Paid expenditure without a motion and vote

[margomhl]

What happens when an expense is paid but there was no motion or vote per meeting minutes? And, no motion or vote per observation of in-person meeting.

[Dan Honemann]

On 9/9/2021 at 6:48 PM, margomhl said:

What happens when an expense is paid but there was no motion or vote per meeting minutes? And, no motion or vote per observation of in-person meeting.

Well, at least you won't get another bill.

[margomhl]

Is there no need to have a motion and vote on record even after the fact?

[Joshua Katz]

Was there a vote that went unrecorded in the minutes, or was there never a vote? In the latter case, the organization should ratify (or not) the payment. (But watch out, I may get yelled at for that.) (Assuming that a motion was needed to authorize the expenditure and it wasn't authorized by some existing rule or the like.) If there was a vote and it was not recorded, then the minutes should be corrected.

[margomhl]

There was no vote and their should have been a vote. 

[Josh Martin]

On 9/9/2021 at 6:52 PM, Joshua Katz said:

Was there a vote that went unrecorded in the minutes, or was there never a vote? In the latter case, the organization should ratify (or not) the payment. (But watch out, I may get yelled at for that.) (Assuming that a motion was needed to authorize the expenditure and it wasn't authorized by some existing rule or the like.) If there was a vote and it was not recorded, then the minutes should be corrected.

I think this is correct. The payment was presumably made by an officer of the society (such as the Treasurer). Actions taken by officers of the society in excess of their authority may be ratified.

On 9/9/2021 at 7:01 PM, margomhl said:

There was no vote and their should have been a vote. 

Then as Mr. Katz notes, the appropriate course of action is to adopt a motion to ratify the payment of the bill (assuming the society approves of the payment of the bill).

[margomhl]

Thank you.