*Asked & Answered Asked – Our insurance was cancelled and with the new policy the premium sky rocketed. There is not enough money in the operating account or budget to pay for the new premium. Can we pay from reserves? Answered – California has suffered significant wildfire damage in recent…
Articles Posted in HOA Finance
AB 1101 Signed! Welcome Clarity to HOA Financial Protection Requirements
*New Legislation AB 2912, passed in 2018, provided welcome protections to homeowners in HOA’s from fraudulent activities by those entrusted with managing an HOA’s finances. AB 2912’s protections included: 1) requiring Associations to secure fidelity bond insurance in an amount equal to or exceeding current reserves, plus three months of…
How to Manage Increased Costs During COVID-19
2020 has strained the purse strings of California homeowners associations. When the pandemic hit in March, it forced HOA’s into uncharted territory, which resulted in unanticipated legal fees to address a myriad of issues such as how to conduct meetings, enforce the governing documents, and maintain common areas during state-ordered…
AB 2912: New Protections Against the Misuse of HOA Funds
*New Library Article! Assembly Bill 2912 (“AB 2912”) was recently enacted by the California Legislature. Its changes to the law, which take effect January 1, 2019, are intended “to protect owners in a [HOA] from fraudulent activity by those entrusted with the management of the [HOA’s] finances.” To that end,…
AB 2912 Signed! Significant Changes to HOA Financial Review and Insurance Requirements
*New Legislation Earlier this year, the California Legislature proposed AB 2912 (Irwin) in an effort “to protect owners in a [HOA] from fraudulent activity by those entrusted with the management of the [HOA’s] finances.” To that end, AB 2912 significantly increases the financial review requirements of HOA boards of directors,…
FHA Proposes New Rule for Condominium Certification & Lowers Owner-Occupancy Requirement
We previously blogged about H.R. 3700, the “Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act of 2016”, which was signed by the President on July 29, 2016. H.R. 3700 required the Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”) to streamline the Federal Housing Administration (“FHA”) recertification process, provide regulations for commercial space exemptions,…
Could Assessments Become Tax Deductible?
A bi-partisan group of the House of Representatives would like to think so. According to the Community Associations Institute (CAI), more than 66 million Americans live in homeowners associations across the country, with an estimated 13 million of them living in California. These homeowners pay assessments to cover the costs…
House Passes Bill to Simplify FHA Recertification Process
We have previously blogged about the Federal Housing Administration’s (FHA) revisions to its condominium approval guidelines. Recently, the Community Associations Institute (CAI) announced that progress was made towards reasonable reforms to the FHA approval process. On February 2, 2016, the US House of Representatives passed H.R. 3700 the “Housing Opportunity through…
AB 596 Signed! New FHA and VA Disclosures Required Beginning July 1, 2016
New Legislation* Civil Code Section 5300 requires a HOA to prepare and distribute to its members an annual budget report. The annual budget report serves as a consolidated disclosure statement which must include numerous items of information, such as information pertaining to the HOA’s reserve funds, operating budget, and insurance…
AB 596: Is Your Community FHA or VA Certified?
We have previously blogged about Federal Housing Administration (FHA) certification for condominium associations. Recently, the California legislature proposed AB 596 (Daly), which would add a separate document to the Annual Budget Package disclosing whether the condominium association is FHA approved. This bill would also require a second document disclosing whether…