https://www.hoaleader.com HOAleader.com - Practical Advice on Homeowner Association Management en-us webmaster@hoaleader.com https://www.hoaleader.com/members/5345.cfm An HOAleader.com reader asks: �Our original documents were filed in April 2006. In July 2017, our supplemental declaration of CC&Rs were filed with our local county. Our articles of incorporation were filed with the state as required. My understanding is that our 2017 Supplemental Declarations need only to be filed with the county, which they are. Our board is saying that our documents are illegal. I think they�re 100 percent legal. Your thoughts?� Mon, 27 Jul 2026 00:00:00 0000 https://www.hoaleader.com/members/5344.cfm We didn�t make that up. A New Hampshire HOA board created a committee to put a seemingly good volunteer to work, and the volunteer drove that committee right off the rails. We learned about it in this month�s video article, and we raise it in this week�s tip. Fri, 24 Jul 2026 00:00:00 0000 https://www.hoaleader.com/members/5341.cfm Starting in about six months, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will require condo associations to allocate at least 15 percent of their annual budget to reserve funding. That�s a jump from the current requirement of 10 percent. They�ll also start doing more thorough reviews for many communities. Wed, 22 Jul 2026 00:00:00 0000 https://www.hoaleader.com/members/5343.cfm Can you overdo it on the whole �Let�s create a committee!� idea? In a word, yes. But how do you know if you�re even close to that point? We raise those questions in response to a question from an HOAleader.com reader that started, �We�re a newly transitioned HOA. We have finance, design review board, and buildings and grounds and need to include communications, covenant enforcement, and temp committees.� Mon, 20 Jul 2026 00:00:00 0000 https://www.hoaleader.com/public/5340.cfm What if your HOA manager insists your contract with them has renewed automatically, and you can�t find that provision anywhere in the contract your HOA signed? Fri, 17 Jul 2026 00:00:00 0000 https://www.hoaleader.com/members/5339.cfm An HOAleader.com reader asks: �I�m on a board in New Hampshire, and our current management company contract for both financials and property management expired on Dec. 31, 2025. Clearly in my mind, we don�t have a current contract. Our management company director says we don�t need to sign a new contract because (all of a sudden) we have an evergreen contract that automatically renews every year. Tue, 14 Jul 2026 00:00:00 0000 https://www.hoaleader.com/public/5334.cfm In this week�s tip, we give you a heads up on a California court�s ruling in favor of a condo that opposed one of its owner�s attempts to convert his garage into an accessory dwelling unit. And we broaden the discussion to provide tips on what you might do if you find yourself in the tricky situation the condo in this litigation was in. News reports say the owner who was being sued by his condo was a board member� a vice president, in fact. Fri, 10 Jul 2026 00:00:00 0000 https://www.hoaleader.com/members/5333.cfm A California court has ruled in favor of a condo that opposed one of its owner�s attempts to convert his garage into an accessory dwelling unit. Here, we briefly report on the case. We also broaden the discussion to focus on the twist in this litigation. News reports say the owner who was being sued by his condo was a board member�a vice president, in fact. Mon, 06 Jul 2026 00:00:00 0000 https://www.hoaleader.com/public/5332.cfm In this week�s tip, we give you a real-time update on the state of the condo and HOA insurance landscape�and it�s not as gloomy and doomy as it has been for a few years now. We�re discussing the topic as a result of reported progress in Hawaii. A year into its state-led effort to help condos get more affordable insurance, reports are that Hawaii�s work is paying off. Condos that couldn�t afford coverage from private insurers can now get cheaper policies since the legislature and governor re-instituted the Hawaii Hurricane Relief Fund, which provides coverage to condo associations for high-rise buildings. Condos are also reportedly getting policies at lower rates and seeing their insurance rates drop because of the increased competition from the state insurer. Fri, 03 Jul 2026 00:00:00 0000 https://www.hoaleader.com/members/5331.cfm A year into its state-led effort to help condos get more affordable insurance, reports are that Hawaii�s work is paying off. Condos that couldn�t afford coverage from private insurers can now get cheaper policies since the legislature and governor re-instituted the Hawaii Hurricane Relief Fund, which provides coverage to condo associations for high-rise buildings. Condos are also reportedly getting policies at lower rates and seeing their insurance