The garden in Brian Wallace’s backyard is a little slice of peace within San Francisco’s busy cityscape. He owns a condo in SOMA, a place that’s about as far removed from wildfire danger as one can get. Yet, like so many Californians, Wallace has felt the grips of the insurance crisis. “It cannot get any […]
Carbon Monoxide Leads to Evacuations at Culver City Condo Complex (CA)
Three people at a Culver City condominium complex were overcome by carbon monoxide and taken to hospitals and a hazardous materials team was summoned Saturday evening. Read the article…………………………….
Canyon Lake POA moves to electronic voting of elections (CA)
The Canyon Lake POA is moving to electronic voting of elections for the first time. Governor Newsom signed AB 2159 in October 2024, making it possible for California HOAs and POAs to vote electronically. With more than 50,000 homeowners’ associations across the state, many are transitioning to electronic voting this year. Read the article…………………………….
Exclusive data shows which home insurers have most policies in L.A. fire areas (CA)
Two insurers — State Farm General and the California FAIR Plan — cover more homes in the areas where the Los Angeles fires have burned than any others, according to a Chronicle analysis. They’re also the two insurers experts are most concerned could run out of money after a major fire. Read the article…………………………….
Fire Ban For Tahoe Donner Homeowners And Renters In Effect (CA)
The Tahoe Donner homeowner’s association reports there is a fire ban for all Tahoe Donner owners, renters and guests starting Thursday. They said no outdoor wood or charcoal fires are allowed and fines will be immediately issued and enforced. Read the article…………………………….
They lost their home insurance policies. Then came the fires (CA)
Last year, Francis Bischetti said he learned that the annual cost of the homeowners policy he buys from Farmers Insurance for his Pacific Palisades home was going to soar from $4,500 to $18,000 — an amount he could not possibly afford. Read the article…………………………….
LA fires just latest disaster prompting home insurers to drop coverage, raise rates
Wildfires leveling parts of Los Angeles. Hurricanes devastating Florida and the Carolinas. Floods around the Passaic River, Meadowlands and Jersey Shore. Nearly half of all homes across the nation — worth almost $22 trillion — face at least one type of severe or extreme climate risk, ranging from flooding to wind, wildfire, heat and air […]
L.A. fires show limits of America’s efforts to cope with climate change
This week’s fires around Los Angeles present a puzzle: Why is California, the state best equipped to deal with wildfires, seemingly unable to prevent blazes from consuming entire chunks of the country’s second-largest city? Read the article…………………………….
HOA Homefront: Can the board extend their own terms? (CA)
Q: Our HOA directors serve two-year terms per the bylaws. The board recently voted to delay the date of the HOA annual members’ meeting by six months, and to extend their terms an additional six months, declining to hold an election after expiration of their terms. There is no provision in our bylaws conferring this […]
The Getty Villa survived LA’s firestorms while the area around it burned, revealing a key lesson for homeowners (CA)
(While this article isnn’t specifically about community associations, the suggestions are good for them) The Palisades fire in California has burned through thousands of acres since breaking out Tuesday between Malibu and Santa Monica, but the iconic Getty Villa, which lay in its path, has remained standing with minor damage, even after homes and trees […]
Suit Accuses County of Imposing De Facto Tax on Homeowners for Water Service (CA)
The homeowners’ association of a well-to-do Pleasanton golf community has sued the county over water fees. The Castlewood Property Owners Association (CPOA) recently filed suit against Alameda County, alleging the Board of Supervisors failed to follow the law before imposing a $1.4 million loan on the organization’s members to pay for their water and sewer […]
Hollywood Hills homeowner stays behind in hopes of saving his condo (CA)
A Hollywood Hills homeowner who put his all into owning his condo is staying behind in hopes of saving his home despite the evacuation order issued due to the Sunset Fire. Video news report……………………..
These California Insurers Cut Policies Before Devastating Wildfires
Several property insurers in California cut coverage or stopped offering new homeowners policies in the past few years, as companies tried to limit losses amid the risk of paying enormous claims due to wildfires. Read the article…………………………….
