I can't make the meeting: how to delegate your vote properly

Half of all quorum problems would disappear with properly drafted proxies.

How to delegate

In writing, signed by the owner, identifying the specific meeting (date) and the person being authorised. A plain sheet of paper will do, or a clear email from the owner's known address, or the form attached to the notice of meeting (good practice: always include one).

To whom

To anyone: another neighbour, a spouse, a relative. They do not need to be an owner.

With or without instructions

• With instructions ("vote YES to the levy"): the proxy must follow them.
• Open proxy: the representative votes as they see fit. Perfectly legal, but it pays to know who you are handing it to.

The mistakes that void a proxy

• Verbal delegations ("he told me he was voting yes"): worthless.
• Generic written authorities with no meeting date, recycled year after year: open to challenge.
• The debtor: can delegate, but their vote remains suspended — a proxy does not wash away the debt.

For the secretary

Attach the proxies to the minutes (or keep them with the minutes) and record in the attendance list who was represented and by whom. It is the first thing anyone checks when a resolution is challenged.