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 […]
Glendale mayor suggests HOA, already under fire, discriminated against his Latina wife (CA)
Glendale Mayor Ara Najarian said he now has reason to believe he and his wife, Palmira Perez, were asked to leave a recent local homeowner’s association event because of her Latino heritage. Already accused by Glendale City Councilman Vartan Gharpetian of ethnic discrimination for being told to leave the same event on Sept. 8, the […]
New rule on electric equipment sparks neighborhood opposition (CA)
Residents who enjoy the benefits of having all electric equipment underground in their neighborhood and who wish to keep it that way for the foreseeable future will have to pay that privilege under Palo Alto’s new rules Read the article………………………….
Loomis community takes crime fighting into their own hands (CA)
The Sierra de Montserrat Community is doing what it can to help police and deter criminals. Community leaders installed license plate readers that capture the license plates of people going in and out of the neighborhood. The data can also help catch speeders and possibly stolen vehicles. Read the article……………………….
City of Beaumont bears costs of maintaining private community’s streetlights (CA)
The city of Beaumont will continue maintaining streetlights in the gated communities of Four Seasons and Solera, using Community Facilities District monies to cover the annual expenses. City Manager Todd Parton told the council at the Aug. 20 meeting that the city had been receiving calls for service on the streetlights in the Four Seasons […]
How to cope with a misbehaving HOA board member
As a volunteer director on a board of a homeowners association, I imagine one has already been exposed to wild situations, and depending on one’s tenure, a director may have already grown accustomed to misbehaving homeowners. Read the article……………………….
Glendale councilman says he was booted from HOA event because he’s Armenian (CA)
A Glendale city councilman has accused some members of a local homeowner’s association of asking him to leave an event for racially and politically motivated reasons. Councilman Vartan Gharpetian left a Royal Canyon Homeowner’s Assn. event this past Sunday evening feeling “extremely offended and discriminated against” after he was asked to leave by association president […]
Mountain View condo balcony collapses, injuring one (CA)
A second-story condo balcony with several people on it collapsed Wednesday evening, leaving one person with minor injuries, according to a statement by the Mountain View Fire Department. Read the article………………………..
Hollister Ranch Access Bill Approved by State Assembly, Sits on Governor’s Desk (CA)
Santa Barbara Assemblywoman Monique Limón’s bill to allow public access on the beaches of Hollister Ranch passed the state legislature this week with strong bipartisan support, and awaits the governor’s signature. Read the article……………………..
Accusations of possible financial abuse by former Chula Vista HOA manager (CA)
A Chula Vista homeowner’s association (HOA) is dealing with claims of embezzlement, corrupted financial records and a police investigation. Team 10 investigative reporter Jennifer Kastner tracked down the former HOA manager who’s at the center of the accusations, who says he did nothing wrong. Read the article…………………………
American flags only? (CA)
Shannon Glover came from England to San Diego almost 30 years ago for a uniquely American reason: She fell in love with Tom Cruise and “Top Gun.” Now she’s in a dispute that pits the country of her birth against the one she calls home. Her homeowner’s association in Carmel Valley has ordered her to […]
Expert Panel Approves Millennium Tower Upgrade (CA)
The Millennium Tower’s homeowners association today announced that a panel of independent experts, hired by the City and County of San Francisco, has given the green light to a plan to upgrade the building at 301 Mission Street (“Millennium Tower”). Read the article………………………
HOA Homefront: What happens after total board recall? (CA)
Q: Our HOA recently had a total board recall and election. The new (self-appointed) president handed out terms based on votes received, with three two-year and two one-year terms. Our bylaws specify a procedure for the first election, namely drawing of lots to determine terms, to be two (two-year) and three (one-year). Subsequent elections should […]
Laguna Woods Village condo board moves toward documenting co-occupants (CA)
The Third Mutual board on Tuesday, Aug. 20, passed a co-occupancy policy that aims to record undocumented occupants. An increasing number of individuals on a fixed income find the only way to afford their costs is by seeking co-occupancy, a Village Management Services staff report stated; however, they do so without obtaining the board’s permission. […]
HOA postpones decision on garage inspections (CA)
Residents in a South Bay neighborhood spoke out against parking regulations at a heated HOA meeting Tuesday night. According to Eastlake Trails resident, Becky Niemiec, the Eastlake III Community Association recently notified residents that they could only park on the street if their garages and driveways were full. Residents said the rule is not new, […]
Lake Forest Condominium Fire Sends 1 To Hospital (CA)
A natural gas leak was the cause of a fire at a Lake Forest condominium Tuesday afternoon, fire officials said. The blaze sent a column of dark smoke into the sky as multiple concerned neighbors called 911. Read the article……………………..