rates drop because of the increased competition from the state insurer. Thu, 02 Jul 2026 00:00:00 0000 https://www.hoaleader.com/members/5328.cfm An HOAleader.com reader emailed us to let us know that they�d be interested in seeing a sample procurement policy. So we asked our experts: Have you drafted for your condo or HOA clients a procurement policy? If so, what specific provisions should another community that�s interested in creating such a policy include? Mon, 29 Jun 2026 00:00:00 0000 https://www.hoaleader.com/public/5325.cfm Where�s the line separating your job as a board and your manager�s job in lending you a hand? In this week�s tip, we search for clarity on this issue in response to an HOAleader.com reader�s question asking whether their board is getting it right. Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 0000 https://www.hoaleader.com/members/5327.cfm After a number of wildfires in New Jersey�which is certainly not perceived by many as a high-risk area for wildfires�the state has awarded $90,000 in grants to 22 communities for projects that support wildfire risk reduction. Thu, 25 Jun 2026 00:00:00 0000 https://www.hoaleader.com/members/5326.cfm An HOAleader.com reader asks: �What�s the process required to amend an item in our rules and covenants?� For those new to the world of condos and HOAs, those are actually two different things that very likely have two different answers. Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:00:00 0000 https://www.hoaleader.com/members/5324.cfm A great condo or HOA manager removes weight from your shoulders as board members. The question is, however, are there things you shouldn�t be asking your manager to take off your hands? Tue, 23 Jun 2026 00:00:00 0000 https://www.hoaleader.com/public/5323.cfm In this week�s tip, we do a year-and-a-half analysis of whether actions by the feds have started to trickle down to affect how condo and HOA lawyers advise clients on requests for accommodations under fair housing laws. Fri, 19 Jun 2026 00:00:00 0000 https://www.hoaleader.com/members/5322.cfm A reader wrote to USA Today to note that their condo has a 40-pound weight restriction on animals and asked whether that was enforceable in considering a reasonable accommodation for a service animal. Mon, 15 Jun 2026 00:00:00 0000 https://www.hoaleader.com/public/5317.cfm In this week�s tip, we report on the steps a Manhattan condo took so it could get insurance, asking our experts whether condos in other states should investigate whether that board�s solution would work for them. Fri, 12 Jun 2026 00:00:00 0000 https://www.hoaleader.com/members/5316.cfm A Manhattan condo that was deemed way more risky for insurers after three major water leaks in four years convinced its owners that the way to make insurance accessible and more affordable was for the owners to agree to foot the bill for floor maintenance, repairs, and insurance. A supermajority of owners agreed to take on that responsibility. Mon, 08 Jun 2026 00:00:00 0000 https://www.hoaleader.com/public/5315.cfm When you realize your condo or HOA manager has given you bum advice, not once but enough times that you�re not sure you can rely on them, what�s your next step? That�s the question we tackle in this week�s tip, and it arises from an HOAleader.com reader�s question giving examples that their manager may be giving advice contrary to their state�s law. When questioned, the board and manager held firm. Fri, 05 Jun 2026 00:00:00 0000 https://www.hoaleader.com/members/5314.cfm An HOAleader.com reader asks: �Our board is making decisions and votes via email definitely for architectural review committee decisions and who knows what else. The ARCs are not discussed in any way at a board meeting. As a previous board member, I know that�s in violation of Florida law. Wed, 03 Jun 2026 00:00:00 0000 https://www.hoaleader.com/public/5312.cfm In this week�s tip, we help out two different posters to HOAleader.com�s discussion forum who�ve sought advice on the same issue: If you�re looking to rein in rentals in your condo or HOA, should some of your owners get a pass? Fri, 29 May 2026 00:00:00 0000 https://www.hoaleader.com/members/5313.cfm An HOAleader.com reader asks: �We�re a HOA in south Florida, and we�re considering replacing electric street lights on our roadway into our association (1/4 mile) with solar lights. We feel that the cost savings will make up for the replacement of the streetlamps in a small amount of time. We�re in the discovery stage and pulling information together to present to our board to support our recommendation. Do you know of any associations that use solar street lighting in their communities and if so, what issues have they experienced? How much of a cost saving measure was realized?