Q&A: HOA Balcony Repairs and Updates (CA)

Are you wondering about the balconies in your community? Well if you missed the presentation by ADAMS | STIRLING PLC regarding HOA balcony repairs and updates, here’s a follow-up Q&A by the Davis-Stirling.com Newsletter that may help.     Read the Q&A………………………………..

Eroding bluffs could send California homes tumbling into the ocean. What can be done?

In the summer of 2019, the Casa Mira Homeowners Association sought to armor a stretch of coastline near a condominium complex, apartment building, sewage line and California Coastal Trail segment but were only authorized by the Coastal Commission to build 50 feet of seawall to protect the apartments.  The association filed a lawsuit against the […]

Judge orders inspection of hoarder house in Ocean View Hills (CA)

She also blames neighbors for causing issues. At least three neighbors have filed restraining orders against Golden over the years, accusing her of harassment.  Also in the courtroom Tuesday, an attorney for the bank that Golden has a mortgage with, as well as an attorney for the homeowner’s association where she lives.     Read the […]

Editorial | Rio del Mar walkway battle: ‘To the barricades’ (CA)

The Great Rio del Mar Walkway Standoff has made national news.  The battle pits 27 property owners against the power of the state Coastal Commission, a headline-churning conflict that either shows the defiant spirit of the citizenry against a cumbersome state bureaucracy, or is yet another example of how wealthy people believe they can make […]

Is my HOA supposed to notify us in advance? (CA)

Q: My question is whether it is legal to raise one’s HOA fees without a prior notification of proposed increase. I am aware that the board has the authority to raise fees, but I’d like to know if it is legal to raise the without prior notification.   Read the Q&A………………………………..

The delicate balance of HOA assessments

Hello, dear readers, and welcome to the Real Estate Whisperer, where I tackle the ins and outs of 92101 living with a pinch of humor and a dash of reality. Today’s hot topic? The ever-dreaded HOA assessment increases. Yes, I can almost hear the collective groans from here. But before we hoist the pitchforks and […]

Canyon Lake POA employee receives prestigious industry award (CA)

Canyon Lake Property Owners Association (CLPOA) employee Harmony McNaughton received the prestigious 2024 California Association of Community Managers (CACM) Innovator Vision Award on Thursday, February 27, during the CACM Law Seminar & Expo at the Disneyland Hotel and Convention Center.  Read the article…………………………….

Homeowner Associations: Attorney’s Fees Are Not Fiduciary Duty Breach Tort Damages And $1.328 Million Fee Award Against Individual Directors Under Civil Code Section 5975 Reversed As A Matter Of Law. (CA)

In Colyear v. Rolling Hills Community Assn. of Rancho Palos Verdes, Case No. B308382 (2d Dist., Div. 4 Mar. 1, 2024) (partially published; fee discussion not published), plaintiff homeowner won a declaratory relief action based on a dispute over tree-trimming covenants in certain recorded Declarations, with the lower court awarding plaintiff over $1.328 million in […]

Corona Woman Sentenced In Federal Embezzlement Case (CA)

A Corona woman was sentenced Friday to four years and nine months in federal prison for embezzling nearly $1 million from her employer.  Jenev Boyd, 60, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Sunshine S. Sykes, who also ordered her to pay $780,810 in restitution.  Boyd was a long-time employee and director of accounting for Corona-based […]

Thousands of California Homeowners to Lose Their Insurance

Thousands of California homeowners will be out of luck as American National Group stops offering the state coverage.  American National Group, which was purchased by Brookfield Asset Management Reinsurance Partners for $5.1 billion around two years ago, is yet another insurance agency to leave the state as home repair prices surge amid wildfires and heightened […]

HOA Homefront – Reader Question – Our HOA Has No Board (CA)

Dear Kelly, I have been a member of a small condo for over two years. There are no board members and the HOA doesn’t meet either in person or virtually. All communication is via email for voting. One owner acts as an accountant, quasi-treasurer, just paying bills and preparing quarterly statements. People have given her […]

HOA Homefront: Reader wants to know, ‘Is my dog allowed?’ (CA)

Q: I am hoping you could help me with my HOA that’s trying to remove my daughter’s support dog because of its weight and breed. They are threatening to come and have her removed because she got too big. Can they do this? It would devastate my daughter if they took her dog  Read the Q&A………………………………..