Needles, feces and fear: HOA urges city to address homeless encampments (CA)
Residents of Gaviota Heights, a condominium community on the 1200 block of Gaviota Avenue, say they have faced persistent issues with homeless encampments, reporting concerns ranging from drug use and theft to human waste and prostitution. Despite repeated pleas to city officials and law enforcement, homeowners claim little has been done to address the problem. […]
CTA INJUNCTION REINSTATED; COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENT IS HALTED AGAIN
It’s been quite a roller coaster ride monitoring the ongoing litigation concerning the Corporate Transparency Act (“CTA”). As of today, December 30, 2024, the CTA compliance requirement has been halted again, which means you presently do not need to comply with the CTA’s requirement for reporting your association’s beneficial ownership information. Read the article…………………………….
New regulation increasing California Homeowner’s Wildfire Coverage may be a ‘bad deal’
The State is ready to expand insurance access to Californians in wildfire-prone areas so more homeowners can have coverage. However, Consumer Watchdog, a non-profit that authored Prop 103 and has been holding the insurance industry accountable since the 1980s, called the regulation a ‘bad deal’ because it would eventually make wildfire coverage too expensive for […]
Video captures burglars ransacking Santa Monica condo complex during fumigation (CA)
Residents are distraught after burglars ransacked a Santa Monica condominium complex while it was being fumigated for termites. Surveillance cameras captured the suspects arriving at the 10–unit complex on the 400 block of Idaho Avenue while the building was evacuated from Dec. 27-30. Read the article…………………………….
HOAs get caught up in war on terror
Homeowners associations in Ventura County and elsewhere are awaiting a court’s ruling that could place their volunteer board members on equal footing as people doing business with foreign countries in the war on terror. At issue is the constitutionality of Corporate Transparency Act and its rule requiring financial disclosures from individuals, which, alongside owners of […]
HOA Homefront: How consent calendars streamline meetings (CA)
Does your HOA board use a consent calendar as part of its regular meeting procedure? If not, your board is missing a chance to preserve meeting time and energy for agenda items requiring discussion. Board meetings lasting beyond two hours in length will tax the concentration of both directors and audience. Read the article…………………………….
HOA Homefront: Is a bank out of state OK for our HOA deposits? (CA)
Q: Our HOA has their bank accounts with an online bank. Our payments are mailed to a postbox address outside California. I contacted the bank, and they were unable to provide a physical branch address in California. Civil Code 5380 requires the HOA to deposit HOA funds in a bank account in the State of […]
Community Association Spurns Attempt to Hold Association Liable for Violent Neighbor Dispute (CA)
Div. Three of the Fourth District Court of Appeal has held that summary judgment was properly granted to a homeowners’ association and real estate management company that the court said were “dragged into litigation that should have remained between two sets of homeowners,” finding that the defendants owed no duty of care to prevent a […]
Castlewood homeowners sue county over $1.4M loan obligation amid financial strife (CA)
Contending that the Alameda County Board of Supervisors failed to follow procedures mandated in Proposition 218, the Castlewood Homeowners Association filed suit against the county on Dec. 3. Association president Rick Hammel said their attorneys advised filing the legal action to retain that option in negotiating with county officials. Read the article…………………………….
5th Circuit Grants Stay, Corporate Transparency Act Deadline Remains January 1st
In a dramatic turn of events, the United States Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit has granted the government’s motion for a temporary stay of the District Court’s order enjoining enforcement of the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA). Read the article…………………………….