� Thu, 28 May 2026 00:00:00 0000 https://www.hoaleader.com/members/5311.cfm Two different posters to HOAleader.com�s discussion forum are seeking guidance on a thorny issue�how to treat your current owners who already rent their unit when you�re working to enact rental restrictions on everyone else. Mon, 25 May 2026 00:00:00 0000 https://www.hoaleader.com/public/5309.cfm In this week�s tip, we report on legislative activity involving condos and HOAs in two states to prepare you for when your lawmakers start itching to add regulations on how you run your communities. Fri, 22 May 2026 00:00:00 0000 https://www.hoaleader.com/members/5310.cfm A San Diego master community has reportedly agreed to spend just under $1 million to settle a lawsuit brought by its employees. They claimed the HOA failed to pay its hourly workers proper wages or overtime, denied proper breaks, and didn�t adequately reimburse employee expenses. Wed, 20 May 2026 00:00:00 0000 https://www.hoaleader.com/members/5308.cfm A Georgia law, if passed, would prohibit condos and HOAs from foreclosing on owners who owe less than $4,000 in dues, excluding fines. (This is reportedly triggered by one HOA that foreclosed on an owner for a $3-and-change outstanding amount�why do condo and HOA boards do this?!). It would also bar property management companies and individuals associated with them from bidding on or buying homes at foreclosure sales. Mon, 18 May 2026 00:00:00 0000 https://www.hoaleader.com/public/5303.cfm In this week�s tip, we help out an HOAleader.com reader who emailed us with a challenge. Our reader says, �Our COA has many phases, including beachfront and main-street units, and all pay the same per-foot fee. We have one building�most in our complex are on pilings�that has sunk more than five feet on one corner and is uneven over most of a four-unit building. It�s one of 70-some buildings in the complex with more than 600 units total. Fri, 15 May 2026 00:00:00 0000 https://www.hoaleader.com/members/5302.cfm An HOAleader.com reader emailed to ask for insights on a challenge they�re facing, and we�re happy to help. Our reader says, �Our COA has many phases, including beachfront and main-street units, and all pay the same per-foot fee. We have one building�most in our complex are on pilings�that has sunk more than five feet on one corner and is uneven over most of a four-unit building. It�s one of 70-some buildings in the complex with more than 600 units total. Mon, 11 May 2026 00:00:00 0000 https://www.hoaleader.com/public/5301.cfm In this week�s tip, we report on a new trend that�s growing�HOA managers wearing bodycams. Fri, 08 May 2026 00:00:00 0000 https://www.hoaleader.com/members/5300.cfm We saw a reference to HOA managers wearing bodycams. What?! Then we asked several of our manager experts, and they said yep, it�s a growing trend�including in owners� units and at meetings, where they believe it keeps some owners� worst behavior in check�but that some insurers also require it. Tue, 05 May 2026 00:00:00 0000 https://www.hoaleader.com/public/5299.cfm When one neighbor shovels their 80-something neighbor�s walk, and that elderly neighbor happens to be the HOA president, should a board tell the shoveler to back off? That�s the question we tackle in this week�s tip. Fri, 01 May 2026 00:00:00 0000 https://www.hoaleader.com/members/5298.cfm We saw this online post, which raises an important question regarding enforcement and fair treatment for all: �Uh oh! I shoveled my neighbor�s snow this morning. CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE! I used to do it every time it snowed until the fascist HOA from the condos next door told me, �You can't do that unless you�re going to do it for all the condos. People think Mary Joe is getting some sort of preferential treatment because she's the HOA�s president. So stop shoveling her driveway.� Mary Joe was in her 80s, and she was my NEXT-DOOR neighbor. So I used to do it for her anyway.� Fri, 01 May 2026 00:00:00 0000 https://www.hoaleader.com/members/5297.cfm As we reported last year, Florida law changed its laws prohibiting HOAs from banning owners from parking a pickup or work truck in their driveway. But that law may not prohibit HOAs from putting aesthetic restrictions on those trucks, like prohibiting tools from being visible in an open bed or ladders from hanging off or for the truck to not have visible damage. Wed, 29 Apr 2026 00:00:00 0000 https://www.hoaleader.com/members/5296.cfm Apparently, a Florida condo isn�t experiencing the typical problem of a lack of attendance at meetings. It�s encountering a nonowner attending because their owner-roommate gave that roomie power of attorney (POA) to attend. And vote. And make records requests. Mon, 27 Apr 2026 00:00:00 0000 https://www.hoaleader.com/members/5294.cfm In this week�s tip, we use a Reddit post to guide you through the process of changing a condo or HOA policy or rule, including whether and when to get your owners involved. Fri, 24 Apr 2026 00:00:00 0000 https://www.hoaleader.com/members/5295.cfm An HOAleader.com reader asks: �After this holiday season, a few concerns have arisen regarding charities and how the membership should control charity involvement. Should there be an approved charity that the HOA participates in? Should there be guidelines on how a charity is approved when it�s presented to the board or to a committee? What are some of the pitfalls to avoid if a charity policy is to be considered?