In 2020, the Michigan Court of Appeals issued an alarming ruling for associations in a case involving oral approval for the installation of docks. Now the state’s highest court has weighed in on the case with a ruling much more favorable for associations (Haan v. Lake Doster Lake Ass’n). A Scare from the Court of…

Community associations that harbor acrimony and hostility are among the most difficult to manage and govern. With the country seemingly at odds more than ever, managers need to step up and do their part to promote healing in divided communities. “Associations are becoming more polarized,” says Brad van Rooyen, national VP of HOA management for…

The California Court of Appeal recently ruled that a condominium association didn’t have a duty to provide adequate on-site parking for invitees and therefore wasn’t liable for injuries a guest sustained after parking off-site (Issakhani v. Shadow Glen Homeowners Ass’n, Inc.). But the court left the door open to an association’s liability for off-site injury…

Community associations across the country are seeing a change in their demographics, and with shifting generations come shifting demands. Is your management company prepared to appeal to younger generations who have different priorities and ways of conducting business than their elders? If you can’t answer in the affirmative, here’s what you need to consider. Shifting…

Conflicts of interest can strip board members of the protections they otherwise might have under the business judgment rule. A case involving a California HOA recently drove that point home. “The case really demonstrates the limits of the business judgment rule and how it’s very easy to step outside the limits of the law if…

Conflicts, whether between the board and owners or among owners themselves, are inevitable. But successful resolution isn’t. Some of our experts have advice on how managers can help their boards handle these disputes so they don’t spin out of control. 1. Focus on the facts. “You have to get rid of the emotional baggage,” says…

Closed sessions are among the most frequently abused governance tools in community associations, according to Kelly Richardson, a partner in the law firm Richardson Ober De Nichilo in Pasadena, Calif. “I frequently see boards conducting discussions in closed session where the topic really should be reserved for open session,” he says. Read on for some…

Community associations that harbor acrimony and hostility are among the most difficult to manage and govern. With the country seemingly at odds more than ever, managers need to step up and do their part to promote healing in divided communities. The State of Affairs “Associations are becoming more polarized,” says Brad van Rooyen, national VP…

With COVID-19 vaccinations widely available and government restrictions dramatically loosened, community association managers have more bandwidth to deal with matters that might have been neglected during the pandemic. We asked some of our experts about the issues they were now turning their attention to. Unfortunately, while COVID concerns have receded, they’ve been replaced with a…

When associations sue owners, they typically rely on language in the governing documents that provides the owner must pay the association’s costs if it prevails. But the Missouri Supreme Court recently ruled that an HOA that successfully sued an owner over unapproved construction was on the hook for its own nearly $84,000 in attorney’s fees.…