Sue Savio, president and owner of Insurance Associates and former president of the Hawaii Independent Insurance Agents Association, told Insurance Business America that insurance costs for condominiums have risen by 100 percent to 1,000 percent in certain areas. Cj Paet, vice president of operations for Cadmus Properties, told local news website KITV 4 Island News […]
Bill advances to give condo owners a new way to buy into rooftop solar (HI)
Condo owners may have a new pathway to access benefits from rooftop solar. The Hawai?i Senate is considering a bill to create a Solar Hui Program, allowing multi-family property owners to pay into a collective investment fund that would go towards energy projects and loans. Read the article…………………………….
Judge orders luxury Kaua?i vacation condo project to pause construction (HI)
Construction on a luxury vacation condominium project on Kaua?i’s south shore is now on hold. Last week, a judge ordered a 10-day work stoppage for the Kauanoe O K?loa project, a 279-unit development that has received backlash from members of the Native Hawaiian community. Read the article…………………………….
House Speaker Saiki warns looming condo insurance crisis could snowball (HI)
Condo owners are facing soaring insurance premiums as companies across the country cancel coverage due to growing risks from climate change. That was the topic of a recent town hall meeting on O?ahu hosted by state lawmakers whose districts largely comprise condo dwellers. Read the article…………………………….
Lawmakers Advance Bill To Stabilize Soaring Insurance Costs For Condo Owners (HI)
Hawaii lawmakers are seeking to stabilize Hawaii’s condominium insurance market against sharply rising premiums and a declining availability of hurricane insurance that has sent ripples through Hawaii’s housing market. Read the article…………………………….
Catastrophes are driving up condo insurance rates in Hawaii and nationwide
A ripple effect across the country is showing up in the condo fees for nearly 200,000 Hawaii residents, and experts say catastrophes are driving up their insurance rates. Rising insurance premiums have a direct impact on the fees paid by owners to condo associations. So far, there’s no easy solution. Read the article…………………………….
Regulation driving high cost of new condos in Hawai?i, according to UHERO report
Regulatory costs account for more than half (58%) of the price of a new condo in Hawai?i and are the major contributing factor to the highest housing costs in the country, according to a new report by the University of Hawai?i Economic Research Organization (UHERO) released on March 4. Read the article…………………………….
Condo insurance woes strike Hawaii
As Hawaii’s Governor wages war on Maui short term rental unit investors, there’s an insurance sting in the tail for condo owners and would-be buyers across the state as it wrestles with property insurance challenges. Insurance costs for condo complexes have skyrocketed by anything from 100% to 1,000% since the devastating August wildfires, Read the […]
Amend Hawaii Condominium Laws On Proxy Board Voting (Op/Ed)
In the current legislative session, House Bill 2067 was amended and proposes to “Remove [s] from the standard condominium proxy form the option of giving a proxy vote to the board of directors of a condominium association as a whole or to directors present at the meeting. Requires a disclosure statement on the standard condominium […]
Daily feeding for Lahaina wildfire survivors ends Feb. 10 at condos with kitchens (HI)
The Red Cross today announced the daily feeding program will come to an end on Feb. 10, 2024 for Lahaina wildfire survivors residing in condominiums with kitchens as part of the non-congregate sheltering program. Read the article…………………………….
Proposed condo acquisition on Kauai stirs controversy (HI)
The Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) is considering purchasing the Courtyards at Waipouli for what would be the first-ever condo purchase on Kauai to help alleviate a nearly 30,000 beneficiary waitlist. Read the article…………………………….
Slam The Brakes On Runaway Legal Fees Charged By Condo Boards (HI)
Picture this: You’ve been a model condo owner for almost a decade now, always giving the benefit of the doubt to whatever board members hold the reins, even though you occasionally disagree with their decisions.
New bill would create go-between position for HOAs, Hawaii residents
Ensuring homeowners associations are being fair to their residents is the goal of a new proposal in the State Legislature that would create a government position as a go-between for HOAs and concerned tenants.
HUD Charges Hawaii Condominium Association, Management Company, Condominium Unit Owners, and Real Estate Agent with Disability Discrimination
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced today that it is charging individuals and entities associated with a Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, condominium complex, including the condominium association, employees of the condominium association, the property management company, an employee of the property management company, the condominium unit’s owners, and the owners’ real estate broker […]
Soaring Hurricane Insurance Rates Leave Hundreds of Hawai‘i Condo Buildings Under-Insured (HI)
One local insurance agent estimates that the owners associations for as many as 390 buildings have renewed their policies with less than 100% replacement coverage. Read the article…………………………….
How A Hawaii Kai Community Ended Up Owing $38,000 In Delinquent Property Taxes (HI)
Residents in a section of Hawaii Kai are trying to get the city to take over their private road after the development companies dissolved and left them to cover almost $40,000 in delinquent property taxes. Read the article…………………………..
Condo Task Force Facing Deadline May Punt To State Auditor Instead (HI)
The task force report is due at the end of this month, but a draft went nowhere. The auditor could look into critical issues affecting as many as 1 in 4 residents. Read the article………………………..
