Real Estate & Property Law

Board Standards - Should HOAs Have Them?

Board standards are certainly advisable, whether they are written or not. Here are some standards that were recommended by a homeowner reader of the blog:

"Ideas for 'standards':
1. Follow the By-laws, or be subject to same $ penalty as HOs are when they violate, say, Vehical or Pool Rules. Each infraction has a charge, and each succeeding charge is greater in amount payable.
2. Follow the Open Meeting Act rules, ... [same boilerplate at in item 1 (above)]. Ignoring a) posting hours b) posting Agendas; c) not providing Minutes on time; d) taking action on items in New Business (not delaying 30 days)
3. Reply to HO with written reasons for refusing to repair (as wood and dry damage) after a [large] assessment of $________ per HO was overspent without completing the work, and work and $ from the next year's budget was not used to complete the work but was transferred (without notifying the HOs) into a "new account" which was later termed a "capital reserve" account.
4. Describing what "good faith" is, and what constitutes an infraction (say repairing some HOs wood/dry rot, but not repairing others);

Got some idea from the above?"

There are many owners with similar complaints about their HOAs and Condo Associations. So what can you do about these things?

A Primer is on the way (which will be available at www.californiacondoguru.com in the webstore) called "What Can You Do When You Are Dissatisfied With Your Association?

Look for it by the first of the year. Boards, it will be as meaningful to you as it is to the owners. In the meantime, check out the Board Basics Primers I and II to find out what Boards should be doing. It's a mystery to many!

Full post as published by California Condo & HOA Law on November 16, 2009 (boomark / email).