The condominium meeting on second call: majorities and rules

The condominium meeting on second call in Italy is the session held when the first one has not reached the numbers needed to deliberate. Lawmakers introduced it precisely to avoid decision-making deadlock: by lowering the quorums, it lets the meeting decide even when turnout is modest. The rules are set by article 1136 of the Italian Civil Code, which distinguishes between the constitutional quorum, meaning how many owners must be present for the meeting to be valid, and the deliberative quorum, meaning how many votes are needed to approve a decision.

When the second call applies

A second call is reached only when the first one failed for lack of the constitutional quorum. On first call the meeting is validly constituted with the presence of the majority of participants representing at least two thirds of the building's value. If those numbers are missing, the session cannot deliberate and is adjourned to the date shown in the notice of call.

The second-call quorums under article 1136

On second call the meeting is validly constituted with the participation of owners representing at least one third of the building's value and one third of the condominium participants. A resolution is valid if approved by a number of votes representing the majority of those present and at least one third of the building's value. It is a double test, by head count and by thousandths, that must always be checked together.

Constitutional quorum

To open the session the attendees must be worth at least one third of the thousandths and be at least one third of the owners. If even one of the two requirements is missing, the meeting is not validly constituted and its decisions can be annulled.

Deliberative quorum

To approve an ordinary resolution the favourable votes of the majority of those present are enough, provided they represent at least one third of the value of the whole building. Compared with the first call, the threshold in thousandths drops appreciably.

The timing between first and second call

The second call takes place on a day after the first and in any case within ten days of it. It cannot be held on the same day as the first, unless the notice indicates two distinct times on different dates. In practice both calls are shown in the same notice, with the second usually held on the following day.

Resolutions still requiring reinforced majorities

Not every decision can be taken with the reduced second-call quorums. Some matters, given their importance, always require reinforced majorities even on second call: among them the appointment and removal of the administrator, active and passive litigation, the reconstruction of the building or major extraordinary repairs, which require the majority of those present and at least half of the building's value. Innovations and other more far-reaching works require two thirds of the building's value.

• Confirm that the first call failed before proceeding.
• Check the double constitutional quorum: one third of the thousandths and one third of the participants.
• Apply the correct deliberative quorum based on the matter under discussion.
• Respect the ten-day limit between first and second call.
• Record attendance and thousandths so the resolution is verifiable.

Proxies and vote counting

Proxies also enter the quorum calculation, allowing one owner to be represented by another. The law sets a limit, however: if there are more than twenty owners, a proxy holder cannot represent more than one fifth of the owners and of the proportional value. The administrator must check that proxies are valid before opening the session, because a proxy exceeding the limit cannot be counted and would distort both the constitutional and the deliberative quorum. Favourable, contrary and abstaining votes must also be kept distinct: those who abstain count towards the constitutional quorum but not the deliberative one, and this difference directly affects the outcome of the vote.

The most frequent mistakes

The most common mistake is calculating the majority only by head count, forgetting the thousandths, or the other way round. Another is applying the reduced quorums to matters that require reinforced thresholds: a resolution adopted that way can be annulled if a dissenting owner challenges it. An irregular notice or one served outside the deadlines can also bring down the whole meeting. Finally, take care not to confuse the majority of those present with the majority of the owners: on second call it is who is present that counts, not the total number of condominium participants.

Managing quorums with software

Condominium management software automatically computes attendance and voting quorums from the thousandth tables and flags whether a resolution reaches the threshold required by the matter. AmministraPro prepares notices of call with first and second dates, records attendance and proxies and checks the thousandths present in real time, so the administrator immediately knows whether the meeting is validly constituted. You can see how it works on the features page or compare the plans in the pricing section.