Rocklin community shows support for home’s Christmas display after city warns of code violation (CA)
There was a Christmas light controversy in Rocklin as crowds gathered to support one particular home’s holiday display they fear could be in its final this year. This is happening in Whitney Ranch Community after the city sent the homeowner a code violation warning that may lead to the owner pulling the plug. Read […]
Concerning Reports Detail Emeryville’s Struggling Condo Market (CA)
A recent SF Chronicle report provided some concerning data regarding Emeryville home values. According to the report, Emeryville is one of only two cities in the Bay Area that has seen a decline in home values since the 2020 pandemic….This decline seems to driven be a perfect storm of higher interest rates, spiking HOA dues, […]
Jury Awards $7.4 Million to Professor Who Uses Mobility Device (CA)
On December 19, 2024, a nine-person jury in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California determined that AQUA 388 Community Association, AQUA Maintenance Corporation, and FirstService Residential California LLC owed Dr. Emma Adams $7 million in compensatory damages (against Defendants AQUA 388, AQUA Maintenance, and FirstService) and $400,000 in punitive damages ($100,000 […]
Is a 1976 drainage plan to blame for 2023 Rolling Hills Estates landslide? Homeowners’ lawsuit says yes (CA)
In 1976, as the city of Rolling Hills Estates considered plans for a new development on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, officials debated how water should drain through a nearby canyon. The development would cause increased runoff, city officials noted at the time, which would ideally be maintained by the Los Angeles County Flood Control District. […]
How a California neighborhood’s holiday lights bring a community together (CA)
It’s legendary. Like millions of people across the country, residents in Pasadena’s Upper Hastings Ranch neighborhood decorate their houses for the holidays. But this enclave of palm trees and ramblers is different. It has decked its homes as a group project for over 70 years. Joy bridges generations. Adults who visited as kids now bring […]
California Major Insurer Cuts All Condo and Rental Policies
Safeco, a branch of Liberty Mutual, has notified the California Department of Insurance that it will stop selling condo, rental and watercraft policies as of January 1, 2025. Beginning January 2026, nonrenewal processes will begin for these types of policies, as well as specialty vehicles, motorcycle and some auto products. Read the article…………………………….
TNR Program in Conflict with HOA Rules: A Community Concern (CA)
TNR Program Sparks Conflict with HOA in Shadow Mountain Community In the Shadow Mountain community, one local resident, Will, has been caring for a group of street cats through a process known as TNR, or Trap, Neuter, and Release. This program aims to reduce the feral cat population by trapping the animals, neutering or spaying […]
Fire at Arden Arcade condominium complex displaces 2 children, 2 adults (CA)
A fire at a multi-condominium complex in Arden Arcade Saturday displaced four people, Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District said. Fire crews were able to quickly contain the fire, but one unit was moderately damaged by the flames. Another unit had minor smoke damage. Read the article…………………………….
Homeowners’ group sues city over Oak Avenue Park (CA)
A homeowners’ association has filed a lawsuit against Half Moon Bay, alleging the city seized a section of unused property to build Oak Avenue Park. The suit filed by the Cypress-by-the Sea Homeowners Association seeks more than $1 million in damages stemming from charges that the city improperly took the strip of land at the […]
HOA Homefront: Can our board meet in secret? (CA)
Q: Our HOA board seldom complies with the various laws under the Davis-Stirling Act regulating HOAs in California. Our board seldom holds open board meetings that can be attended by us members. We never get to see the directors discuss the issues amongst themselves, or how they vote on the issues. Our board only holds […]
California issues landmark rules to improve home insurance market
Under new rules intended to stabilize California’s troubled home insurance market, insurers will be able to set rates by drawing on a wide swath of meteorological, geographic and other data in establishing rates, rather than largely relying on historical losses. Read the article…………………………….
Court rules California Coastal Commission can limit construction of seawalls for thousands of property owners (CA)
The California Coastal Commission, a powerful state agency that regulates development along the state’s 1,100-mile coastline, can deny property owners permits to build seawalls if their homes or businesses were constructed after 1977, a state appeals court has ruled. Read the article…………………………….
Residents outraged after burglars ransack Playa del Rey condo building during fumigation (CA)
Residents of a Playa del Rey condominium complex are outraged after burglars ransacked their building while it was being fumigated for termites. The break-ins occurred at the Del Rey Plaza on Tuscany Avenue from Dec. 11-13 during the decontamination period, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. All residents were evacuated and the property was […]
California Condo Prices Slashed as Homes Sell for Half Their Original Value
San Francisco’s housing market is still suffering, with condos in the Californian city being sold for as little as half their original value. The city—a magnet for the thriving tech sector—expected a rise in housing demand after rapid developments in the artificial intelligence (AI) industry. However, sales on condos, particularly in the downtown area are […]
Another Pickleball Dispute Arises Between Downtown SF Condo Owners and Fitness Club (CA)
The “noise pollution” created by outdoor pickleball courts has once again made the local news, as a condo association in downtown San Francisco has filed a lawsuit over pickleball noise. Around 150 condo owners at the Golden Gateway Commons development (550 Davis Street) have had it with the incessant pok-pokking of pickleball paddles hitting balls […]
Farmers announces phased reintroduction of several insurance lines (CA)
Farmers Insurance announced a phased reintroduction of several insurance lines for new customers in California, effective December 14, 2024. This expansion follows a temporary pause on coverage for condominiums, renters, umbrella, landlord, vacant, and manufactured homes exceeding a year. Read the article…………………………….
