments, a <span class="dictionary">unit owner</span> may vote at a meeting of the <span class="dictionary">unit owners</span>&#x2019; association in <span class="dictionary">person</span>, by proxy, or by absentee ballot. Such voting may take place by <span class="dictionary">electronic means</span>, provided that the <span class="dictionary">executive board</span> has adopted guidelines for such voting by <span class="dictionary">electronic means</span>. <span class="dictionary">Unit owners</span> voting by absentee ballot or proxy shall be deemed to be present at the meeting for all purposes. <a id="paragraph-235670" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/55.1-1953/#E"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="F"><p><span class="prefix-number">F.</span> If 50 percent or more of the votes in the <span class="dictionary">unit owners</span>&#x2019; association appertain to 25 percent or less of the <span class="dictionary">units</span>, then in any case where a majority vote is required by the <span class="dictionary">condominium</span> instruments or by this chapter, the requirement for such a majority shall be deemed to include, in addition to the specified majority of the votes, assent by the <span class="dictionary">unit owners</span> of a like majority of the <span class="dictionary">units</span>. <a id="paragraph-235671" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/55.1-1953/#F"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="G"><p><span class="prefix-number">G.</span> All votes appertaining to <span class="dictionary">units</span> owned by the <span class="dictionary">unit owners</span>&#x2019; association shall be deemed present for quorum purposes at all duly called meetings of the <span class="dictionary">unit owners</span>&#x2019; association and shall be deemed cast in the same proportions as the votes cast by <span class="dictionary">unit owners</span> other than the <span class="dictionary">unit owners</span>&#x2019; association. <a id="paragraph-235672" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/55.1-1953/#G"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="H"><p><span class="prefix-number">H.</span> Except to the extent that the <span class="dictionary">condominium</span> instruments provide otherwise, the voting interest allocated to the unit or member that has been suspended by the <span class="dictionary">unit owners</span>&#x2019; association or the <span class="dictionary">executive board</span> pursuant to the <span class="dictionary">condominium</span> instruments shall not be counted in the total number of voting interests used to determine the quorum for any meeting or vote under the <span class="dictionary">condominium</span> instruments. <a id="paragraph-235673" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/55.1-1953/#H"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>1974, c. 416, &#xA7; 55-79.77; 1980, c. 108; 1991, c. 497; 1993, c. 667; 1998, c. 32; 2003, c. 442; 2015, c. 214; 2019, cc. 367, 712; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, cc. 9, 494.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
