Articles

By Matt D. Ober, Esq., CCAL 

This article was originally written for HOA Organizers Newsletter. You can view it here. 

The Basics On Director Roles And Responsibilities

Whe...

By Matt Ober, Esq., CCAL

This article first appeared in the ECHO Journal | June 2025 Issue here.

When was the last time you dusted off your HOA’s community rules and regula...

By Kelly G. Richardson, Esq. CCAL, HOA Homefront Column

Mr. Richardson: I really enjoy your HOA Homefront column. Here’s a question: Is it appropriate for board members to us...

AB 130 (Housing) caps association fines at $100 per violation effective immediately — with exceptions only for health and safety concerns.

Late Monday, June 30, 2025, Governo...

By Kelly G. Richardson, Esq., CCAL, HOA Homefront Column

Mr. Richardson: Is homeowner open forum a requirement in California or just handy for everyone involved? Or, should I...

By Kelly G. Richardson, Esq. CCAL, HOA Homefront Column

Dear Kelly: Civil Code 5551 speaks to elevated structures attached to building such as balconies, decks, bridge-ways m...

By Kelly G. Richardson, Esq., CCAL

Whether a committee volunteer, director, service provider, or manager, we all have specific roles in the HOA community. If we stay in our l...

By Kelly G. Richardson, Esq., HOA Homefront Column

[Last of a 3-part series]. How can one know if managers are qualified?

California HOA managers are unregulated, with no re...

By Kelly G. Richardson, Esq. CCAL, HOA Homefront Column

[Part 2 of 3-part series on selecting HOA management] After selecting the management service type and candidate firm, ...

By Kelly G. Richardson, Esq. CCAL, HOA Homefront Column  

Determining which type of management services is best for the HOA is a very important HOA board decision. Even the s...

Kelly G. Richardson, Esq. CCAL, HOA Homefront Column

In 2005, Harold Medina, then a real estate newspaper special section editor, asked for articles on HOA law issues. The na...

Kelly G. Richardson, Esq. CCAL, HOA Homefront Column

Part 3 of our 2025 legislative review discusses Assembly Bill 739, which proposes to require HOA managers to be licensed ...