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Navigating chairperson and trustee roles in community schemes
05 Mach 2026 | Zerlinda van der Merwe
I’m reminded of this childhood game when it’s time to elect the chairperson of a trustee committee at the first trustee meeting following the Annual General Meeting (AGM). Some trustees don’t appoint a chairperson and others take turns to hold the not so coveted position.
Similarly, the vacancies on a trustee committee can be difficult to fill. I have attended AGMs where not one person is willing to accept a nomination. This is why it is important to properly consider the determined number of trustees on a committee, the portfolios to be responsible for, and most importantly, who may step into these shoes.
Who can be a trustee?
Any person can be a trustee, except the managing agent or an employee of the body corporate, unless they are also an owner in the scheme. There is no longer a requirement that the majority of trustees be owners of the spouses of owners. A external person, often paid, may be a trustee, preferably being a skill set to the trustee committee that is needed and lacking.
I so often attend AGMs where the loudest individuals refuse to put their money where their mouths are, and make themselves available to stand as a trustee. And when there is a shopping list of potential suitors, it is normally part and parcel of a palace revolution, be it good or bad.
A representative of a company, as an owner, is eligible to serve as a trustee, and any trustee may have an alternate formally appointed to to step in when they are unable to fulfil their duties, sometimes for reason of a conflict of interest.
Often tenants, as residents in a scheme, are best suited to be trustees, being on the coal face of the administration and management of a scheme. Where trustees are unavailable, an executive managing agent, professional trustees, or even an administrator may be appointed.
Are trustees paid?
Paying trustees is also an ugly swear word in our industry. An owner-trustee is only paid if the members, by special resolution, agree. Whereas a non-owner simply requires an ordinary resolution or budget approval for the expense. Fair compensation for expenses actually incurred being excused, business class back to the body corporate for an AGM, yes please!
Conclusion | Education drives effective decision-making
Trustee training is often overlooked when the scheme is managed by a managing agent, citing that it is not their responsibility but rather that of the managing agent to know what’s what and why. No, no, no, according to the Regulations of the Community Schemes Ombud Service Act, the trustees must be educated on their role and decision making. No fear, there are so many wonderful resources available.
Why not check out Stratafin’s free trustee training material, where Willie Roos and I run through Dr Carryn Durham’s course notes.
Make sure to also read through our previous article on: Being a trustee without being a member of the body corporate.
Why not contact us today on 061 536 3138 or at info@tvdmconsultants.com for some non-accredited training on the do’s and do not’s of being a trustee, we have some experience, both in our professional and personal capacities!
And of course, never fear when ChatGPT is near - jokes, rather do a course, please!
About the Author:
Zerlinda van der Merwe is a Co-Founder | Director at TVDM Consultants.