Wyoming's condominium act contains no meeting or election rules, so for the incorporated associations that make up nearly the whole market, governance mechanics come from the Nonprofit Corporation Act, and they favor engaged members more than most boards let on. An annual membership meeting is mandatory, and at it the president and chief financial officer must report on the association's activities and financial condition (§ 17-19-701). Notice of any member meeting must arrive no fewer than ten nor more than sixty days ahead, and a special meeting's notice must describe the business, which bounds what the meeting can decide (§ 17-19-705). The default quorum is ten percent of the votes entitled to be cast, deliberately reachable (§ 17-19-722), most matters pass by a majority of votes represented and voting (§ 17-19-723), and proxies are allowed unless the documents prohibit them, valid for eleven months by default and never more than three years (§ 17-19-724).
The escalation tools are the remarkable part. Holders of at least five percent of the voting power can sign and deliver written demands for a special meeting describing its purpose, and if the association fails to send notice within thirty days of delivery, any signer may set the time and place and send the notice personally, the board's stall does not kill the meeting (§ 17-19-702). If no annual meeting has been held within fifteen months of the last one, the district court can summarily order one on a member's application (§ 17-19-703). And § 17-19-808 gives members the recall itself: any director the members elected may be removed, with or without cause, at a meeting called for that purpose whose notice says removal is on the agenda, so long as the votes cast to remove would have sufficed to elect. The entire board can be removed in one properly noticed meeting.
Run the recall by the letter
Because a hostile board will attack process rather than merits, precision wins recalls. The removal meeting must be called for that purpose and the notice must state it (§ 17-19-808(e)); removal votes are counted against what it takes to elect (§ 17-19-808(c)); and a director seated by the board to fill a member-elected vacancy is removable by the members, not the board (§ 17-19-808(h)). Sequence matters too: file the five-percent demand, calendar the thirty-day notice deadline, and prepare the self-help notice in advance so a stall costs the board nothing but credibility. Have replacement candidates committed before the meeting so the vacancy-filling vote happens the same night.
The authority
The statutes behind this
Cited by name as authority, for your own reading. Informational only, not legal advice.
Wyo. Stat. § 17-19-701
An annual membership meeting is required, with the president and chief financial officer reporting on the association's activities and financial condition.
Wyo. Stat. § 17-19-702
Five percent of the voting power can demand a special meeting; if notice isn't given within 30 days, the demanding members may set the time and place and give notice themselves.
Wyo. Stat. § 17-19-705
Member-meeting notice must arrive 10 to 60 days ahead, and a special meeting's notice must describe the business to be conducted.
Wyo. Stat. § 17-19-722
Ten percent of the votes entitled to be cast is the default quorum, and unless a third of the voting power is present, only noticed matters may be voted at annual meetings.
Wyo. Stat. § 17-19-808
Members may remove directors they elected, with or without cause, at a purpose-stated meeting; the whole board can be removed the same way.
Step by step
How to recall a board in Wyoming
The statutory path to remove Wyoming association directors using the five-percent demand and without-cause removal provisions.
- 01
Verify incorporation and count the votes
Confirm nonprofit status with the secretary of state, then compute five percent of the total voting power for the demand and the vote it would take to elect a director, since removal requires votes sufficient to elect (Wyo. Stat. § 17-19-808(c)).
- 02
Deliver a written, signed, dated demand
Have holders of at least five percent of the voting power sign, date, and deliver written demands to a corporate officer describing the purpose: removal of named directors and election of successors (§ 17-19-702(a)).
- 03
Calendar the 30-day self-help trigger
If the association doesn't send meeting notice within 30 days of your demand's delivery, any signer may set the time and place and send the 10-to-60-day notice personally under §§ 17-19-702(c) and 17-19-705. Draft that notice in advance.
- 04
State removal in the notice, by name
The meeting notice must state that removal of the director (or the whole board) is a purpose of the meeting (§ 17-19-808(e)). Vague agendas are how recalls get voided; name the action plainly.
- 05
Hold the vote and seat successors immediately
With quorum present, a removal passes when the votes cast to remove would have sufficed to elect. Elect the replacements at the same meeting so the association never sits leaderless, and record the results in minutes you can later inspect.
Straight answers
Common questions
Can Wyoming HOA members remove a board member without cause?
Yes, if the association is an incorporated nonprofit and the members elected the director. Wyo. Stat. § 17-19-808 permits removal with or without cause at a members' meeting called for that purpose, provided the notice states removal is on the agenda and the votes cast to remove would have been enough to elect. The entire board can be removed the same way.
How many owners does it take to force a special meeting?
Holders of five percent of the voting power, by signed, dated, written demand describing the meeting's purpose (Wyo. Stat. § 17-19-702). If the board fails to send notice within 30 days, the demanding members may set the meeting and send notice themselves.
What if the board simply never holds the annual meeting?
Skipping it doesn't void the association's actions, but once fifteen months pass since the last annual meeting, any member can apply to the district court, which may summarily order a meeting held (Wyo. Stat. § 17-19-703). The annual meeting also carries a statutory financial report from the president and CFO (§ 17-19-701(d)).
What quorum do we need?
Unless the articles or bylaws set a different figure, ten percent of the votes entitled to be cast, present or by proxy (Wyo. Stat. § 17-19-722). One caution: unless a third of the voting power is present, an annual meeting can only vote on matters described in the notice, so notice your business explicitly.