Your property-related legal queries answered by S.C. RAGHURAM, Partner, RANK Associates, a Chennai-based law firm

We would like to form an Association for common expenses like maintenance, cleaning, common electricity, etc.

For this, we are required to open a bank account.

Does the said Association have to be registered to open an account? How many members can form an Association?

Srivatsan.R

Chennai

You may register your Association under the provisions of the Tamil Nadu Societies Registration Act. There must be a minimum of seven members to form one. You can frame your bye-laws covering various aspects of maintenance of the building and management of the Association and have the same filed before the Registrar of Societies at the time of registering the Association and also have it ratified in the first General Body Meeting. For opening of a bank account in the name of the Association, registration is mandatory.

The mode of operation of the bank account as stipulated in the bye-laws will be adopted by the bank.