By-Laws Of
WOODLANDS OWNERS ASSOCIATION, INC.
Voted and Approved July 1, 2023, Annual Meeting
ARTICLE ONE
Organization
1) The name of this organization shall be the Woodlands Owners Association, Inc. hereinafter referred to in these Bylaws as “THE WOODLANDS”.
2) The organization shall have a corporate seal which shall be in the following form:
3) The organization may, at its pleasure, by a vote of more than 50% of the membership body in good standing, change its name.
ARTICLE TWO
Purposes
The corporation does not contemplate pecuniary gain or profit, direct or indirect, to its members. The general nature of the objects and purposes for which this corporation is formed is to promote the health, safety and welfare of the members of this corporation who are owners of real property in THE WOODLANDS, a Subdivision according to the Plat thereof filed April 7, 1980 and recorded in Plat Book 8, Page 24, public records of Martin County, Florida, including the Declaration of Amended and Restated Protective Covenants recorded October 15,2020 in Official Records Book 3165, Page 2378 public records of Martin County, Florida, and for these purposes too:
A. Maintain those private streets and parking areas within THE WOODLANDS that are not otherwise dedicated or located on any individually owned lot.
B. Maintain, preserve and keep clean the drainage system within THE WOODLANDS, including the lake, swales and nature areas, not otherwise titled to a Lot Owner.
C. See that all covenants, restrictions, zoning ordinances and regulations applicable to THE WOODLANDS are duly enforced.
D. Insofar as permitted by law, to do any other thing that, in the opinion of the Board of Directors of this corporation, will promote the common benefit and enjoyment of the owners of THE WOODLANDS.
This corporation shall have all the powers conferred upon a not-for-profit corporation by the laws of the State of Florida except as the same may be limited in the Articles of Incorporation or by the By-Laws.
Article Three
Membership
Membership in this organization shall be open to each person and entity
who is an owner of record of the fee simple title to any lot in THE WOODLANDS.
Such person or entity shall automatically be a member of this Corporation by
virtue of such ownership. A mortgagee of any such lot shall not be a member of
this Corporation unless and until such mortgagee has acquired title to such lot,
pursuant to forclosure or any proceeding in lieu of foreclosure. Membership
dues and assessments may be charged and collected, and provision therefore
may be prescribed in the By-Laws of this Corporation, and by such By-Laws the
Board of Directors may be empowered to determine and collect such fees, dues
and assessments.
Article Four
Meetings
1.) The Annual membership meeting of this organization shall be held on the
most acceptable day between June 15th and June 30th each year. The
Secretary shall mail to every member in good standing at his address as it
appears in the membership roll book of this organization a notice telling the time
and place of such annual meeting no less than 14 days and more than 30 days prior to the meeting date. At least twenty percent (20%) of the homeowners in good standing, including 3 officers or directors, must attend each annual meeting to constitute a quorum to conduct business and elect new officers. A lesser number may adjourn the meeting for a period of not more than fourteen days or two weeks from the date scheduled and the secretary shall cause a notice of this scheduled meeting to be sent to those members who were not present at the meeting originally called. Absentee ballots shall be considered as a member attending the annual meeting.
2.) Regular meetings of this organization shall be held as called by the Board of Directors. The presence of not less than four elected or appointed board members shall be necessary to conduct the business of this organization and will constitute a quorum for regular board meetings. A seven-day notice shall be delivered, mailed or sent electronically to each homeowner. Any owner wishing to be heard at a meeting must notify the president at least three days prior to the meeting.
3.(A) Special meetings of this organization may be called by the president when he
deems it in the best interest of the organization. Notices of such meeting shall
be mailed to all members at their addresses as they appear in the membership
roll or tax roll at least seven days but not more than thirty days before the
scheduled date set for such special meeting. Such notice shall state the reasons
that such meeting has been called, the business to be transacted at such
meeting and by whom called. A quorum shall be the same as required in Section 1 of this article.
(B) At the request of four members of the Board of Directors or twenty members
of the organization the president shall cause a special meeting to be called but
such request must be made in writing at least fourteen days before the requested
scheduled date.
