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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…

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…

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. This defense was recently raised by…

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…

Family responsibility discrimination, also known as caregiver discrimination, occurs when employers discriminate against employees and job applicants based on their caregiving obligations — generally for children, adult children with disabilities, parents, or spouses. “If this wasn’t on employers’ radar before, it’s something they should absolutely think about and educate themselves on because the reality is…

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…

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…

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…

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…

The Texas Supreme Court has ruled that an association can qualify as a “prevailing party” entitled to recover its attorneys’ fees under the Uniform Condominium Act (UCA) when it successfully defends against an owner’s claims. More than a dozen states have adopted some version of the UCA. The owner sued the HOA and its board…