Voting at meetings, in person and by proxy

The covenants and the bylaws of The Planters HOA allow homeowners to give their right to vote to another homeowner, if he or she is not present at the meeting. Please note the following:

• The covenants (Article IV, Section 2) and bylaws (Article III, section 4) state that each Class A home  (e.g. each street address) in the neighborhood can cast one vote at a meeting. Even if multiple homeowners are listed on the deed to a home, and even of all of the individuals who are named on the deed are present at a meeting, those individuals can only case one vote. Therefore, only one proxy form can be submitted for each home. Example: Dave and Sally are both named on the deed to their home, and they both are in attendance at a meeting. They can only cast one vote between the two of them.
  • According to the HOA’s records, there are exactly 400 homes in the neighborhood. Thus, there can be no more than 400 votes cast at any meeting. 
  • Tenants who are renting their home are not entitled to vote at a meeting. The owner of the home can allow the tenant to vote on the owner’s behalf, by giving the tenant a signed proxy form.
• The proxy form must designate a specific individual (this individual is referred to as the “proxy”) who is granted the authority vote on the other homeowner’s behalf. The proxy has the authority to cast the homeowner’s vote at the meeting, as the proxy sees fit. The homeowner may tell his or her proxy how he or she wants to vote at the meeting, but the proxy is not required to abide by this request. Keep in mind that at the Biannual Membership meetings, the matters that are going to come up for a vote are not always mentioned on the agenda, since homeowners can make motions at the meeting.
• A homeowner who attends the meeting can cast one vote for his or her home, plus one vote for each homeowner who has given that homeowner a proxy form. Example: Jill attends the meeting with 10 proxy forms. She can cast 11 votes: 1 vote for her own home, plus one vote for each homes represented on  the proxy form.
• After a proxy form is completed, the form can be given to another homeowner who is going to attend the meeting. The form can also be mailed to the resident Manager by e-mail, by mailing it to PO Box 774; Cassville, GA 30123-0774, or by placing it in the secure mailbox at the clubhouse (located to the right of the front doors.) Proxies that are sent to the Resident Manager must be received by the Resident Manager before the meeting.
  • If a homeowner attends a meeting virtually (e.g. by a Zoom teleconference,) then and and all proxy form(s) that name that homeowner as a proxy must be received by the Resident Manager before the meeting.
• A proxy is null and void if the homeowner who signed the proxy for is present at the meeting. Example: Jack signs a proxy for and gives it to Jill. If Jack decides to to be present at the meeting during a vote, then the proxy form he signed is automatically null and void