Understanding the 3/4 Vote in BC Stratas

What a 3/4 vote actually is

Start with the definition, because this is where councils most often miscount. Under section 1 of the Strata Property Act, a 3/4 vote means at least 3/4 of the votes cast by eligible voters present in person or by proxy at the time the vote is taken, not counting those who abstained.

Three consequences follow:

• It is not 3/4 of all owners, and not 3/4 of all strata lots. Owners who don't attend and don't give a proxy simply aren't in the denominator.
• Abstentions don't count against the resolution. An abstention is not a "no" — it is removed from the count entirely.
• Quorum still has to be met, and eligibility matters: an owner in arrears may not be an eligible voter, depending on the bylaws.

Compare the 80% vote used for winding up, which the Act defines as 80% of the votes of all eligible voters — everyone counts, present or not. That is a far higher bar and the two are not variations on a theme.

What needs a 3/4 vote

• Amending bylaws — section 128 (Part 7). In a mixed residential and non-residential strata plan it takes two resolutions: a 3/4 vote of the residential lots and a 3/4 vote of the non-residential lots.
• A significant change in the use or appearance of common property or land that is a common asset — section 71. See our guide to owner alteration requests for how this interacts with council approval.
• Designating limited common property — section 74, which also has to be filed in the land title office with a sketch plan.
• Most special levies — section 108, with an important exception below.
• Contingency reserve fund spending that isn't in the majority-vote list below.

The exceptions that get left out

Articles that stop at the list above give councils the wrong answer surprisingly often, because the exceptions are where the money usually is.

A special levy can need a unanimous vote. Section 108 requires a 3/4 vote where each strata lot's share is calculated the standard way — by unit entitlement under sections 99, 100 or 195. If the strata divides the levy "in another way that establishes a fair division of expenses for that particular levy", the Act requires a unanimous vote instead. Councils that decide to split a levy by benefit rather than by unit entitlement often don't realise they have moved the bar from 3/4 to everyone.

Five kinds of CRF spending need only a majority vote. Section 96 lists them: obtaining a depreciation report; repair, maintenance or replacement recommended in the most current depreciation report; installing EV charging infrastructure or managing the electricity it uses; obtaining an electrical planning report; and obtaining other EV charging reports. Everything else out of the fund is a 3/4 vote. Our contingency reserve fund guide goes through the mechanics.

EV-related changes to common property need only a majority vote, under the same section 71 that otherwise requires 3/4.

Some spending needs no vote at all. Section 98 lets the strata spend from the operating fund up to the limit in its bylaws — or, if the bylaws are silent, the lesser of $2,000 and 5% of the annual operating-fund contribution — and lets it spend from either fund where there are reasonable grounds to believe an immediate expenditure is necessary to ensure safety or prevent significant loss or damage.

An insurance deductible is its own exception. Section 158(3) removes the approval requirement entirely for a special levy or CRF expenditure to cover a deductible the strata must pay to repair or replace damaged property, unless it has decided not to repair under section 159. A large water-damage deductible does not wait for a general meeting.

Running the vote properly

• Put the exact wording in the notice. A 3/4 resolution has to be in the notice package; you cannot amend it materially from the floor.
• Set out what section 108 requires for a levy resolution: the purpose, the total amount, each strata lot's share, and the due dates.
• Count properly. Votes cast, abstentions excluded, and record the numbers in the minutes rather than "carried".
• Check eligibility and proxies before the vote, not after someone challenges the result.
• File what has to be filed — bylaw amendments and LCP designations only take effect on filing in the land title office.

Electronic and hybrid meetings are available to every BC strata without a bylaw, so a 3/4 vote no longer depends on filling a room. Tools like SearchStrata can check what your registered bylaws say about eligibility and proxies before the meeting, and keeping notices, resolutions and results together — as ManageStrata is built to do — is what makes a contested result defensible a year later.

Questions councils ask

Is a 3/4 vote 3/4 of all owners? No. It is 3/4 of the votes cast by eligible voters present in person or by proxy, excluding abstentions.

Do abstentions defeat a resolution? No — they are excluded from the count entirely.

Does every special levy need a 3/4 vote? No. A levy divided by unit entitlement needs a 3/4 vote; a levy divided some other fair way needs a unanimous vote; and a levy to cover an insurance deductible the strata must pay needs no approval at all.

Can we spend from the CRF with a majority vote? For the five categories in section 96, yes — including repairs recommended in your current depreciation report.

This article is general information about BC strata law, not legal advice; verify against the current Strata Property Act and Regulation or consult a BC strata lawyer.