Owners' request to convene a meeting (Article 66)

The owners' meeting is not convened only by the manager on their own initiative: Article 66 of the implementing provisions of the Italian Civil Code gives owners the right to trigger it. The request must come from at least two owners who together represent one sixth of the building's value, must list the items to be discussed and obliges the manager to convene the meeting. If the manager fails to act within ten days, those same requesting owners may convene the meeting directly. It is the tool through which the ownership base can put a topic on the agenda even against a passive manager.

What Article 66 of the implementing provisions says

The rule distinguishes between the annual ordinary meeting and the extraordinary one. The latter takes place when the manager considers it necessary, or when it is requested by at least two owners who represent one sixth of the building's value. The requirement is twofold and cumulative: a plurality of applicants (at least two) and a threshold of thousandths value (one sixth, i.e. about 167 thousandths out of one thousand). A single owner, however large their share, is not enough; and two owners with few combined thousandths do not reach the threshold.

The aim is to prevent abuse: an extraordinary meeting mobilizes the community's time and money, so the lawmaker requires a minimum degree of representativeness. At the same time it protects the qualified minority, which should not depend on the manager's goodwill to have a real problem discussed.

How the one sixth of value is calculated

The one sixth is computed on the general ownership thousandths (millesimi), not on the number of heads. You add up the thousandths of the units belonging to the owners who sign the request and check that the total equals or exceeds 166.67 thousandths. If the condominium has special tables, the request to convene still looks at general ownership, unless the topic concerns a partial condominium, in which case the reference base changes.

• At least two distinct owners, each owning a unit
• Sum of their general thousandths equal to at least one sixth (166.67 out of 1000)
• Clear and specific indication of the items to be placed on the agenda
• Request addressed to the manager in written and traceable form

Form and content of the request

The law does not require a solemn form, but in practice the request is sent in writing by a means that proves the date of receipt, such as registered mail with return receipt, certified email (PEC) or hand delivery with a signed receipt. The date is decisive because it starts the ten-day period within which the manager must act. The request must specifically list the points to be discussed: a generic or indeterminate agenda exposes the future resolution to the risk of annulment.

It is good practice for the applicants to also state their own units and the related thousandths, so that the manager can immediately verify that the threshold is met without dispute. If the thousandths are insufficient, the manager may legitimately decline to act on the request, giving reasons.

The ten-day deadline and self-convening

Once a valid request is received, the manager must convene the meeting. If ten days elapse without any action, the owners who filed the request may convene the meeting directly, respecting the ordinary rules on notice: content of the agenda, minimum term of five days before the first call and communication to all entitled parties by a suitable means. A meeting convened in this way is fully valid, even without the manager's signature, provided all owners were notified.

Note: self-convening presupposes that the notice reaches every entitled party. Failure to notify even a single owner makes the resolution voidable upon challenge by the absentee. For this reason the applicants must obtain the updated registry list and keep proof of delivery.

Common mistakes to avoid

The first mistake is confusing the right to request with a power to impose the outcome: the request obliges the manager to convene, not to resolve in a particular way. The second is underestimating the thousandths threshold, filing requests signed by enthusiastic but under-weighted people. The third is drafting vague agendas that frustrate the debate because they do not allow valid resolutions. The fourth is proceeding to self-convene without having documented the initial request and the lapse of the ten days.

• Check the thousandths before collecting signatures
• Describe the topics precisely, not generically
• Keep proof of the date of the request to the manager
• If the manager is inactive, notify all owners with advance and proof of delivery

Handling requests and notices in an orderly way

For the manager, tracking owners' requests, checking their thousandths and meeting deadlines is an activity well suited to digitization. With AmministraPro the thousandths registry is always up to date, notices go out with tracking and delivery receipts, and the ten-day deadlines do not slip. Anyone who wants to see how it works can review the features at /funzioni and the available plans at /prezzi, choosing the solution best suited to the firm.