HOA Articles and Guides

Service and Support Animals in an HOA: What Boards Can Ask

Table of what a California HOA board may and may not ask about an assistance animal request, for a service animal and for support animals when the disability and need are apparent, when only the need is unclear, and when the disability is not apparent. The board may not ask for a diagnosis, medical records, a task demonstration, certification or a vest.

What an HOA board may and may not ask about a service or emotional support animal, what changed at HUD in 2026, and what California requires.

Sacramento-Area Watering Rules and HOA Landscaping

Two-column chart of California's non-functional turf rule for HOA common areas starting January 1, 2029. Can still be watered: recreation areas, community gathering space, park lawns residents use, trees and perennial plantings, and owners' own yards. No potable water: non-functional turf, street rights-of-way and parking lots, and usually entry strips, medians, slopes, narrow frontage lawns and closed-off grass.

California’s 2029 ban on watering decorative HOA turf, Civil Code 4735 limits on HOA rules, and Sacramento-area watering schedules and rebates.

Wildfire Defensible Space for Foothill HOAs

Seven-step wildfire action plan for an HOA board: map the fire hazard zone for every parcel, walk the common area with the fire agency, write a vegetation management scope, schedule around local deadlines, fix the guidelines, tell owners each spring, and document the work. Notes California's 100 feet of defensible space rule.

What California defensible space law requires of HOAs and owners, where the Zone 0 rule stands, and local rules in Placer County and Folsom.

Developer Transition: Taking Over the HOA From the Builder

Five jobs for the first owner-controlled HOA board after developer transition: collect the records, take control of the money with a CPA review and a new reserve study, inspect the common areas with independent consultants, review developer-signed contracts, and check insurance and hire an independent attorney.

What developer transition means, a checklist for the first owner-controlled HOA board, and California rules on developer control and defects.

D&O Insurance for HOA Boards: What It Covers

Eight questions an HOA board should ask its broker about directors and officers insurance: standalone policy or endorsement, defense of non-monetary claims, duty to defend and defense costs, who is insured, retroactive date and prior acts, claim definition and reporting deadline, treatment of contract, discrimination and employment claims, and whether limits meet California Civil Code 5800 and 5805.

What HOA directors and officers insurance covers, who is insured, common exclusions, claims-made rules, and California’s Civil Code 5800 minimum limits.

Water Leaks in Condos: Who Pays for the Damage?

Six first steps when a condo water leak happens: stop the water, tell the association and the neighbors, limit the damage, document everything, notify the insurers, and find the source before arguing about the bill. A leak raises three separate questions: who fixes the source, who repairs the damage and whose insurance pays.

Who fixes the source of a condo water leak, who repairs the damage and whose insurance pays, plus the California default rules.

HOA Insurance Deductibles and Loss Assessment Coverage

Chart of four ways HOA governing documents assign the master insurance policy deductible: common expense paid by the association, source of the loss paid by the owner of the unit where damage started, fault paid by a negligent owner, and benefit shared by owners of the repaired units. If the documents are silent, ask the association's attorney.

Who pays the HOA master policy deductible after a loss, how loss assessment coverage on an owner’s policy helps, and what boards should tell owners each year.

HOA Board Officer Roles and What Each One Does

Table of common HOA officer roles. President: runs meetings, signs what the board approved, main contact. Vice president: stands in for the president and takes assigned projects. Treasurer: oversees finances, leads the budget, watches controls. Secretary: keeps minutes, sends notices, maintains records. A member at large is a director with no officer title and an equal vote.

What the HOA president, vice president, treasurer and secretary each do, what no officer can do alone, and the California rules on officers.

HOA Executive Session: What a Board Can Discuss in Private

Two-column chart of HOA executive session topics. Generally allowed in private: litigation and legal advice, contract formation, member discipline, personnel and individual assessment delinquencies. Not for executive session: budgets and assessments, rules and policies, general maintenance and project decisions, board organization, and any topic with no permitted category.

What an HOA board may discuss in executive session, what must stay in open meetings, and California’s notice, agenda and minutes rules.

HOA Fiduciary Duty and the Business Judgment Rule

Chart of the four questions a court generally asks under the business judgment rule for HOA boards: was the decision within the board's authority, did the board investigate, did it act in good faith, and was the decision free of personal interest. If the answers are yes, the decision normally stands. Self-dealing, no investigation and acting outside authority are not protected.

What fiduciary duty requires of HOA directors, what the business judgment rule does and does not protect, and how to handle conflicts of interest.