eAlerts

When it comes to installing cameras in common areas, your clients may have any number of motivations. They could be driven by an uptick in area crime, pressure to crack down on rule violators, or just the desire for a greater sense of security, among other reasons. Cameras may be more affordable and less obtrusive…

Community association managers carry a lot of risks, and, contrary to popular belief, they’re not all covered by their clients’ insurance policies. If you’re counting on those policies for protection, you could be left on the hook for defense and liability costs. “Many managers mistakenly believe they have adequately shifted all their risk to clients,”…

There’s a new threat — or opportunity, depending on your perspective — to community associations, and it seems most associations aren’t ready for it. Accessory dwelling units (ADUs) are being pushed by advocates for affordable housing, the elderly, the environment, and, perhaps most critically, legislators. Are your clients ready? “It’s the wave of the future,”…

Architectural review committees play an important role for associations that strive to achieve consistent and pleasing aesthetics in their communities. But, as the saying goes, with great power comes great responsibility — and the irresponsible use of that power by an architectural committee can prove costly for its association. As a recent case out of…

You’re not alone if you have hard time getting your clients to remember that community associations are businesses — and businesses need document retention plans. Yet many associations take an ad hoc approach (at best) to managing their paperwork. “This can become a problem because community associations are required to keep a great deal more…

California recently enacted new requirements for HOA board of director elections that took effect at the beginning of the year. The far-reaching changes makes some dramatic changes to the way most associations have traditionally handled elections. "Now that it has taken effect,” says Kelly Richardson, a principal with Richardson Ober DeNichilo PC, a California law…

Gun rights can trigger emotional responses on both sides of the issue, and the debate is becoming more common among community associations, as they aim to protect themselves. But even when a community is largely in agreement about the need to restrict firearm possession on the property, it might not have the power to do…

No one can say for certain when the next recession will strike the U.S. economy, but one thing is certain — it’s going to happen. Yet, despite the hardships many community associations suffered in the last round, some remain just as vulnerable as they were then. It may be up to their managers to nudge…

If your clients have problems getting sufficient attendance at meetings to elect new board members, they’re not alone. The good news, though, is that this generally doesn’t impact the authority of the incumbent board to act on behalf of the association. That was the ruling in a recent case that made it to the Michigan…

Owners can act out in different ways when they don’t like how their associations are carrying out their business and feel their complaints are being ignored. One common reaction is to withhold assessments until they get the response they want. But the law generally doesn’t let them do this. The Indiana Court of Appeals recently…