4 Memberships in a Cooperative Housing Society
In order to be a substantial contributor and an innate part of a democratic cooperative housing society, admission to its membership is the base criterion. Membership, at its simplest, is the official acceptance of an entity (individual or corporate body) by the society of concern. Once admitted, these members can take on various responsibilities within the society ecosystem to ensure its consistent functioning. In this article, we will understand the various roles these actors play in a cooperative housing society, through the outlined membership types.
An entity, whether individual or corporate body, must apply for society’s membership to become an active part of it. Based on the entity’s eligibility and purpose, the membership to be applied for is chosen. The 4 essential memberships an entity can apply for are Member, Joint Member, Associate Member & Provisional Member. Let’s understand each of them in more detail.
1. Member
Simply addressed as ‘Member’, this type is designed for the primary roles in a cooperative housing society and forms its core. A cooperative housing society is, essentially, a collection of these ‘Members’.
A Member is someone: 1. who holds share, right, title, and interest in a flat in the society 2. whose name is first in the share certificate 3. who holds society’s membership
The ‘Members’ of a cooperative housing society are at the forefront of society’s governance and management. They get the first priority in being elected to the managing committee and in casting votes at the committee’s democratic election. They can also attend all essential decision-making meetings and in enjoy other primary member rights. On the other hand, they are expected to fulfill responsibilities such as contributing their monthly share and actively participating in society management in whatever capacity possible.
2. Joint Member
Joint Members are the ones with somewhat secondary roles in a cooperative housing society. The only difference for a ‘Joint Member’ is that it does not hold the first priority as is the case with a ‘Member’.
A Joint Member is someone: 1. who jointly holds share, right, title and interest in a flat in the society 2. whose name is not first in the share certificate 3. who holds society’s membership
If the main Member is absent or voluntarily chooses to pass on their priority to the second Joint Member, then the joint member enjoys the same rights and must discharge the same duties as the primary member. Thus, it is passed on in order of the names stated in the share certificate. For example, the third Joint Member would enjoy the same in the absence of the primary member and the second Joint Member, and so on.
3. Associate Member
Associate Membership is devised for entities that do not own a unit in the society but are linked to one or more units by family relations. This would allow them to be accepted into society’s membership and thereby open an opportunity for them to contribute and be involved in society matters.
An Associate Member is someone who: 1. does not hold share, right, title and interest in a flat in the society 2. does not have their name in the share certificate 3. has a written recommendation to be admitted from an existing Member 4. holds society’s membership
Associate members can enjoy some rights like voting and contesting for elections only if a consent letter stating the same is submitted by their ‘Member’. In doing so, the Member foregoes their own right to these powers.
4. Provisional Member
Provisional Membership is a temporary arrangement to fill the gap of membership in the event of a primary member’s death. If the ‘Member’ of a certain flat in the society passes away, a provisional member is accepted for that flat until the ownership and membership are transferred to the legal heir. This legal heir will then become the official ‘Member’ of the society and the provisional membership will cease to exist.
The first person elected to provisional membership is the nominee appointed by the deceased member. In the absence of nomination, the heir or legal representative of the deceased member, as identified by the managing committee, can be accepted as the provisional member.
The rights of a provisional member are equivalent to a ‘Member’ but are applicable only for a short period of time, i.e. the time gap during the transfer of official membership/ownership from the deceased member to the next legal heir.
The different membership types allow entities with different characteristics a path to be more involved in the management of the society they reside in. The powers and responsibilities may differ in degree based on the types, but the baseline is to empower active participation.
