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Should an Association Respond to Unofficial Publications?

*Unpublished Opinion With increasing frequency, homeowners associations are confronted with members publishing content related to their association and its operations, whether on Facebook, blog posts, or other various online forums. Sometimes these publications are critical of the association board of directors, misrepresent important information and facts, or fraudulently purport to…

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Attorney’s Fees and Costs are not Available to a Moving Party who Secures Interim Injunctive Relief

Preliminary injunctions are temporary court orders requested by one party that prevents another party from pursuing a particular course of conduct until the conclusion of a trial on the merits.  A preliminary injunction is proper where the moving party proves the following two factors: (1) the likelihood that the moving…

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Requesting HOA Enforcement Held to be Constitutionally Protected Activity

*New Case Law A Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (or “SLAPP”) is a lawsuit brought to prevent or punish someone for exercising their First Amendment right to speak about public issues or to petition the government. In response to this abuse of the court system, California enacted Code of Civil…

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SB 407 Signed! Legislation Broadens Assembly and Speech Rights within HOAs

New Civil Code 4515 will be added to the Davis-Stirling Act to ensure that homeowners association residents may exercise their rights of peaceful assembly and political speech. HOAs are playing an increasing role in the lives of California’s residents as compared to the roles traditionally played by cities and counties.…

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Court Concludes Rental Restrictions are Reasonable

*Unpublished Case Recently, many residential common interest developments have experienced an influx in the number of short-term rentals within their community. This problem is exacerbated by the increased popularity of websites such as Airbnb and HomeAway. Although profitable, short-term rentals have a significant negative impact on community associations, such as…

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Business Judgment Rule Doesn’t Apply When the Board Acts Outside its Authority

*Unpublished Case ISSUE: Is an HOA Board of Directors (“Board”) entitled to protection under the Business Judgment Rule (“BJR”) when it applies an unambiguous view restriction contained in the governing documents in a manner other than written? RULE: No.  In Lingenbrink v. Del Rayo Estates Homeowners Association, 2017 WL 1075062…

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Governor Brown Declares the End of the Drought

On April 7, 2017, Governor Brown signed Executive Order B-40-17, ending the drought state of emergency in most of California.  Drought restrictions will remain in effect in Fresno, Kings, Tulare, and Tuolomne counties, which continue to face drinking water shortages and diminished groundwater supplies.  The new Executive Order rescinds the emergency proclamations…

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What Does Legalized Marijuana Mean for Your HOA?

Adult possession and use of marijuana for recreational purposes is now legal in California as a result of the passage of Proposition 64 (“Prop 64”) in 2016. Prop 64 is comprised of sixty-two (62) pages of detailed, complicated, and at times confusing regulations and statutory revisions to various California codes.…

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SB 814: Penalties for Excessive Water Use

California is experiencing the worst drought in over a century.  As a result, the California Legislature has enacted a number of laws aimed at water conservation.  Existing law requires the Department of Water Resources and the State Water Resources Control Board to take appropriate actions to prevent unreasonable water use. …