Condo Tower Fire Is Reminder Of Lack Of Sprinklers In Older Buildings (HI)
There were no sprinklers when a fire broke out Thursday, shooting flames and black smoke from the 14th floor of a condo tower in Ala Moana, but the residents knew what to do. Recently installed fire alarms and a public address system called on them to evacuate, and so they did. Read the article………………………….
Hawaii Supreme Court Rules Insurers Can’t Recoup Defense Costs from Insureds
An insurer cannot seek reimbursement from its insured for the cost of defending a lawsuit after learning that no coverage was owed unless the policy says it can, the Hawaii Supreme Court ruled. Read the article……………………………….
From maintenance fee increases to fire sprinklers, what’s new with condos (HI)
Attorney and President of the Council of Association of Apartment Owners Jane Sugimura joins producer/host Coralie Chun Matayoshi to discuss rights and responsibilities of condominium owners, proxy voting, legal fees charged to owners, maintenance costs and special assessments, and compliance with the City & County of Honolulu’s fire safety ordinance. Read the Q&A……………………………….
(Hawaii) Real Estate Commission to Conduct Free, Virtual, “Condomania” Education Event
The Real Estate Commission, together with Community Associations Institute Hawai?i Chapter will conduct a free “Condorama XI” event via webinar, on Saturday, November 18, 2023. The event runs from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. and will feature four speakers recognized in the condominium community for their expertise in Hawai?i condominium law. Read the announcement……………………………..
Is The Condominium Model Of Housing Crumbling? (HI)
I love living in condominiums, having been a condo dweller for over 40 years. But I’m concerned that the condominium model of housing is collapsing. Read the article………………………………
Homeowners’ association sues to stop tiny home builder in Lahaina (HI)
Alfy Basurto already lost his businesses — and home — in the Lahaina fires. And now he’s facing a lawsuit “at a time when all of us need to contribute to the solution,” trying to stop him from building more than a dozen tiny homes in a gated community above Lahaina. Read the article………………………………
This Waianae Condo Development Has Lost Hundreds Of Thousands Of Dollars To Embezzlement (HI)
Condo association officials won’t say who might have stolen the money, which appears to have disappeared over time and through phony invoices for work that was never performed. Read the article……………………………..
Owners at large Maui hotel-condo say they’re being forced to evict wildfire evacuees (HI)
The state is investigating one of the largest hotel-condominiums in West Maui after some owners alleged they were being forced to evict wildfire evacuees. The conflict comes as the area prepares to welcome visitors back starting Sunday. Read the article……………………………..
Lahaina condos could trigger broader insurance woes (HI)
At least one condo project burned to the ground in the Lahaina fire. There are likely others damaged or destroyed, but although I’ve seen references to condos, I haven’t found a list identifying those with significant damage. Rebuilding of condominiums is a trickier affair than rebuilding a single family residence. Read the article………………………..
Hawaii Wildfires Spur Insurers to Reassess the State’s Risk
Hawaii has long been a low-risk and profitable market for insurers, but the Maui disaster could change that, and even have a global ripple effect. Read the article………………………..
Charging e-bike battery sparks Waikiki condo fire (HI)
The cause of a fire at a condominium high-rise in Waikiki Tuesday was a lithium-ion battery being charged in a unit’s living room, according to the Honolulu Fire Department. Read the article………………………..
Councilman postpones measure allowing county to maintain eligible private roads (HI)
At a Tuesday meeting of the council’s Policy Committee on Health, Safety and Well-being, Puna Councilman Matt Kaneali‘i-Kleinfelder proposed a measure that would allow the county to perform maintenance on certain qualifying “private, nondedicated and nonsurrendered roads” in order to ensure continued access to parts of the island in the event of an emergency. Read […]
Feral Pigs Are Increasingly Running Wild In Some Oahu Neighborhoods (HI)
As roving herds of feral pigs get bigger and more intimidating, grunting and rooting in backyards island-wide, many people living in Oahu’s forested valleys are starting to feel the menace. Read the article………………………..
Council chair pressured to rescind costly condo fire sprinkler law (HI)
Condominium associations are lobbying Honolulu City Council Chair Tommy Waters to repeal a law that requires high-rise condos to install costly fire sprinkler systems, prompting Waters to seek input from the Waikiki Neighborhood Board. Read the article………………………..
Universal Homeowners Insurance Company Is Pulling Out Of Hawaii
Roughly 1,500 polices will be affected by Universal Property & Casualty’s departure from the homeowners, condominium and renters insurance market in Hawaii, according to a state news release Thursday. Read the article………………………..
Condos aren’t unique in limiting powers of individual board members (HI)
Civil Beat’s continuing coverage of condominium governance issues is important, but I’m afraid the latest story gives far too much credence to a conspiratorial view of property management companies and condo boards (“Oahu Condo Board Members Feel ‘Muzzled’ By Management Companies“). Read the article………………………..
