QUESTION: I am the spouse of an owner. Am I allowed to attend board meetings?

ANSWER: Unless your governing documents state otherwise, only owners, i.e., "members", have a legal right to attend board meetings. Civ. Code §1363.05. Having said that, I have never seen a board adopt a rule excluding spouses from board meetings. A misbehaving spouse can be excluded for disruptive behavior and that is entirely proper. However, a blanket rule banning all non-owner spouses would be a bit much.

Renters. Renters and other non-members do not have a right to attend board meetings or to address the board. Under the Open Meeting Act, such rights are reserved to members. However, many boards allow tenants and non-member spouses to attend board meetings and to address the board during Open Forum, provided the attendees are not disruptive.