QUESTION: Some homeowners don't vote, don't attend meetings and refuse to serve on the board of directors. Can non-participating owners be charged a fee or a fine?

ANSWER: Your proposed "fee" is actually a fine. At a minimum, you would need to amend your Rules & Regulations to fine owners who don't vote, attend meetings or serve on the board. Such fines are not illegal but are problematic.

RECOMMENDATION: For some activities, such as voting, incentives are more effective than fines. For example, raffle a prize for those who cast ballots. In addition, you should consider eliminating quorum for the election of directors. It makes for more efficient elections. Persuading people to serve on the board is a serious problem for many associations. There are no easy solutions to this problem.