Oahu Condo Board Members Feel ‘Muzzled’ By Management Companies (HI)
Hired to manage properties, the companies frequently tell board members to not talk to contractors or others outside board meetings Read the article………………………..
A popular Hawaii resort has lost its beach
A high seawall is all that separates the ocean from the Kahana Sunset’s beachfront condominium complex in Hawaii. Located in West Maui, the popular vacation rental resort has been battling erosion and sea level rise for decades, and some residents think it’s time for the condo association to stop fighting it. Read the article………………………..
Oahu homeowner’s options after $50 chalk drawing fine (HI)
A Nanakuli resident is facing a $50 fine for drawing with chalk due to the house rules of her homeowner’s association. Heather Bedley said her children made a chalk drawing on a fence on Monday, July 3 and left it up until Tuesday, July 11 when she received a violation. Read the article………………………..
Prominent Honolulu Condo Directors Pay $600,000 To Settle Retaliation Claim (HI)
The directors of a landmark Honolulu condominium have agreed to pay $600,000 to settle a lawsuit brought by a fellow director who alleged he faced retaliation for raising concerns about the condo board. Read the article………………………..
A Pending Hawai‘i Law Pushes Residential High Rises to Install Fire Sprinklers, or Get Working on Their Plans
After the deadly Marco Polo fire of 2017, older Honolulu high rises were required to install sprinkler systems or pass a safety evaluation, but compliance is slow going. Now state legislation asks them to add the costly systems to their reserve studies. Read the article………………………..
Maui Condo Owners Are Trying To Buy Time In The Fight Against Rising Seas (HI)
A group of West Maui condo owners is asking the county for permission to raise their property taxes as a way to funnel up to $40 million into rebuilding the beach in front of their buildings. Read the article………………………..
Man in his 70s dead after fast-moving blaze tears through Waialua condo building (HI)
A man in his 70s was killed Wednesday and six people were left homeless after a fast-moving blaze ripped through the Konane Kai condo building in Waialua on Oahu’s North Shore. Read the article………………………..
Is The Deck Stacked Against Hawaii Condo Owners?
The Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs billed its “Condorama,” held in late April, as an educational program for the public. “Brought to you by the DCCA Real Estate Commission to empower owners about your rights,” a flyer mailed to residents said. But critics say a basic aspect of Condorama runs counter to the […]
Hawaii Condo Owners Aren’t Getting Much Love From The Legislature This Year (HI)
To supporters of House Bill 176, it seemed like a no-brainer: eliminate a complicated proxy system and make condominium board elections more like state and federal elections by letting condo owners who can’t attend the annual meeting submit write-in ballots. Read the article………………………..
(Gov.) Green’s First Veto Override: A Condo Bill That Could Increase The Cost Of Housing (HI)
Senate Bill 921 is short but technical. Basically, current law gives condominium associations a limited period of time – two years – to sue developers if they catch or should have caught construction defects. Read the article………………………..
Hilo Company May Get $20 Million To Rehab Banyan Drive Condo Complex (HI)
A dilapidated condominium complex on state land along Hilo’s Banyan Drive may be in line for a $20 million makeover. The Hawaii Board of Land and Natural Resources is expected to decide on Friday whether to award a contract to Hilo-based Banyan Drive Management to renovate the Country Club Condominium complex, a 152-unit property. Read […]
Prominent Honolulu Condo Board Members Are On Trial For Alleged Retaliation. Here’s Why (HI)
The lawsuits claims the Hokua board members used their positions to help themselves and each other without disclosing conflicts of interest. Read the article………………………..
Green’s First Veto: A Condo Bill That Could Have Increased The Cost Of Housing (HI)
The bill was proposed to deal with a rare scenario where a developer kept control of a condo board for more than a decade. Read the article………………………..
Bill Might Require Training for Volunteers Who Serve on Condo Boards (HI)
A condominium association’s board of directors is responsible for making decisions for a community of condo owners, whether their building or complex has four units or 400. The board’s fiduciary duty to the association ranges from setting maintenance fees to spending on major repairs that can run into millions of dollars. Read the article………………………..
Have A Complaint About Your Condo? You May Get Slapped With Paying For The Lawyers Who Fight You (HI)
When Rhonda Campbell-Sutton was trying to get rid of a pile of junk from the hallway of Dowsett Point, where she owns a unit and serves on the condo association’s board, she talked to the building manager, the construction company believed to have left the junk behind and, eventually, an inspector from the fire department. Read […]
Owners at Honolulu condo reeling after steep increase in maintenance fees (HI)
Condo owners are accustomed to paying monthly fees for things like maintenance or improvement projects in addition to their monthly mortgage. But some owners at One Archer Lane say they weren’t ready for the the huge fees they’re now being charged. Read the article………………………..
Condo Management Giant’s License Is Reactivated By Hawaii Regulators (HI)
Following a regulatory compliance problem that rendered Associa Hawaii unable to practice in the state, the property management giant has come into compliance with state laws governing such firms, state records indicate. Read the article………………………..