Senior community in Sonoma County worries neighboring vineyard a fire threat (CA)
A small Sonoma County community is battling an international wine consortium over a small tract of land overgrown with high weeds. The many senior citizens that live in Creekside Village, just outside the town of Sonoma, don’t think the neighboring vineyard is very neighborly when it comes to clearing dry grasses. Read the article………………….
Eastlake residents upset over HOA garage parking rule (CA)
If residents have a two-car garage, two cars would need to take up the two spots in the garage before residents can park in the driveway or on the street. Read the article………………………..
Firefighters tackle condo fire in Oak Park; two displaced, cat dead (CA)
A fire in a three-story condominium brought a strong response to Oak Park Sunday afternoon, displacing two women and leaving a cat dead. The incident was reported at 1:10 p.m. in the 5800 block of Oak Bend Lane, according to the Ventura County Fire Department. The block is generally north of Kanan Road in the […]
Weeds at shuttered golf course worry neighbors (CA)
As summer heats up and fire season becomes imminent, east Petaluma residents are sounding the alarm about a potentially flammable threat — dry grass at the shuttered Adobe Creek Golf Course. The 100-acre property has been minimally maintained since its owner, Adobe Investments LLC, shut down the 18-hole course at the start of 2017. Half […]
HOA dispute leaves new school in the dark (CA)
A dispute between PG&E and a Mountain View homeowners’ association means the new Jose Antonio Vargas Elementary School will open next week without power, causing an array of challenges that could last for months. Read the article…………………………
THOU SHALT NOT REMOVE THE MEZUZAH: California Legislature Enacts SB 652 to Protect Displays of Religious Items on Doors and Doorframes (CA)
On July 30, 2019, SB 652 was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsome in response to several incidents in which a homeowner’s association (HOA) asked a resident to remove a mezuzah from their unit’s entry door or doorframe. A mezuzah is a small scroll that is affixed to the doorframe of Jewish homes to […]
Dana Point community creates Monarch Waystation to save the nearly extinct butterflies (CA)
After Dayna Anderson moved to a condo in Monarch Beach four years ago, she became curious about how the community got its name. “It struck me we didn’t have any butterflies around,” she said. “I did some research and found out that there were zillions of butterflies here before the construction on the cliff at […]
Napa Sanitation District disputes condo rate lawsuit (CA)
Napa Sanitation District is disputing a lawsuit’s claim that the sewage service bills charged to condominium and townhouse owners has for four decades really been an illegal tax. “The district has embedded this fatal tax error into all of its ‘rate setting’ that has occurred since at least 1975,” the plaintiff’s attorney, Geoffrey Willis, wrote […]
Frustration grows after massive sinkhole in La Habra remains unfixed 6-months later (CA)
A massive sinkhole that opened up in La Habra more than six months ago has residents concerned. The sinkhole formed back in January between two condominium complexes in Orange County, forcing some area residents to evacuate. Read the article……………………
Who should pay to fix Carlsbad’s costly damaged land, senior citizens or the city? (CA)
A slope in Carlsbad is moving, affecting a senior community on top of it. The question of who is responsible for paying to fix it has the City of Carlsbad battling with those who live in Camino Hills. “It’s been a tremendously stressful experience for everyone,” said Mike Perry, who has lived in Camino Hills […]
This new law will ensure Californians’ right to display religious symbols on doors and in entryways
A little over a year ago, a homeowner’s association governing a San Diego condo complex told a Jewish resident to remove a mezuzah from his home’s doorpost. Mezuzahs are small parchment scrolls containing two passages from the Book of Deutoronomy in the Old Testament, usually encased and affixed to doorposts of Jewish homes, designating them […]
HOA Homefront Q&A: Can a board deny members the right to sue?
Q: Our board instituted an ethics policy for all directors and committee members. The first requirement is that all nominees for directors sign a confidentiality promise and promise they will never sue the board. If a board member does something wrong, illegal or unethical, how can we get relief if we sign away our rights […]
Gas Line Ruptured at Carmel Valley Condo Complex, 44 Customers Affected (CA)
Residents of a Carmel Valley condo complex were told to shelter in place Wednesday evening due to a ruptured gas line that was blowing natural gas into the air. Read the article………………
Governor Signs Bill “Know Your Rights” Insurance Disclosures for Mobilehome and Condo Residents (CA)
After earning strong bipartisan support in the Senate and Assembly, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 508 authored by Senator Connie M. Leyva (D-Chino) that will require insurers to provide timely disclosures and information to mobilehome and condominium residents regarding their residential property insurance policies and their rights associated with their policy. Read the article………………
Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association Reject Parts Of Metro’s Sepulveda Pass Plan (CA)
Metro is exploring new methods to improve travel on the 405 freeway between the San Fernando Valley, the Westside and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). According to the Metro, more than 400,000 people travel the region every day. Read the article……………………..
