It was not a question of if, but when. The residents of Hollister Ranch in Santa Barbara County are nothing if not predictable, determined and relentless as the tides. So it’s no surprise they have fired a torpedo at a new law that would finally, after decades of battle, allow public access to one of […]
Fire displaces 3 from waterfront condo on Oceanside harbor (CA)
A fire of unknown origin scorched a waterfront condominium on the Oceanside Harbor on Monday night, displacing three residents, authorities said. The non-injury blaze was reported a little after 9 p.m. in a third-floor unit at the Marina Del Mar condos on North Pacific Street along the South Harbor, Oceanside fire Battalion Chief Tim Scott […]
An old well springs to life and Santa Clara homeowners’ nightmare begins (CA)
Doug Ridley and Sherry Shen figured their condominium in Santa Clara would serve as a retirement nest egg, drawing enough rental income so they could comfortably travel to the United Kingdom and Asia visiting relatives. Instead, the last two years have turned into a homeowner’s nightmare, thanks to an old artesian well — one of […]
Castro Valley homeowners billed $300 for cleanup of nearby homeless encampment (CA)
A community and city in the East Bay are at odds over a homeless encampment and a property line. The former homeless encampment was located in the San Lorenzo Creek ravine, off the beaten path, well below Castro Valley’s Lakewood. The homeowners association management firm sent homeowners a bill for $300 each for the cost associated […]
HOA Homefront: Are non-owners really banned from board meetings? (CA)
Q: Our HOA has a rule that only homeowners listed on the title can attend a board meeting as meetings are not open to the public. My husband and I recently married, and he is not listed as an owner since it is only in my name. He would like to attend the meetings. Can […]
Water well underneath South Bay home leads to sink hole, legal dispute (CA)
The problem that’s sinking the Ridley’s is directly below their family room. A six-foot deep hole, which the couple’s attorney says is a water well that’s created a sink hole……Renters made the discovery in 2018, when they spotted water beneath the laundry room, and tracked it to the growing sink hole. But the Home Owners […]
Pro-Nazi symbols, anti-Semitic signs removed from Calabasas condo balcony (CA)
A handful of offensive and hate-filled signs plastered around the balcony of a condo in Calabasas have been removed after backlash from the community. The posters – which included Nazi symbols, anti-Semitic speech and racial slurs against blacks and other minorities – were visible from Park Sorrento, putting residents on edge. Read the article………………………..
After Holidays, A Nutcracker Crackdown At Lake Of The Pines (CA)
It’s a crackdown on giant statues outside a home at a Nevada County lakefront community. The Lake of the Pines homeowners association is preparing to crack down on 10-feet-tall nutcracker statues on display outside Dave Campbell’s home. He says his giant nutcracker dolls are his pride and joy. Read the article……………………….
Issues on installing electric vehicle gates (CA)
I live here in Santa Clarita in a fairly large Homeowner Association community with four entrances. We’d like to put electric vehicle gates to our community, but we are currently not in a position to do all four of the entrances at one time. With that said, we’d like to do two and close the […]
Williams Begins Repairs to Failing Slope in Canyon Country (CA)
Developer Williams Homes has begun work to repair a failing slope in a Canyon Country neighborhood that damaged homes in a landslide last year. In December, the Trestles Community Association announced to homeowners of the affected households that the Santa Clarita Valley-based developer had obtained a permit from the city of Santa Clarita, greenlighting the […]
Resident posts pro-Nazi, racist signs outside of condo, neighbors upset (CA)
Signs with Nazi symbols, anti-Semitic speech and racial slurs; imagine coming home to that. For folks who live in a condo in Calabasas, California, that’s what they’re dealing with right now. Read the article………………………..
California tries to save law it calls crucial tool in housing crisis
The state is stepping into the legal battle over a proposed condominium project in San Mateo to defend a California law that prevents cities from rejecting multiunit housing that meets their local building rules. Read the article………………………..
Lake Lindero leadership fight comes to a head (CA)
HOA meetings by and large are mundane affairs. Some homeowners attend, perhaps to discuss a barking dog or the unsightly new paint on a neighbor’s home. The business of the community is discussed, and all usually ends well. Then there’s Lake Lindero. A meeting for the 459-member homeowner’s association in Agoura Hills is scheduled for […]
HOA Homefront – New Year’s resolutions of HOA managers
As an association professional manager, I resolve to: Read the article……………………………….
Rancho Tehama residents hold protest in Red Bluff over homeowners association (CA)
A group of Rancho Tehama residents gathered in downtown Red Bluff Monday to protest what they say are issues with the recall vote of the Rancho Tehama Association board. A group of more than 10 were in front of Ramos Donut House at the intersection of Main and Oak streets starting around 11 a.m. for […]
Residents in San Antonio Creek Neighborhood Applying Lessons Learned from Earlier Wildfires (CA)
A few movers and shakers in the foothills area of San Antonio Creek Road near Santa Barbara have been working steadily since the devastating 1990 Painted Cave Fire to improve fire safety and evacuation procedures in their neighborhood. Read the article…………………….
