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...
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...
Everything You Wanted to Know About Reserve Studies
CALIFORNIA HOA RESERVE STUDIES: WHAT HOMEOWNERS NEED TO KNOW OVERVIEW HOAs in California are largely governed by the Davis-Stirling Act, a series of statutes located in the Civil Code. In other words, all HOAs in California must abide by the Davis-Stirling Act, as...
Why is my HOA Testing for Asbestos?
WHY YOUR CALIFORNIA HOA MAY BE TESTING FOR ASBESTOS OVERVIEW Most people have heard of asbestos, and most people have even seen the commercials for law firms looking for class action parties whose “loved ones suffer from mesothelioma.” At the same time, many people...
Top 5 Concerns that Homeowners Have About Their HOAs
TOP 5 CONCERNS CALIFORNIA HOMEOWNERS HAVE ABOUT THEIR HOAS OVERVIEW We recently ran a statistical analysis of over 5,000 separate fact patterns to determine the nature of the most common disputes involving HOA members and their HOAs. The following represents the top...
Your Roof is Damaged and You Live in an HOA. Now What?
WHAT TO DO IF YOUR ROOF IS DAMAGED AND YOU LIVE IN A CALIFORNIA HOA OVERVIEW As a homeowner, protecting your property is always a top priority. The roof is among the most important parts of your home—not only because of its size, but also because of the relative costs...
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