A meeting notice delivery failure should be logged and escalated promptly, with the original notice and bounce message preserved. Ask the company secretary to assess the required service and next step for the particular meeting. Do not assume that pressing send proves delivery or that an informal alternative message automatically satisfies the applicable requirements.

Hands signing a document at an office desk
Illustrative photograph by Pavel Danilyuk.

Identify the notice and intended recipient

Record the company, meeting, member or authorised recipient, address used and time sent. Retain the actual notice, attachments and delivery failure. An error saying the mailbox does not exist differs from a temporary delivery delay, so preserve the wording rather than summarising every message as failed.

Check the address against the company’s controlled member records. Do not replace it with a guessed address found online or send the full shareholder pack to an unverified contact.

Ask for the actual service assessment

The constitution, meeting materials and applicable requirements need to be considered by the responsible secretary and advisers. This checklist does not decide whether the notice is valid, whether the meeting may proceed or which alternative service method is sufficient.

ACRA’s AGM guidance provides general meeting context. A delivery exception still needs an assessment based on the actual notice, recipient and dates. Raise it while there is time to obtain instructions instead of leaving it until the attendance list is prepared.

Example: a member’s former employer rejects the email

The register contains an email address that no longer works. Verify updated contact details through an established authorised route and tell the secretary what happened. Do not assume that forwarding the pack to another employee at the same business reaches the member.

Keep the response traceable

Record the approved follow-up method, responsible person and evidence of the action taken. Keep any reissued or corrected notice distinguishable from the original. Do not change the original sending timestamp to make the delivery history appear complete.

Close the exception with the meeting records

Retain the notice, failure evidence, instructions and final outcome together. Reconcile any authorised contact update separately. If the matter is disputed or affects meeting validity, obtain appropriate legal advice rather than treating the mailing log as a legal conclusion.

Related practical guidance

For the surrounding records and responsibilities, see maintaining statutory records, the company secretary role, company recordkeeping.

Official guidance: ACRA company guidance.

Help with your company records

For corporate secretarial and company administration support, contact Raffles Corporate Services at [email protected] or WhatsApp +65 8501 7133. Tell us which records or process need attention so we can discuss the relevant next steps.