Special General Meetings (SGMs) in BC: When and How to Call One

A Special General Meeting is the strata corporation's release valve. When the AGM has already happened and an issue can't wait until next year, an SGM is how owners weigh in. It's also the mechanism that gives owners a formal way to challenge council when communication breaks down. We've called dozens of SGM BC strata meetings since 2011 (some council-initiated, some owner-petitioned) and the rules around them are simpler than most councils think. This guide covers when an SGM is the right tool, what the Strata Property Act actually requires, and how to run one without making the situation worse.

What an SGM is, and isn't

Under Strata Property Act s. 43, an SGM is any general meeting of owners that isn't the Annual General Meeting. The defining features are:

• Single-purpose or short agenda. SGMs are not catch-all meetings. The notice must state the specific business being conducted, and only that business can be voted on.
• Same notice rules as the AGM. Two weeks' written notice minimum under s. 45, with the full text of any 3/4 or higher resolutions in the notice package.
• Same quorum rules. One-third of eligible voters under s. 48 by default, with the same reconvene-in-one-week failsafe if quorum isn't met.
• Same voting thresholds. Majority vote for ordinary matters, 3/4 vote for special levies and bylaw amendments, 80% or unanimous for specific items listed in the SPA.

An SGM is not a council meeting. Council meetings happen between owners' meetings and are governed by different rules under s. 50. An SGM is also not a "town hall" or informal information session. Those have no legal status and no voting power.

Council-called SGMs

Council can call an SGM at any time by passing a motion at a council meeting. Common reasons we see in Squamish, Whistler, and Pemberton stratas:

1. A special levy is needed before the next AGM. Envelope failure, roof leak, boiler replacement, anything that can't wait for the next budget cycle and requires 3/4 owner approval under s. 108.
2. A bylaw amendment can't wait. Short-term rental restrictions, EV charging policy, parking rule changes, pet bylaws.
3. A significant common property change. Resurfacing the parking lot, adding a fence, removing trees, painting in a new colour: anything that materially changes the common property requires owner approval under s. 71.
4. A contract over the council's spending limit. Most bylaws cap council's unilateral spending authority. Larger contracts need owner approval at an SGM.
5. A vacant council seat that needs a by-election. Mid-year resignations sometimes require an SGM to fill the seat properly under s. 25.

Owner-petitioned SGMs: the 20% rule

This is where many councils get nervous. Under SPA s. 43(2), owners holding at least 20% of the eligible votes can submit a written petition demanding an SGM. The petition must:

• Be in writing (paper or email)
• State the purpose of the meeting clearly (what's being voted on)
• Be signed by the petitioning owners (digital signatures fine)
• Be delivered to the strata corporation at the registered address

Once a valid petition is received, council must hold the SGM within four weeks. If council doesn't, the petitioning owners can convene the meeting themselves, and the strata corporation pays for the room, the manager's time, and any procedural costs.

A petition is almost always a sign that something has broken down in council-owner communication. The fastest path through is to call the meeting promptly, run it fairly, and let the vote settle the issue. Stalling, refusing, or trying to discredit the petition signers nearly always escalates the conflict and ends up at the Civil Resolution Tribunal.

How notice works for an SGM

The notice package is the same shape as an AGM package, scaled to the SGM's narrower business:

1. Date, time, location (or electronic meeting details)
2. The agenda, what's being voted on, in order
3. Full text of any 3/4, 80%, or unanimous resolutions
4. Background information owners need to vote intelligently (quotes, plans, legal opinions)
5. A proxy form under s. 56

Notice must reach owners at least two weeks before the meeting. "Reach" means received at the address on file: email if the owner has consented to electronic notice under s. 61, otherwise paper. Build in a 3-day buffer for mail delivery if any owners are non-resident.

CRT decisions have set aside SGM special-levy votes where the notice package didn't include the full resolution text, only a summary. The cure is to re-notice and re-meet, a delay nobody wants. Don't shortcut the package.

Quorum at an SGM

Quorum at an SGM is one-third of eligible voters by default, same as the AGM. The same reconvene-in-one-week failsafe under s. 48 applies if quorum isn't met within 30 minutes of the start.

A few SGM-specific quorum traps:

• Single-issue meetings get lower turnout than AGMs. Plan accordingly. Get proxies in advance, send reminder emails 48 hours before, and consider an evening time that doesn't conflict with school events or major holidays.
• Hostile petitions sometimes draw bigger crowds than expected. If an SGM is being held because of an owner petition, expect strong turnout from both sides. The room dynamics can be tense.
• Resort strata buildings need special care. In Whistler, where many owners are non-resident, proxies usually carry the meeting. Send the proxy form early and follow up.

For a more practical look at running tense meetings, see our council meeting handbook and bylaw enforcement guide.

What can (and can't) be decided at an SGM

Anything that requires an owners' vote under the Strata Property Act can be decided at an SGM, provided it was in the notice package. This includes:

• Special levies (3/4 vote, s. 108)
• Bylaw amendments (3/4 vote, s. 128)
• Significant common property changes (3/4 vote, s. 71)
• CRF spending above the regular maintenance threshold (3/4 vote, s. 96)
• Election or removal of council members (majority vote, s. 25/s. 33)
• Hiring or firing the strata manager, if the bylaws require owner approval
• Authorizing legal action above council's bylaw-set threshold

What can't be decided at an SGM:

• Anything not in the notice. Motions from the floor that try to add new contested business get ruled out of order.
• Day-to-day operational matters. Those are council decisions under s. 4.
• Issues already decided at a recent meeting if the bylaws or SPA require a waiting period.

After the SGM

Minutes get distributed the same way as AGM minutes: within two to four weeks, retained indefinitely under s. 35, available to owners on request under s. 36. Any 3/4 resolution passed at the SGM should be cross-referenced in the next AGM package so the corporate record is clean.

If the SGM authorized a special levy, the formal levy notice goes out separately to each owner with the amount, due date, and lot share. If the SGM amended bylaws, the amended bylaws must be filed at the Land Title Office within 60 days under s. 128: a step councils sometimes forget. An unfiled bylaw amendment isn't enforceable.

For councils thinking through whether an SGM is the right tool, or owners considering a petition, reach out and we'll walk through the specifics of your situation. For the broader picture on running governance properly, our AGM guide covers the annual mechanics in detail.