Oregon Condo Governance: Part 3 -Recalling the Directors

Jeff Sorg

Aug 27

3 min read

Updated: Sep 1

Angry mob recalling the directors; showing royals being marched away in handcuffs.

In Part 1, we exposed the power trips and "private kingdom" mindsets that mishandle condo HOAs. In Part 2, we broke down the financial shell game of artificially low dues that destroy home equity, cause massive special assessments, deter buyers, and trigger mortgage blacklists.

Now comes the ultimate question owners face when a rogue or negligent board refuses to listen: How do you legally take away their power by recalling the directors?

Removing a board member shouldn't occur because of a casual disagreement or a social media flame war. Under the Oregon Condominium Act, the process is strictly statutory. When board members violate their fiduciary duties, owners do not have to wait for the next annual election—they have the statutory right to execute a recall.

The contents of this article reflect commentary on real estate governance and general Oregon statutory principles. This material is not legal advice. Condo governance issues are highly fact-specific; if you or your board are dealing with a live dispute, seek counsel from a licensed Oregon real estate attorney and not from this educational commentary.

The 4-Step Removal Mechanism Under Oregon Law

Removing a director requires precision. If you skip a statutory requirement or mess up a timeline, the board’s attorney will throw your petition out, and you will be back at square one.

Step 1: The Petition for a Special Meeting (ORS 100.407). To trigger a removal vote, owners must submit a written petition requesting a special meeting. Oregon law mandates that bylaws cannot require more than 50% or less than 10% of unit owners to sign. If your bylaws are silent, the statutory default is 30%.
Step 2: The 30-Day Failure Clause (ORS 100.407(3)). Once delivered to the board chair or secretary, the board has 30 days to issue notice of the special meeting. If a hostile board ignores the request or refuses to issue notice within 30 days, any unit owner who signed the petition has the legal authority to set the date, time, and give notice directly.
Step 3: Proper Notice and Agenda Inclusion (ORS 100.407(4)). Notice must be delivered between 10 and 50 days prior to the meeting. Crucially, the notice must explicitly state that the removal of a director is on the agenda. If removal isn't on the written notice, no vote can take place.
Step 4: Due Process & The Vote (ORS 100.417(8) / ORS 100.425). Before any vote is taken, the director whose removal is proposed must be given an opportunity to be heard at the meeting. A vote can be taken at a meeting or written ballot under ORS 100.425. Removal requires a majority vote of owners present and entitled to vote, where a quorum is established.

Governance isn't a lifetime appointment, and a board seat isn't a throne; when leadership turns into negligence, the Oregon Condominium Act gives owners the ballot to restore sanity.

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Until soon enough,

Jeff.

Championing the Human Parts of Real Estate Since 1979™

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: I am a self-retired real estate professional with a career spanning 47 years. Throughout decades of market changes, I remained dedicated to the idea that real estate is about more than square footage—it’s about the human element. Today, I write about the lessons learned from a lifetime of helping people find the place that truly feels like home, hoping that sharing these insights will help the next generation of agents better serve their clients and find fulfillment in their own careers.

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