https://www.hoaleader.com HOAleader.com - Practical Advice on Homeowner Association Management en-us webmaster@hoaleader.com https://www.hoaleader.com/public/5389.cfm Are you having one of those days where you need a feel-good story about how owners stepped up to help an HOA board solve a challenging problem? That�s what we provide in this week�s tip. Fri, 16 Oct 2026 00:00:00 -0800 https://www.hoaleader.com/members/5390.cfm An HOAleader.com reader asks: �I�m in Pennsylvania. Can the community levy a special assessment for a reserve expense when there are funds in the reserve account but that are designated for other expenses? Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 -0800 https://www.hoaleader.com/members/5388.cfm Need a feel-good story about how owners stepped up to help an HOA board solve a challenging problem? Behold the Edgewater HOA in Madison, Alabama! Residents there who opposed a board�s idea to cull a resident gaggle of geese because of the mess they made stepped up. Those owners volunteered to do daily cleanings. The clean-up crew has grown to 17 volunteers who step up twice a day and even have a Facebook page. They also gather research to help local wildlife officials determine how to manage gaggles like this. Mon, 12 Oct 2026 00:00:00 -0800 https://www.hoaleader.com/public/5385.cfm With everything way more expensive today, a Florida community association manager says she�s worked with her clients to cut utility costs. Hallelujah! In this week�s tip, she and our other experts share their tips to help you beat back budget increases. Fri, 09 Oct 2026 00:00:00 -0800 https://www.hoaleader.com/members/5384.cfm With everything way more expensive today, a Florida community association manager says she�s worked with her clients to cut utility costs. Hallelujah! Could you put her, and our other experts�, tips to use? Read on! Wed, 07 Oct 2026 00:00:00 -0800 https://www.hoaleader.com/public/5381.cfm An HOA manager says there are pros and cons to using small claims court to collect unpaid debt from your owners. So, we�ve made that the topic in this week�s tip. Can you do that, and is it worth your time? Fri, 02 Oct 2026 00:00:00 -0800 https://www.hoaleader.com/members/5380.cfm An HOA manager says there are pros and cons to using small claims court to collect unpaid debt from your owners. Our experts agree. Here, they explain whether their state allows condos and HOAs to go that route and discuss the pros and cons. Thu, 01 Oct 2026 00:00:00 -0800 https://www.hoaleader.com/members/5379.cfm The president of a condo on Chicago�s trendy and pricey north side was killed�as he tried to respond to the presence of a man ordered to have no contact with one of the residents in the building. This tragic and senseless situation�which was in no way the president�s fault�raises questions about what you and your owners can and should do when someone in your community has been granted a protective order. Mon, 28 Sep 2026 00:00:00 -0800 https://www.hoaleader.com/public/5377.cfm If your owners come right out and ask you to make sure everyone complies with your parking rules, can you simply say, "Thanks for bringing this to our attention, but we�ll pass"? Fri, 25 Sep 2026 00:00:00 -0800 https://www.hoaleader.com/members/5378.cfm An HOAleader.com reader asks: �I�m the HOA president in a small eight-unit (four-building) duplex condo community in Northern Michigan built nearly 30 years ago. My wife and I have been living here eight years, and I�ve been a board member for as long.�I�m inquiring about other people�s experiences with the addition of portable hot tubs�at your condo complexes. Wed, 23 Sep 2026 00:00:00 -0800 https://www.hoaleader.com/members/5376.cfm Do you have to enforce all your rules? We ask because an HOAleader.com reader, who�s a new board member, says their owners are pushing their board to enforce parking rules. They�d �rather not.� Is that a reasonable response? Mon, 21 Sep 2026 00:00:00 -0800 https://www.hoaleader.com/public/5373.cfm In this week�s tip, we report on a new federal guidance that could make your life much less stressful. An HOAleader.com reader asks: �On May 22, 2026, HUD presented new guidance�regarding emotional support animals, essentially saying an HOA can now deny a request by a resident to have an untrained emotional support animal. Each circumstance is unique, and there aren�t any specifics. Fri, 18 Sep 2026 00:00:00 -0800 https://www.hoaleader.com/members/5374.cfm An HOAleader.com reader asks: �If a board member passed in 2024, can they legally be registered as an active board member for 2026?� This is so odd! Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 -0800 https://www.hoaleader.com/members/5372.cfm An HOAleader.com reader asks: �On May 22, 2026, HUD presented new guidance�regarding emotional support animals, essentially saying an HOA can now deny a request by a resident to have an untrained emotional support animal. Each circumstance is unique, and there aren�t any specifics. Tue, 15 Sep 2026 00:00:00 -0800 https://www.hoaleader.com/public/5370.cfm Is your condo or HOA so tight-knit and congenial that you don�t really follow your governing documents? That�s the topic in this week�s tip in response to that issue being raised by an HOAleader.com reader from a small condo. They asked a question on the discussion forum about a mix-up with their local gas and electric meters, and buried in the extensive discussion was this comment: �Often, many don�t think a small HOA like this has to run with as stringent regulations, but I beg to differ, which I�ve been trying to shift. The mentality in my mind should be that this is a business and should be run like one. I�ve struggled in this building with the other owners because of how willy nilly it has been.� Fri, 11 Sep 2026 00:00:00 -0800 https://www.hoaleader.com/members/5369.cfm An HOAleader.com reader from a small condo asked a question�on the discussion forum about a mix-up with their local gas and electric meters. Buried in the extensive discussion was this comment: �Often, many don�t think a small HOA like this has to run with as stringent regulations, but I beg to differ, which I�ve been trying to shift. The mentality in my mind should be that this is a business and should be run like one. I�ve struggled in this building with the other owners because of how willy nilly it has been.