Articles

Natural disasters are frightening for any homeowner, but they're an even greater threat to clustered, attached, and stacked homes in a community association. When one home is damaged, others connected to it are more likely to experience damage either resulting from that home's damage or because of greater exposure to weather conditions.

Seventeen top community association professionals from around the state have been elected to the 2012 board of directors for the California Association of Community Managers (CACM). Charged with establishing and overseeing the statewide association's programs and policies, the board upholds CACM's code of ethics and standards of practice. The group also serves as an advisory body for CACM's educational and certification program for community managers.

Q What common fair housing problems arise from community rules?

A In general, community rules trigger fair housing problems in one of two ways—either the rules are enforced unfairly or the rules themselves are unfair.

With the presidential and other elections approaching, members may want to show their support for a candidate by posting signs on their lawns and porches, or putting posters or decals in their windows. But you don't want to end up with front yard “sign farms” that look unsightly. You also don't want a sign war between neighbors who have opposing viewpoints on political issues and post certain signs just to irritate their neighbors. All of that diminishes property values and looks tacky.

Facts: A husband and wife who owned a home in a luxury planned community sued the homeowners association for negligence after their house was burglarized twice. They claimed that the association owed the owners a duty to keep the premises reasonably safe, and breached that duty by failing to hire a security guard, have monitored gates, and maintain street lights.

Medical groups bought three commercial condo units on the mezzanine terrace level of a New York City condominium building below street level. The entrance to the residential portion of the building was separate from the entrance to the medical offices. The purchase agreement permitted the medical groups to install HVAC units on the mezzanine outside…

Install closed-circuit TV (CCTV) cameras in the common areas of your community only if you have the staff and money necessary to monitor them. While the presence of CCTV cameras in parking lots and other common areas may help reduce crime in these locations, there is a downside—they need to be monitored and, if you…

Condominium unit owners in New York City recently sued their board of directors for "abhorrent" living conditions. They claimed that there were holes in the floors and damage to walls, railings, and terraces. The board had promised to repair the conditions but had failed to do so. In the meantime, the board had asked the…

Has mold been discovered in one of the units in your community? Taking steps right away to fix the problem can help you avoid complaints about mold-related illnesses or unsafe living conditions. You should clean up the mold and fix the water problem that caused it. But there could be moisture—which creates a breeding ground…

Will the Obama administration's proposal to give homeowners with privately held mortgages a shot at record-low rates make an impact on community associations dealing with delinquent members and looming foreclosures? The plan could save those homeowners up to $3,000. And giving homeowners an opportunity to refinance their mortgages at lower interest rates—even if they owe more than their homes are worth—could make it easier for members to pay not only their mortgages, but also their association dues, taxes, and other fees.