When HOA Board Members Cross the Line: Stalking, Harassment, and Abuse of Power
WHEN CALIFORNIA HOA BOARD MEMBERS ABUSE THEIR POWER OVERVIEW In recent years, HOAs have made headlines for sinister reasons—including, unfortunately, board members abusing their positions to stalk, harass, and intimidate members and residents. Although rare, these...
When HOAs Get It Right: How California’s Densification Housing Mandates Are Being Checked by the Very Boards That We Usually Battle
WHEN CALIFORNIA HOAS PUSH BACK AGAINST STATE DENSIFICATION LAWS OVERVIEW In California’s war against its self-imposed housing crisis, the state has declared a bold strategy: prioritize and protect rapid densification over local context. Through laws like SB 9 and ADU...
Commercial HOAs in California: What Every Business Property Owner Should Know
CALIFORNIA COMMERCIAL HOAS: WHAT BUSINESS PROPERTY OWNERS NEED TO KNOW OVERVIEW Most people hear the term “HOA” and immediately think of suburban homes, manicured lawns, and neighbors arguing about fence heights. But in California, the concept of a homeowners’...
HOA HELL: The Legal Podcast That California Homeowners Cannot Afford to Miss
HOA HELL: THE LEGAL PODCAST FOR CALIFORNIA HOMEOWNERS OVERVIEW If you’re a California homeowner living in an HOA, you probably already know the headaches that come with it. For some, it’s usually manageable—until the slow drip of dysfunction becomes a flood, and...
A California Homeowner’s Essential Guide to Neighbor Disputes
A CALIFORNIA HOMEOWNER’S GUIDE TO NEIGHBOR DISPUTES OVERVIEW Even thought it may not have been his actual point when writing his famous poem, Robert Frost hit it on the head in “Mending Wall” when he said that “good fences make good neighbors.” Living close to others...
The Impact of Rising Insurance Costs on California HOAs
HOW RISING INSURANCE COSTS ARE AFFECTING CALIFORNIA HOAS INTRODUCTION Even before the devastating fires that are still raging in Los Angeles, HOAs in California were facing skyrocketing insurance premiums. And now, it’s only going to get worse. The staggering rise in...
Can I Sue My HOA for Emotional Distress?
SUING YOUR CALIFORNIA HOA FOR EMOTIONAL DISTRESS OVERVIEW Can you sue your HOA for emotional distress? The answer to that question is an easy one—Yes. What it takes to do so, however, is much more complicated and nuanced. Disputes between California homeowners and...
The Battle Over Parking: HOAs v. Homeowners
CALIFORNIA HOA PARKING DISPUTES AND HOMEOWNER RIGHTS OVERVIEW HOAs in California can wield significant power over the properties of their members. From regulating architectural styles, to enforcing community guidelines, the stated purpose of HOAs is to preserve...
Is There a Line Between Free Speech and HOA Regulations?
FREE SPEECH RIGHTS VS. HOA RULES IN CALIFORNIA OVERVIEW In the United States, the right to political expression is a cornerstone of democracy, protected under the First Amendment of the Constitution. Yet, for millions of homeowners living in communities governed by...
Navigating the Tensions Between HOAs and Homeowners Amid the Rise of Electric Vehicles
CALIFORNIA HOAS AND THE RISE OF ELECTRIC VEHICLES OVERVIEW As electric vehicles (EVs) surge in popularity, many homeowners in California are finding themselves at the intersection of technological advancement and traditional homeowners association (HOA) regulations....
Top 5 Trending Issues for California HOA Members
CALIFORNIA HOA MEMBERS’ TOP 5 TRENDING ISSUES OVERVIEW Homeowners associations (HOAs) in California have a significant impact on members’ lives, affecting everything from governance procedures to personal freedoms within the community. Of the plethora of issues that...
New HOA Laws for California Homeowners for 2025
CALIFORNIA HOA NEW LAWS 2025: ESSENTIAL UPDATES UNDER AB 2159, AB 2460, SB 900, AB 572, AB 130, AND SB 326 OVERVIEW As is always the case, the number of California homeowners living in common interest developments communities governed by homeowners associations (HOAs)...
The Consequences of California’s Balcony Law
CALIFORNIA SB 326 BALCONY LAW: CONSEQUENCES FOR HOAS AND HOMEOWNERS OVERVIEW In the wake of several high-profile balcony collapses, California’s Balcony Law—with mandatory inspections set to start in less than one year—has become hot topic with real estate lawyers,...
A Few More Q’s & A’s Regarding California HOAs
CALIFORNIA HOA QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS FOR HOMEOWNERS Q: Our HOA used to have a problem with board members who had served 10, 15, or even 20 years on the board. About 5 years ago, after a few of those legacy board members moved or died off, we finally gathered enough...
An Overview of the Corporate Transparency Act: Beneficial Ownership Requirements, Reporting Obligations, and Exemptions
CORPORATE TRANSPARENCY ACT: WHAT BUSINESS OWNERS NEED TO KNOW UPDATE—December 3, 2024 On December 3, 2024, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas issued a nationwide preliminary injunction enjoining enforcement of the CTA described in the article...
Mandatory Annual Disclosures that CA HOAs Must Make to Members
CALIFORNIA HOA MANDATORY ANNUAL DISCLOSURES TO MEMBERS OVERVIEW The Davis-Stirling Act, a set of laws that governs California's HOAs, requires HOAs to provide its members with a whole host of annual disclosures. These mandatory annual disclosures, which must generally...
New HOA Laws for California Homeowners for 2024
CALIFORNIA HOA NEW LAWS 2024: KEY STATUTORY CHANGES HOMEOWNERS MUST KNOW OVERVIEW Each year, the number of California homeowners living in common interest developments communities governed by homeowners associations (HOAs) continues to grow. Since all common interest...
The Top 10 Reasons You Should Read Your HOA’s CC&Rs
TOP 10 REASONS TO READ YOUR HOA’S CC&RS IN CALIFORNIA OVERVIEW When you purchase a home in a community governed by an HOA, you automatically agree to abide by the HOA’s covenants, conditions, and restrictions (the “CC&Rs”). The CC&Rs are a set of rules and...
Key Tips for Operating Your Member-Managed LLC in California
OPERATING A MEMBER-MANAGED LLC IN CALIFORNIA: KEY TIPS OVERVIEW Starting a limited liability company (“LLC”) in California is a popular choice for entrepreneurs who want the liability protection of a corporation combined with the tax efficiencies and operational...
The Top 20 Things to Remember Before Your Deposition
TOP 20 THINGS TO REMEMBER BEFORE YOUR DEPOSITION OVERVIEW Depositions play an indispensable role in civil litigation. Simply put, a deposition is the questioning of a witness under oath, in the presence of a court reporter, who is trained to take down every word of...
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