� Mon, 07 Sep 2026 00:00:00 -0800 https://www.hoaleader.com/public/5367.cfm Let�s say you�ve done your job so well that the special assessment you levied turns out to be more than you need. Can you use that extra cash as a slush fund, to apply it to costs as needed? Fri, 04 Sep 2026 00:00:00 -0800 https://www.hoaleader.com/members/5366.cfm An HOAleader.com reader asks: �A monthly special assessment was established for the life of a construction loan, which has about 8 and a half more years on the loan. The assessment is about 14% higher than the monthly loan payment amount. Can the excess funds be put into reserves, or does the special assessment have to be reduced? Tue, 01 Sep 2026 00:00:00 -0800 https://www.hoaleader.com/public/5363.cfm If one of your owners claims to have paid beaucoup bucks for a view of a pond and their neighbor builds a fence that violates your HOA�s rules blocking that scenery, is your HOA legally liable for their damages? Fri, 28 Aug 2026 00:00:00 -0800 https://www.hoaleader.com/members/5359.cfm Most HOAs in the country are mandatory, but not all. Here, we explain the difference, the pros and cons, and whether you can shift yours from one type to the other. Wed, 26 Aug 2026 00:00:00 -0800 https://www.hoaleader.com/members/5362.cfm Do your owners have a right to any particular view? And if so, can they sue your HOA if it�s impeded? We ask these questions as a result of a letter to The New York Times. A reader said they bought a house in a HOA that had a view of an entire pond. They say they paid the builder a premium for that view. Mon, 24 Aug 2026 00:00:00 -0800 https://www.hoaleader.com/public/5361.cfm In this week�s tip, we discuss whether you as a board have the power to wage a fight beyond your borders, with or without your owners� input or formal consent. Fri, 21 Aug 2026 00:00:00 -0800 https://www.hoaleader.com/members/5358.cfm Landscaping decisions can quietly increase your condo or HOA�s liability exposure, according to an online report. The problem is that our experts respectfully disagree, though they think perhaps that writer was making a broader point, which they agree with. Here�s what to know. Wed, 19 Aug 2026 00:00:00 -0800 https://www.hoaleader.com/members/5360.cfm HOAs in Virginia and Florida are taking stands against the choice of nearby locations for data centers, which many say are noisy water hogs and polluters. Here, our experts explain whether they�ve been asked to advise clients on this issue. More broadly, if you�re concerned about an issue emerging close to but outside your community, what authority do you have as a board to wage a campaign against it on your condo or HOA�s behalf? Mon, 17 Aug 2026 00:00:00 -0800 https://www.hoaleader.com/public/5356.cfm Are you ready if delinquencies ramp up in your community? That�s the question we tackle in this week�s tip because foreclosures jumped 14 percent in 2025 over the previous year and 26 percent year over year in the first quarter of 2026. Fri, 14 Aug 2026 00:00:00 -0800 https://www.hoaleader.com/members/5357.cfm A lawyer in Florida has been held in contempt and jailed for refusing to reveal the names of two of three of his neighbors he represented in a suit against their HOA. The lawsuit was dropped because it was �incoherent,� according to the court. But in the first three years�three years?!�of the litigation, the HOA claims it spent more than $300,000 in legal fees and is seeking recovery. Wed, 12 Aug 2026 00:00:00 -0800 https://www.hoaleader.com/members/5355.cfm Foreclosures jumped 14 percent in 2025 over the previous year and 26 percent year over year in the first quarter of 2026. Here, our experts reveal whether they see this uptick in their communities and the key advice they�re giving boards to prepare for and wisely address what looks like an emerging challenge. Mon, 10 Aug 2026 00:00:00 -0800 https://www.hoaleader.com/public/5350.cfm Is your state working on legislation that will tie your hands as a condo or HOA leader? Of course, that question is moot if it has already done that. That question arises because in this week�s tip, we report on the movement by state legislators to pass so-called homeowners� bills of rights. Minnesota and Georgia have joined the growing number of states enacting those laws, whether they�re formally called that or not. Either way, they�re laws that, in the name of protecting homeowners, restrict your right as a condo or HOA board to manage your community�s affairs. Fri, 07 Aug 2026 00:00:00 -0800 https://www.hoaleader.com/members/5349.cfm Minnesota and Georgia have joined the growing number of states passing homeowners� bills of rights, whether they�re formally called that or not. Either way, they�re laws that, in the name of protecting homeowners, restrict your right as a condo or HOA board to manage your community�s affairs. Wed, 05 Aug 2026 00:00:00 -0800 https://www.hoaleader.com/public/5346.cfm What if your developer properly filed all the right documents with all the right entities when your condo or HOA was created? Now you�re three years in. Maybe five years in. Even 20 to 30 years in. What do you need to file with what government entities? Fri, 31 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0800 https://www.hoaleader.com/members/5342.cfm Here, we ask our experts whether their state law requires boards to ever hire a translator to aid owners at community meetings or for any of the board�s written communications. If there�s no legal requirement, would it still be wise, and how would a board go about finding a qualitied translator? Wed, 29 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0800 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 -0800 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 -0800 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 -0800 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 -0800 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 -0800 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 -0800 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 -0800 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 -0800 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 -0800 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 -0800 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 -0800 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 -0800 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 -0800 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 -0800 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 -0800 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 -0800 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 -0800 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 -0800 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 -0800