Articles

Reader Questions - Renter Information, Who Votes?, and HOA Financials Nov 19, 2012

Hi Kelly,

What recourse does a Board pursue when they cannot get information from owners on tenants residing in their community such as names, phone numbers?

I am not sure

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Reader Questions - Is It Still a Committee Meeting, Excessive Assessments Oct 29, 2012

Dear Mr. Richardson,

Our Budget committee had 2 board members out of its 7 total members. With our recent election, another committee member has joined the board. If all 3

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Reader Questions - Can We Force the Board?, Campaign Flyer Oct 29, 2012

Dear Sir,

Appreciate your column in the newspaper on HOAs. Is there a way to force a Board to allow the membership to vote on an issue without calling for a recall?

Thanks

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Terminology: Does It Matter? Oct 15, 2012

As a lawyer, I would have to plead “guilty” to being persnickety (to use a Latin term) regarding the correct use of legal terms. In the world of common interest developments t...

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The Critically Important Reserve Account Oct 01, 2012

Unfortunately, in common interest developments the reserve account is often overlooked or even deliberately ignored as unnecessary. This is unwise, because the reserve fund is...

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Reader Questions - Adding More Directors: Fees at Time of Sale Sep 24, 2012

Dear Mr. Richardson,

At our HOA meeting last night – it was announced by the board that they are adding a 6th member, a 2nd member at large! I’m perplexed! Can they do that

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Reader Questions - Too Helpful Manager, A Dangerous Director Sep 03, 2012

Dear Mr. Richardson,
I am a director of a large HOA. In our most recent board meeting the following came up in discussion:

  1. Our manager is calling homeowners and asking the
  2. ...
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Reader Questions - The CID Act and the Old HOA, Presidential Power Aug 13, 2012

Dear Mr. Richardson,

I recently discovered your “HOA Homefront” column in the newspaper and find it very valuable.

Your mention of the Davis Stirling Act has had me readin

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Reader Questions - Paying Directors Aug 06, 2012

Dear Mr. Richardson,

Ran across your column recently and that spurred me into writing you.

I belong to an HOA in Riverside County. I have been told that state law governin...

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Reader Questions - Open Meeting Act vs. Free Speech Jul 30, 2012

Kelly,

Thanks for your [recent] informative article regarding changes in the Davis-Stirling Act.

In the article you state that the board cannot “discuss anything about the...

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Toward Orderly Board Meetings Jul 23, 2012

One of the scourges of the HOA world is disorderly board meetings. Associations large and small struggle with meetings filled with the cacophony of people talking over each ot...

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Reader Questions - Slow Architectural Enforcement, Distribution of Minutes Jul 16, 2012

Dear Kelly,

I bought my townhome last year, and recently received a letter stating some windows violate the architectural guidelines and must be changed. My neighbors have ...

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