HOA Homefront – Reader Questions – Do Our Balconies Require Inspection? (CA)

Kelly, I am on the board for our HOA, which is comprised of single family residences. Does the new balcony law pertain to our situation? Quite a few of our homes have decks on the rear for a better view, all going through an architectural application to the architectural committee. Read the Q&A………………………………..

Coastal Commission weighs $4.7M fine for Rio Del Mar homeowners (CA)

The homeowners association governing most of those townhomes believes the path is private, and a Santa Cruz County judge agreed last year. The California Coastal Commission, the über-powerful agency that oversees land use along the state’s coast, has long argued that the path is public. Now, the commission is threatening penalties unprecedented in Santa Cruz […]

Santa Cruz County homeowners face $4.7 million in fines for blocking public access to beach walkway (CA)

Citing violations as far back as 1982, the commission will weigh a staff recommendation to fine the Rio Del Mar Beach Island Homeowners Association – and its estimated 27-home membership, most of which are vacation rentals – more than $4.7 million. Allegations include blocking the public’s access to a 37-foot-wide, almost quarter-mile long stretch of […]

HOA Homefront: Q&A on elections and board shenanigans (CA)

Boards should not be playing tactical games to preserve their power. It’s a volunteer position, and if the community would prefer different leadership, egos need to be set aside in favor of the HOA’s democratic process   Read the Q&A………………………………

Rancho Santa Fe homeowners group illegally collected $1.5M in COVID-19 relief (CA)

The Rancho Santa Fe Association, the nonprofit homeowners group that runs a historic golf course and other amenities in the exclusive covenant near Del Mar, has acknowledged it applied for and collected $1.5 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds it was not eligible to receive.    Read the article………………………………

Hancock Park condo residents sue over ‘life-threatening’ flooding (CA)

When it rains, it really, really pours at The Rossmore. During one heavy storm last winter, 29 cars were flooded in the condominium complex’s underground parking garage at 585 N. Rossmore Ave.  “Every car was a total loss,” said Caroline Debbané, president of The Rossmore Owners Association (the condo residents’ HOA).   Read the article…………………………….

Canyon fire re-ignites community action (CA)

In the aftermath of the three-alarm fire that suddenly broke out in Canyon last month, awakening residents – most of whom evacuated immediately to Pinehurst Road and beyond – the community is now coming together to hone battle plans for what may come.   Read the article………………………………

Residents of East Garrison are coming to grips with taxes and fees that weren’t part of the sales pitch (CA)

Residents were concerned about a recent property tax bill that showed an approximate 40-percent increase in charges related to the CSD, which pays for ongoing services, in perpetuity, for things within the district like park maintenance. (One homeowner who shared their bills from fiscal years 2022-23 and 2023-24 showed a jump from $1,586 to $2,218 […]

HOA Homefront: Do we have to Zoom? (CA)

Q: I’m still confused about holding board meetings. We use Zoom for our meetings as we have no convenient place to meet in person. Is it a hard and fast rule that we must hold an occasional in-person meeting somewhere? If so, what if I offered to meet with any homeowners at the pool to […]

HOA Homefront: Do We HAVE to Zoom, readers ask? (CA)

Q: I’m still confused about holding board meetings. We use Zoom for our meetings as we have no convenient place to meet in person. Is it a hard and fast rule that we must hold an occasional in-person meeting somewhere? If so, what if I offered to meet with any homeowners at the pool to […]

Reader Questions: Who’s the Boss – Manager or Board? (CA)

Q:  I am president of an HOA with management whose performance has been lackluster. Lackluster is characterized by little to no communications unless initiated by the board, not following through with board instructions, and inability to manage our violations process in a steady and predictable manner.   Read the Q&A……………………………..

Los Robles Estates Homeowners Association has become a nationally recognized Firewise USA community. “What that means” (CA)

Residents of a Thousand Oaks neighborhood have come together to lower their wildfire risk. In so doing, the Los Robles Estates Homeowners Association has become a nationally recognized Firewise USA community. “What that means is that we have now received national recognition for having a framework for this community to be able to lower their […]

Sinkhole forces La Jolla residents out of condo (CA)

Residents of The La Jolla Terrace Condominium Complex are living in a hotel courtesy of the City of San Diego after a massive sink hole developed up against the property along Gilman Drive.     Read the article………………………………….