(C) No other business but that specified in the notice may be transacted at such
special meeting without the majority consent of all present at such meeting.
4.) Electronic mail may be utilized for notification of meeting schedules as allowed by the State of Florida Statute 720. Written Authorization from each Member Lot is required.
Article Five
Voting
1.) The association shall have only (1) class of voting membership and each
owner shall be entitled to one (1) vote for each lot owned in THE WOODLANDS,
provided that where title to any lot is vested to two or more persons or entities,
the vote for such ownership shall be exercised as they among themselves
determine, but in any event only one vote may be cast with respect to each lot.
2.) At all meetings, except for the election of officers and directors, all votes shall
at the direction of the Board of Directors be via voice or paper ballot. For election of officers, ballots shall be provided and there shall not appear any place on such ballot any mark or marking that might tend to indicate the person who cast such ballot.
3.) No board or committee member shall vote as a board or committee member or take any action as an officer, director or committee member of the Association on any matter in which they are in a dispute or personal involvement with any other lot owner of the Woodlands.
4.) Members no longer in good standing will forfeit all voting rights until such time as the member has regained “good standing”. Members not current in payment of annual dues, assessments, fines or penalties will be considered as not in good standing.
5.) At all voting by written ballot the chairman of such meeting shall immediately prior to the commencement of balloting, appoint member(s), up to three in number, who shall act as inspector(s) of election” and who shall at the conclusion of such
balloting, certify in writing to the chairman the results, and the certified copy shall
be physically affixed in the minute book to the minutes of that meeting.
6.) No inspector of election shall be a candidate for office or shall be personally
interested in the question voted upon.
Article Six
Order of Business
1 – Roll Call
2 – Reading of the minutes of the preceding meeting
3 – Reports of Committees
4 – Reports of Officers
5 – Old and unfinished business
6 – New business
7 – Good and welfare
8 – Adjournment
Article Seven
Board of Directors
1.) The business of this organization shall be managed by a Board of Directors
consisting of three (3) elected Directors together with the officers of this organization. At least one of the directors elected must be a resident of the State of Florida and a citizen of the United States.
2.) The directors for the ensuing year shall be chosen at the annual meeting of
this organization in the same manner and style as the officers of this organization
and they shall serve for a term of one year.
3.) The Board of Directors shall have control and management of the affairs.
and business of this organization. Such Board of Directors shall only act in the
name of the organization when it shall be regularly convened by its chairman.
after due notice to all directors of such meeting.
4.) Four of the members of the Board of Directors shall constitute a quorum and
the meetings of the Board of Directors shall be held regularly on the request of
the President or the request of three board members.
5.) Each director shall have one vote and such voting may not be done by proxy.
6.) The Board of Directors may make such rules and regulations covering its
meetings as it may in its discretion determine necessary.
7.) Vacancies in the said Board of Directors shall be filled by a vote of the
majority of the remaining members of the Board of Directors for the balance of
the term.
8.) The President of the organization by virtue of his office shall be chairman of
the Board of Directors.
9.) Any officer or director may be removed when sufficient cause exists for such removal by a majority vote of the Board of Directors at a meeting called at least or in part for the purpose of considering such removal. Any officer or director may be removed with cause for any reason, by a vote or agreement in writing by a majority of all votes of the Membership.
Article Eight
Officers
The officers of this organization shall be:
President
Vice-President
Secretary
Treasurer
The President shall preside at all membership meetings. He, by virtue of his
Office shall be chairman of the Board of Directors.
He shall present at each annual meeting of the organization an annual report
of the work of the organization.
He shall appoint all committees, temporary or permanent.
He shall see all books, reports and certificates as required by law are properly
kept or filed.
He shall be one of the officers who may sign the checks or drafts of the organization.
He shall have such powers as may be reasonably construed as belonging to
the chief executive of any organization.
The Vice President shall in the event of the absence or inability of the
President to exercise his office become acting president of the organization with
all the rights, privileges and powers as if he had been the duly elected president.