� Wed, 22 Apr 2026 00:00:00 0000 https://www.hoaleader.com/members/5293.cfm Let�s say you realized one of your condo or HOA policies didn�t work the way you intended. So you as a board followed the proper procedures to undo it. Sun, 19 Apr 2026 00:00:00 0000 https://www.hoaleader.com/public/5290.cfm In this week�s tip, we ask our experts to weigh in on an HOAleader.com reader�s suggestion that even our reader admits is a little out there. Fri, 17 Apr 2026 00:00:00 0000 https://www.hoaleader.com/products/water-damage-to-condo-hoa-b.cfm In 60 quick minutes, you�ll receive a roadmap that helps you avoid confusion and tension when you�re already dealing with a stressful emergency situation. Fri, 17 Apr 2026 00:00:00 0000 https://www.hoaleader.com/members/5289.cfm An HOAleader.com reader asks: �I have a crazy idea. We�re a small, 14-unit HOA, and we�ve built up a pretty good reserve fund over the last eight years to $225,000. We had a reserve study done, and we have certain capital expenses identified over a 30-year plan. Most big-ticket maintenance items are in years 20 to 30; for example, the roof, windows, driveway, and painting. Mon, 13 Apr 2026 00:00:00 0000 https://www.hoaleader.com/public/5288.cfm In this week�s tip, we take the case of a poster on Reddit (actually a subreddit for people griping about their HOA!) to ask a broader question: Is it your job as a condo or HOA to ensure that your owners are never inconvenienced? Fri, 10 Apr 2026 00:00:00 0000 https://www.hoaleader.com/members/5287.cfm A poster on Reddit (actually a subreddit for people griping about their HOA!) says their HOA is requiring they move their car for five days for parking repaving. This kind of �you can�t use an area� inconvenience to owners can happen in all kinds of situations: parking, elevator repair, hallway or lobby painting, and so on. Tue, 07 Apr 2026 00:00:00 0000 https://www.hoaleader.com/public/5286.cfm What happens when your condo or HOA president wants to step out of that role but remain a director at large? That�s the question we�re tackling in this week�s tip. Fri, 03 Apr 2026 00:00:00 0000 https://www.hoaleader.com/members/5285.cfm An HOAleader.com reader asks: "After our last board meeting, the president issued a letter that she�s stepping down for mental health reasons. She�s not leaving the board, just choosing to serve as a non-titled member to create consistency and work on projects to help the community within the board." Wed, 01 Apr 2026 00:00:00 0000 https://www.hoaleader.com/members/5284.cfm As we reported a few months ago, a Florida state representative got attention when he said that maybe it was time to end HOAs. Well, the latest news is that he has proposed a Florida law that would allow owners to band together and terminate their HOA. The law probably isn�t going anywhere, but this situation has a strong lesson for condo and HOA board members nationwide. Mon, 30 Mar 2026 00:00:00 0000 https://www.hoaleader.com/members/5282.cfm In this week�s tip, we pick our jaw up off the floor to address a question we saw from an online poster. In a nutshell, the poster says they want to convert from a condo to an HOA because they think it�ll provide insurance benefits. Fri, 27 Mar 2026 00:00:00 0000 https://www.hoaleader.com/members/5283.cfm Remember when we reported that you might win big by digging around to see if grants are available to your condo or HOA? We�ve got proof in Pennsylvania! And a much smaller grant to an Illinois HOA is additional proof! Wed, 25 Mar 2026 00:00:00 0000 https://www.hoaleader.com/members/5281.cfm Would converting your community from a condo to an HOA provide insurance benefits? The question comes from an online commenter who says, �We have a condo with multiple units that includes a beach access right of way, along with other common area properties and water rights. We want to convert to an HOA and deed the property under each unit to individual owners for insurance and catastrophic recovery purposes... Mon, 23 Mar 2026 00:00:00 0000 https://www.hoaleader.com/public/5276.cfm In this week�s tip, we help out a reader who�s concerned about the ethics and propriety of their board president hiring a member in the community to do work in the community. Fri, 20 Mar 2026 00:00:00 0000