Home Development Process to Start for Closed Carmel Mtn Ranch Golf Course (CA)
Houses are set to replace the Carmel Mountain Ranch golf course after the course closed a year ago. But, residents say they don’t want more homes. The Carmel Mountain Ranch golf course dried out after the owner of the property decided to close it. The city of San Diego’s Planning Commission gave a 5 to […]
Homeowners Debate Proposed Country Club Fees (CA)
A battle is brewing beyond the gates one of Stockton’s most exclusive neighborhoods over what to do with the private Brookside Golf and Country Club. The Brookside Golf Community Association has a proposal that would increase fees for all homeowners in the gated community but not everyone is on board with the change. Read the […]
HOA Homefront: 8 tips to fill open board seats
Filling open HOA board seats is a vexing and discouraging problem for some associations. However, there may be some reasons why neighbors are not interested in serving. Could any of the below describe your association? Read the article…………………………..
Does Montecito Want Greater Self— Governance? (CA)
Bob Hazard, associate editor of the Montecito Journal and past president of the Birnam Wood Golf Club, has finally speared a big fish in his campaign for a community services district in the affluent community: County Supervisor Das Williams. At Hazard’s urging, Williams has agreed to convene and chair a meeting with Montecito’s special districts […]
City Attorney Wants Eagle Rock Condo Declared Public Nuisance (CA)
An Eagle Rock condominium where a runaway teen who tried to buy heroin was allegedly held against her will for 10 days and sexually assaulted should be declared a public nuisance because of ongoing drug sales, the City Attorney’s Office argues in a newly filed lawsuit. Read the article………………………..
Oakmont Golf Club enters sale agreement with Oakmont Village Association (CA)
The Oakmont Golf Club (OGC) and the Oakmont Village Association (OVA) entered “into a joint letter of intent to formally pursue sale and purchase of all OGC properties,” according to a notice sent to members of the golf club on July 19. The members-owned golf club is made up of two 18-hole courses which rest […]
HOA Homefront: Who owns the garages? (CA)
Q: I discovered a problem with my deeded garage. Long story short, my deed does not reflect the garage I was given. I have been fighting to retrieve what I paid for at the beginning. After a unit above my current garage sold, I lost all power to the garage. HOA was contacted and they […]
HOA Won’t Let Family Terrorized By Rattlesnakes Build Barrier Around Property (CA)
A slithering surprise has one El Dorado Hills family rattled after moving into their dream house. They feel like prisoners in the home because the property is overrun with rattlesnakes and they say they’re getting little help to fix the problem. Read the article…………………….
Complaints Over Trump Flags In Fourth Of July Parade Sparks First Amendment Debate In Gated Community (CA)
The Rancho Murieta Association’s Board of Directors is considering banning political signs at future Fourth of July parades following complaints of some parade-goers displaying the Trump 2020 flags at this year’s parade. Rancho Murieta mother Elizabeth Wilder says her daughter was targeted for displaying Trump’s name during the parade. “She was booed in the parade […]
This Condo Took Advantage Of Incentives And Installed EV Chargers (CA)
Driving an electric vehicle is a joy, and charging is a piece of cake – if you live in a detached house with a carport, garage, or a private driveway. However, for apartment or condominium dwellers wishing to go electric, charging can be a major roadblock Read the article………………………..
Hillside Residents Focus on the Serious Business of Fire Prevention (CA)
The Hiller Highlands has a tragic claim to fame. In October of 1991, a wildfire fueled by strong winds swept across the dry Oakland Hills and destroyed all 1,800 of its homes. Bob Sieben moved to the neighborhood after it was rebuilt, and started organizing a yearly day during which homeowners and volunteers cleared flammable […]
Closing of La Verne country club worrying neighborhood residents (CA)
The closing of a La Verne country club has people who live in the neighborhood worried about the future of the golf course. For people who live on Sherwood Drive in La Verne, the neighborhood is close to perfect. It’s not just because of the view of the mountains, but the quiet appeal of living […]