The Secretary shall keep the minutes and records of the organization in
appropriate books.
It shall be his duty to file any certificate required by any statute, federal or state.
He shall give and serve all notices to members of this organization.
He shall be the official custodian of the records and seal of this organization. He shall keep all original corporate recorded documents and other pertinent records. Said seal, documents and records shall be placed in a safe deposit box for retention at a local bank with the President and Secretary as key holders.
He may be one of the officers required to sign the checks of the organization.
He shall present to the membership at any meetings any communication addressed to him as Secretary of the organization.
He shall submit to the Board of Directors any communications addressed to
him as Secretary of the organization.
He shall attend to all correspondence of the organization and shall exercise all
duties incident to the office of Secretary.
The Treasurer shall have the care and custody of all monies belonging to the
organization and shall be solely responsible for such monies or securities of the
organization. He shall cause to be deposited in a demand deposit account at a federally insured bank or trust company sufficient operating funds and the balance of the funds of the organization shall be deposited in a federally insured savings account or certificates of deposit, except that the Board of Directors may cause such funds to be invested in such investments as shall be legal for a federally insured bank in the State of Florida.
He must be one of the officers who shall sign checks of the organization. No
special fund may be set aside that shall make it unnecessary for the treasurer to
sign the checks issued upon it.
He shall render at stated periods as the Board of Directors shall determine a
written account of the finances of the organization and such report shall be
physically affixed to the minutes of the Board of Directors of such meeting.
He shall exercise all duties incident to the office of Treasurer.
Officers shall by virtue of their office be members of the Board of Directors.
No officer shall for reason of his office be entitled to receive any salary or
compensation, but nothing herein shall be construed to prevent an officer or
director for receiving any compensation from the Association for duties other than
as a director or officer. Officers and directors can be repaid for association
expenses if approved by the Board of Directors as reasonable and legitimate.
All repayment requests must be in writing and accompanied by receipts if
applicable.
Article Nine
Salaries
The Board of Directors shall hire and fix the compensation of any and all
employees which they in their discretion shall determine to be necessary in the
conduct of the business of the organization.
Article Ten
Committees
All committees of this organization shall be appointed by the President and
their term of office shall be for an indefinite period as determined by the action of
the President.
The permanent committees shall be:
Covenant compliance
Landscape
Architectural Review
Article Eleven
Dues
The dues amount shall be subject to change as determined by the Board
of Directors based on cost of maintenance and services and establishment of
adequate reserves for future major expenses. The dues of this organization shall
be payable on the 1st day of July and become delinquent on July 31st each year. Any increase in dues requires a 30-day notice for payment to all Member Lots.
Article Twelve
Liability and indemnity
Officers and Directors, giving of their time, knowledge and energy, shall be protected from legal and financial burdens that may occur as a result of their service for the Woodlands. Said officers and directors shall be protected by a Directors and Officers (D & O) liability policy purchased from a company approved by the Florida State Insurance Commissioner. Coverage shall include the Woodlands and the individual. This will be in addition to the General Liability coverage required for the Woodlands common area.
Article Thirteen
Amendments
These By-Laws may be altered, amended, repealed or added to by an
affirmative vote of a quorum as defined in Article 4, section 1, of these By-Laws at an annual or special meeting, of not less than a majority in attendance as members in good standing, or by a signed ballot delivered to an officer of the Association one (1) day prior to the meeting.
Article Fourteen
Board of Governors as referenced in the Articles of Incorporation
Wherever the term “Directors” or “Board of Directors” is mentioned in these By-
Laws, such terms shall be deemed to be “Governors” or “Board of Governors”,
respectively as provided in the Articles of Incorporation of the Association.
Article Fifteen
Use of Pronoun
The use of the masculine pronoun in these By-Laws is in the interest of simplicity only and the feminine pronoun shall also apply throughout.
Originally Adopted 3/16/1986; Amended Annual Meeting 5/11/2009; Amended Annual Meeting 7/1/2023.
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The Woodlands of Stuart
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