The Pine Mountain Club POA general manager steps down– what’s next for the POA? (CA)
Video news report of General Manager leaving for because of problems with new board. Video news report……………………..
Condo Fire In East Ventura (CA)
When firefighters arrived, they found a multi family residence with smoke and flames coming from the home and garage of one unit and threatening to spread to other units. Crews from Ventura and Oxnard cities, and the County of Ventura fire departments began an aggressive interior attack and also crews on the roof to help […]
Another Pickleball Dispute Arises Between Downtown SF Condo Owners and Fitness Club
Around 150 condo owners at the Golden Gateway Commons development (550 Davis Street) have had it with the incessant pok-pokking of pickleball paddles hitting balls at the next door Bay Club, and they’ve filed suit. As the Chronicle reports, the homeowners association is demanding that the private fitness club “immediately cease the offensive noise pollution […]
These S.F. residents haven’t received a water bill in 2 years. Even the city doesn’t know how much they owe (CA)
Among them are Will Tong and his wife, Maryanne McGlothlin, and Molly Nixon and her wife, Luciana Padilla, whose homeowner’s association hasn’t received a water bill for their two-condo property in Bernal Heights since January 2023. For months, the unresolved billing issue lingered in Tong’s mind. Read the article…………………………….
Marin County property mistakenly sold at tax auction for $6,600 (CA)
A group of Tiburon residents is battling to reclaim a property that Marin County mistakenly sold at a tax auction. The buyer, a limited liability company called AssetRenew, scooped up the parcel for $6,600. Now the company wants the Tiburon View Homeowners Association to pay $1 million to get it back, or pay rent to […]
Balcony Inspection Requirements Extended (CA)
The California legislature has extended the deadline for inspection of balconies, stairways, decks, and similar structures to January 1, 2026. The prior deadline was January 1, 2025. Read the article…………………………….
Court to decide on Miramar Beach sea wall (CA)
The First District Court of Appeals in San Francisco will hear oral arguments next week in the case of Casa Mira Homeowners’ Association v. California Coastal Commission. At issue in the case is the effort by owners of condominiums overlooking Miramar Beach to build a sea wall to protect structures that were damaged in storms […]
How one condo complex installed EV charging for just $405 per parking spot
A condo complex in Northern California has installed charging for all of its 90 housing unit with an after-incentive cost of around $405 per unit – solving one of the only real problems with EV charging. One of the main benefits of an electric vehicle is in the convenience of owning and charging the car. […]
BREAKING NEWS! Federal Court Issues Nationwide Halt on the Corporate Transparency Act
The Corporate Transparency Act (“CTA”), enacted in December 2020, aims to increase corporate ownership transparency to combat money laundering, terrorism financing, and other illegal activities. The CTA requires many small businesses, classified as “reporting companies,” to submit beneficial ownership information (“BOI”) reports to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”). Read the article…………………………….
Malibu Lakeside celebrates its 100th anniversary (CA)
1924 was also the year that Malibu Lakeside was established by a developer named H.L. Averill, who began offering lots for sale located to the south of the then recently established Malibou Lake Mountain Club. Ultimately, approximately 125 rough and simple country cabins were built, some of which exist today. Read the article…………………………….
Mill Valley condo fire displaces 5 residents (CA)
A two-alarm fire displaced five residents at a waterfront condominium complex in Mill Valley, according to the Southern Marin Fire Protection District. Read the article…………………………….