HOA Homefront: New Year’s resolutions for HOA directors (CA)
Many of us start the new year with commitments to improve, so why leave out the HOA? This four-part series suggests resolutions for association directors, homeowners, managers and service providers. Readd the article……………………………
Deal to sell Oakmont golf club hits headwinds (CA)
It was a surprising reversal of fortune in a saga that seemed to have been resolved last summer. On Aug. 8, members of the Oakmont Village Association voted overwhelmingly to raise their own dues up to $17 a month, with the express purpose of buying the money-losing Oakmont Golf Club. Read the article……………………………..
Rare Condo Ground Lease Sells in Brentwood (CA)
Ground leases on condo complexes are rare in Los Angeles, and that’s why it was so unusual when Century City-based George Smith Partners was approached to help finance the purchase of one. The condo complex, at 239 S. Barrington Ave. in Brentwood, was built in the 1950s. The developer of the property “ran into a bit […]
HOA Homefront: The holiday wish list
During the holiday season, we often struggle to find the perfect gift for those who are important to us. Sometimes we need a little help, and we ask for a “wish list” of gifts to guide us. What would wish lists from the key players in the HOA world look like? Read the article…………………………….
HOA Homefront: Who is minding the board? (CA)
Q: Is there an oversight/audit department on a state level that oversees the management of an association? I am finding contradicting and wrong information in the minutes. Q: Is there a governing body that oversees all HOA groups? Ours is not enforcing its CC&Rs. What can we do besides sue them? Read the Q&A………………………….
Unincorporated homeowners feel the financial pinch of fire safety (CA)
While waiting for the first rains of the year, one Glen Ellen neighborhood was busy tackling fire hazards by cutting back tall, dry grass; removing wood piles and overhead branches; and sweeping away leaves — all to comply with defensible space requirements. While costly, many agree the expense is worth the peace of mind. Area […]
36 residents displaced when worker soldering pipes in East County condo sparks fire (CA)
The fire in the Bradley Avenue building caused ‘well over’ $1M in damage, fire official said. A worker soldering copper pipes accidentally ignited a fire Sunday afternoon in an East County condominium complex that spread to the building’s roof, damaging at least nine units and sending 36 residents looking for temporary housing, a fire official said. […]
CC&Rs or rules, and a forgotten bylaw amendment (CA)
Q:I’m confused between “rules” and “CC&Rs.” Our board, over the years, has implemented new rules. What I don’t understand is: How is this different than making changes to the CC&Rs, which would require homeowner approval? For example, the board passed a rule that prohibited playing sports in the street. When I bought my house, there […]
HOA Homefront: Rules regarding children and blocked driveways (CA)
Q: Can an HOA come up with new house rules that ban children from playing outside the units? Especially with many young children that live here. Read the Q&A………………………….
Banning to add landscape maintenance district zones, unify fees (CA)
Nearly 1,000 homes around Banning will soon be paying uniform rates for landscape upkeep that at the moment are inconsistently being maintained. Peacock Valley 2, not to be confused with Peacock Valley 1, which is a 55 and older community. Peacock Valley 2’s homeowners association disbanded, and has been approved for annexation into one of […]
Gated San Diego neighborhood declared ineligible for city’s utility undergrounding (CA)
The Alvarado Estates, an upscale area near San Diego State, is struggling this fall with an unexpected consequence of being one of San Diego’s first gated communities. The neighborhood has long wanted its telephone poles, power lines and other utilities undergrounded as part of a multimillion dollar city program. But City Attorney Mara Elliott says […]
Woman found dead after Windsor condo fire (CA)
One woman was found dead after a fire destroyed a condominium in Windsor on Friday morning. Fire crews were alerted to a blaze in the Courtyards East subdivision near Highway 101’s Central Windsor exit shortly after 6 a.m., and firefighters found a condo “fully involved” when they arrived four minutes later, said Sonoma County Fire […]
HOA Homefront: Fair housing rules are here, along with a new protected class
After five years of work and hearings, the California Fair Employment and Housing Council has completed what appears to be the first state Fair Housing regulations in the country. While in the short space of this column a thorough summary of said regulations is impossible, here are some highlights for associations and their managers to […]
Fire crews battle blaze at Solana Beach condo complex (CA)
Flames were reported just after 9 p.m. at the upscale, gated Del Mar Beach Club complex at 760 Pacific Surf Drive. Flames continued to tear through a two-story building as of 10:15 p.m. Read the article………………………….
