Featured Articles
New State Law Could Make it More Difficult for HOAs to Collect Unpaid Fines and Fees
Community associations may find their hands tied when pursuing unpaid fines and fees due to a controversial new state law. Under the new law, which was enacted earlier this year, Colorado now prohibits community associations from seeking foreclosures against owners based solely on unpaid fines. Even if you’re not in Colorado, take note because our…
New Law Restricts Foreclosure Remedy
Colorado HOAs are prohibited from seeking foreclosures against owners based solely on unpaid fines under a new law enacted earlier this year. The law includes additional provisions that will tie associations’ hands in some significant ways when pursuing fines and fees. The Impetus According to The Denver Post, the law is intended in part to…
Amendments Can Be Invalidated if Co-Owner Spouses Don’t Both Approve
A court case that sprang from a dispute over an owner’s chickens could upend the amendment process — as well as potentially invalidate existing amendments — in North Carolina and possibly elsewhere. (Bryan v. Kittinger*) “The court’s reasoning was kind of out of left field and caught everyone by surprise,” says David Wilson, an attorney…
Association Swimming Pools: To Lifeguard or Not to Lifeguard?
The conundrum of whether to provide lifeguards is real. “It creates an interesting debate within boards, and not everyone agrees,” says Kelly Richardson, a partner in the law firm Richardson Ober De Nichilo in Pasadena, Calif. “It’s not a bright-line issue with easy answers.” Here are some of the factors you should make sure your…
Are You Covered? Must-Have Insurance for Today’s Managers
Times change, and so do your risk exposures. That means your long-time general liability and property insurance policies may not be sufficient to provide the coverage you need these days. “I’m concerned about managers being stuck paying $20,000 to $100,000 in legal fees, not even including the settlement or judgment,” says Steven Fischer, vice president…
Manager Could Sue Developer on Behalf of Clients
When a manager brings a lawsuit on behalf of a client association, the other party is likely to claim the manager doesn’t have the “standing” to do so. In essence, the other party is claiming the manager isn’t the person harmed and therefore has no legal right to complain. Read on to learn how this…
Here Come the Corporate Buyers: How to Prepare Your Clients Now, Part 2
Corporate investors increasingly are invading community associations, buying up homes and renting them out. In the first part of this two-part article, we talked to some of our experts about how this is playing out on the ground and the impact on associations. In the second part, we’ll discuss how you can help your clients…
Congress Mulls FHA-Backed Condo Repairs
U.S. Representatives Charlie Crist (D-Fla.) and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) recently introduced the Securing Access to Finance Exterior Repairs (SAFER) in Condos Act of 2022 (H.R. 7532). The legislation would allow condo owners to finance special assessments with loans backed by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA). But, if enacted, the law might not provide the…
Are You at Risk of Family Responsibility Discrimination?
You’re probably very familiar with the different kinds of housing discrimination, but you might not be aware of a form of employment discrimination that could land you in hot legal water. Here’s what you need to know about family responsibility discrimination (FRD) and how to avoid it. What It Is Family responsibility discrimination, also known…
Here Come the Corporate Buyers: How to Prepare Your Clients Now, Part 1
Corporate investors are snatching up homes in community associations across the country and renting them out. Not surprisingly, “regular” homeowners in these communities aren’t too happy with the results. “If a board thinks this will never happen because of the price points of their homes or whatever, they’re gravely mistaken,” says Scott Weiss, of counsel…