A "virtual meeting" is not an email meeting between directors, which is disallowed. Starting January 1, 2012, board members in different locations may attend board meetings electronically as follows:

1. Director Attendance. Board members who cannot appear in person at a board meeting (whether regular, special, emergency or executive session) can attend electronically by telephone or video. They can attend if the absent director can hear all other board members and all other board members can hear the absent director. Attendance in this manner counts as if the director were physically present in the meeting. Corp. Code §7211(a)(6); Civil Code §1363.05(k)(2)(B).

2. Membership Attendance. Open meetings of the board, which homeowners have the right to attend, can also be done electronically. Notice of the electronic conference must identify at least one physical location where owners may attend. At least one member of the board must be present at that location. Participation by board members in an electronic conference constitutes presence at that meeting as long as all board members participating in the meeting are able to hear one another as well as members of the association who wish to speak on matters before the board (i.e., Open Forum). Civil Code §1363.05(k)(2)(B). 

RECOMMENDATION: For associations where most members live onsite, virtual meetings are an interesting novelty. For HOAs where a large percentage of owners live offsite, web conferencing is more of a necessity. So as to encourage openness and member participation, boards should include the cost of web conferencing in the association's budget and make attendance free to all participants.