Every profession has its war stories. For community associations, these stories increasingly involve owners who, because of age, emotional problems, or both, pose a threat to themselves and to others in the community. Like the woman with Alzheimer’s, who wandered regularly from her complex when her son, with whom she lived, was traveling on business. Go to Resource
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American society has experienced a “green” movement. This eco-friendly movement has created many new laws and measures that have been enacted to encourage more earth friendly practices. But how do some of these laws impact your homeowners association? One common situation that may arise is the topic of xeriscaping. In 2005, Colorado enacted law thatGo to Resource
According to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, a violation of the Fair Housing Act does not occur until a requested accommodation is first refused. In a recent case from Hawaii, a homeowner was granted temporary permission to keep a companion pet while the Board of Directors investigated the request. According to the court theGo to Resource
Applying architectural guidelines and procedures uniformly is a major objective of the Architectural Review Committee (ARC). Like the board, the ARC should treat everyone the same. It should not, for example, require one owner to submit a $250 deposit to review plans, while reviewing a committee members’ neighbor’s plans for free, or approve one person’sGo to Resource
When writing rules, boards should use simple concepts and words. If residents understand rules, they’re more likely to comply with them. For example, board members may attempt to lend authority to their writing by inserting multi-syllabic legal words. Though rules should have a solid legal basis, those who read them must be able to understandGo to Resource