The General Members’ Meeting (ALV)
Frequency of meetings. The homeowners’ association (VvE) must hold an ALV at least once a year. An ALV of a VvE is a meeting with all members of the VvE — in other words, with all owners in the apartment building concerned. Every owner receives an invitation in advance with an agenda listing the matters on which decisions need to be taken. The ALV is the highest decision-making body within the VvE. The board takes the initiative for the ALV and, within the statutory notice period, provides the members with the agenda, the financial statements and any other relevant documents.
Agenda items. At this ALV, at the very least, the annual accounts for the past year are discussed and approved; decisions are taken on the budget for the coming year; the members’ monthly VvE contributions are set; the budgets for major maintenance are determined; and the board is granted discharge. Discharge means that the ALV approves the policy pursued by the board over the past financial year.
Quorum. To take legally valid decisions at the ALV, a quorum requirement applies. This means that a certain number of owners must be present for the meeting to be legally valid. This quorum is laid down in the applicable deed of division (splitsingsakte). If an owner is unable to attend, they can authorise someone else, by written proxy, to vote on their behalf at the ALV.
Voting. At the ALV, all owners or their proxies are entitled to vote. As a rule, a majority of 50% is enough to make decisions on the agenda items legally valid.
Minutes. The secretary of the board or the administrative manager takes the minutes of the meeting. The minutes are archived by the secretary or administrative manager and kept for at least 7 years.
Signing authority. Without the consent of the ALV, the board cannot make any large expenditures unless these have been approved in advance by the ALV and recorded in the minutes of the members’ meeting.
There is often also a signing authority for small expenditures, established by the ALV. This prevents the ALV from having to convene every time to approve a minor expense. Think of expenses for small repairs (such as a faulty door) or purchases (such as spare light bulbs).
House rules. The ALV also draws up house rules (huishoudelijk reglement, or HHR). The HHR contains mutual agreements that are not laid down in the deed of division (splitsingsakte). Think, for example, of agreements about safety, noise nuisance, order and tidiness in the building, what is and is not allowed on balconies, which sun blinds are permitted, and so on.