New Law May Help Oceanside Landlord Renting to Marines Amidst Homeowners Association Fines (CA)
A man whose homeowner’s association has been fining him for renting out his properties to military service members said a new law will protect his tenants. Ron Zurawski owns two large homes in the Arrowood housing subdivision in Oceanside, less than one-quarter mile from Camp Pendleton. Read the article…………………………
Looking to combat crime, H.B. gated community turns to license plate reading cameras (CA)
In the increasingly high-tech world of home security, one Huntington Beach gated community is pushing the envelope on a neighborhood scale. Seabridge Villas, located near the intersection of Beach Boulevard and Adams Avenue, has installed license plate reading cameras to document the comings and goings at the condominium complex, which is home to 344 residents. […]
HOA Homefront: Election processes get a lot more difficult in 2020 (CA)
An extensive overhaul of HOA election procedures takes effect in 2020 after the passage of Senate Bill 323. Here is a recap of the many changes: The law at Civil Code 5100(g) will finally allow votes by acclamation when, at the close of nominations, there are not more candidates than open seats. Unfortunately, it only […]
Should your HOA use drones to catch violators in the act? (CA)
Serial dog poop litterers, unauthorized parking of vehicles, architectural violations, smoking nuisance — the list goes on and on when it comes to common “repeat violations” that a homeowners’ association encounters on a day-to-day basis. https://www.vcstar.com/story/money/business/2019/11/08/should-your-hoa-use-drones-catch-violators-act/2512306001/
Half their community burned in the Woolsey fire. Recovery is wreaking its own misery (CA)
For victims of the Woolsey fire, recovery has been agonizingly slow. The blaze charred 151 square miles and 1,600 structures when it ripped through Malibu, the Santa Monica Mountains and eastern Ventura County a year ago, consuming mobile homes and movie star mansions in what would become one of the most destructive wildfires in California […]
HOA Homefront: Protection for ADUs and doorway icons coming in 2020 (CA)
Two new laws are coming in 2020 which provide protection for HOA owners in regard to accessory dwelling units and religious decorations on doorways. One of the most basic elements of residential CC&Rs is the requirement that residences are limited to “single-family” use. However, at least in California planned developments, that requirement is partially overridden […]
Condo Fire Damages Units in Carlsbad (CA)
A multi-unit condo fire in the gated condominium community La Costa Hills in Carlsbad damaged one unit and caused water damage in another. Read the article……………………..
‘Elevated elements’ must be inspected under new law (CA)
A balcony collapsed in Berkeley in 2015, causing six deaths and injuring seven. Consequently, Senate Bill (SB) 721 passed in 2018 and took effect in 2019, creating Health and Safety Code 17973. This law now requires inspection of elevated balconies, stairways, walkways, and other “exterior elevated elements” every six years. The new law exempts Davis-Stirling […]
License Plate Surveillance Expands to Escondido Neighborhood (CA)
An advanced surveillance system is expanding in San Diego County, with its latest home in the Kent Ranch neighborhood of Escondido. The system, Flock Safety, uses cameras atop light poles to collect images and data from the license plates of cars driving by, including plate number, vehicle type, color, and the time the information was […]
Sacramento homeowners demand HOA stop using Roundup (CA)
Some Sacramento residents want their homeowner’s association to stop using a controversial weed killer on the grounds surrounding their homes because they fear it could make them sick. Read the article………………………….
Oakland: Fire consumes condominium near Jack London Square (CA)
A two-alarm fire ripped through a two-story condominium near Jack London Square on Friday night, authorities said. Read the article…………………………..
Many new laws will affect HOAs in 2020 (CA)
In recent weeks Gov. Gavin Newsom signed many bills into law that will affect California HOAs in 2020. Upcoming columns will discuss these new laws in more detail, but here are the items that homeowners associations may wish to know and start preparing for with the coming new year. Read the article………………………………..
Equity golf clubs finding different paths to the future when they must sell (CA)
For the last 10 years or so across the country, the greatest fear for private golf courses has been that they would no longer be able to continue financially and would have to shut their gates and let the golf courses go fallow or be developed into condos or business parks. Read the article………………………….
HOA Homefront: What to look for in resume for president
The office of a homeowners association president is important but sometimes misunderstood. In most associations, presidents are selected by board vote (in an open meeting). Here are some ideas as to what to look for in the HOA’s next president. Read the article………………………..
Residents want to know why fish are dying in South Bay lake (CA)
Residents usually enjoy the view around Eastlake, but lately they have been shocked when they take a closer look at the water. “We noticed there was some dead fish floating – kind of an odd sight to see,” said Justin McMillen. Read the article……………………
HOA Homefront: Readers ask why can’t they get copies of paperwork?! (CA)
Q: Do I as a homeowner have a right to see the contract between the HOA and a vendor? I have no desire to stir up problems. I appreciate your weekly column in the paper, I wish all my neighbors would read it and understand what the board goes through on our behalf. Read the […]
Sterling Hills owner wants to give the golf course to park district – with a catch (CA)
The owner of Sterling Hills Golf Club wants to give the course to the Pleasant Valley Parks and Recreation District — if the Camarillo City Council allows him to sell about 15 acres of it to a home developer, which would require rezoning. Owner John Zaruka says his proposal would help Sterling Hills stay in […]
Shaken up about earthquake insurance (CA)
Q: I live in a 100-plus unit condo complex without HOA earthquake insurance. I have CEA earthquake insurance for my home. Have you written any articles I could read on how to cover myself if my building suffers structural damage? Read the Q&A………………………….
Hercules Neighborhood Installs License Plate Surveillance Cameras To Deter Crime (CA)
A neighborhood in the East Bay city of Hercules has installed new surveillance equipment to deter crime. And even though they don’t have a lot of crime, residents are determined to keep it that way. On Camden Lane and Kensington Circle in the city’s Coventry neighborhood, there are plenty of signs to remind residents of […]