Articles

Reader Questions - The Reserve Fund – How Much Is Too Much? Sep 13, 2020

Mr. Richardson: Something has been bothering me for a while regarding the reserve funding level that is appropriate for a given association. Many associations strive (and set ...

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Reader Questions - Can Non-Residents Run? Why Can’t Spouses of Directors? Sep 06, 2020

Mr. Richardson:

Can a non-resident owner be on the board? A board member moved but still stayed on the board while he rented his unit. Several homeowners opposed, but the m...

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Reader Questions - Our HOA Stopped Meeting - Is That OK? Aug 31, 2020

Dear Mr. Richardson:

Our board says that due to the pandemic they are suspending board meetings "until further notice." Our bylaws state board meetings must be held at leas...

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Embracing Virtual Meeting Function – Now and Later Aug 23, 2020

Many months now into the pandemic, some associations have stopped conducting board meetings. That is a mistake on many levels, but also completely unnecessary. Boards do not n...

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Reader Questions – Can HOAs Ban Political, Patriotic or Religious Displays? Aug 16, 2020

Hi Kelly,

We (along with our neighbors) put out candidate and ballot measure signs prior to our elections. We looked into this several years ago and it appears that Califor...

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Proposed Law Would Override HOA Self-Determination Aug 09, 2020

Assembly Member Ting from San Francisco has authored Assembly Bill 3182. In its original form it was a horrible bill but later amendments improved it from horrible to just bad...

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Reader Questions – Short Term Rentals Aug 02, 2020

Dear Kelly:

Our CC&Rs state that a rental must be at least 30 days.  We have recently found several (web-based short-term) rentals in our complex that are just day to day r...

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Reader Questions - Board Meetings Jul 27, 2020
Our HOA board has consistently said that they are having meetings to do emergency actions. I know that they talk on the telephone, decide what to say and never send out meetin...
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But I Disagree Jul 20, 2020

In our culture, disagreement is mishandled more than ever before. However, disagreement is to be expected between directors of common interest developments (aka “HOAs”), and t...

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Reopening HOA Amenities in the COVID-19 World Jul 13, 2020

As the seesaw battle of the COVID-19 pandemic continues, HOA boards and managers are torn between the fear of reopening amenities and the desire of residents to enjoy their us...

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The Myths about Mold, Like Mold, Just Won’t Die [Part 2] Jul 05, 2020

You cannot handle it yourself.  Many mold consultants treat mold as if it were asbestos.  Asbestos is truly dangerous.  Unlike mold, when inhaled into the lungs, the body cann...

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The Myths about Mold, Like Mold, Just Won’t Die [Part 1] Jun 28, 2020

In 2000, right after we survived “Y2K,” a new “toxic mold” panic swept the country, and twenty years (of lawsuits and billions of dollars) later, major myths persist, frighten...

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