Some Colorado HOAs have started moving the needle, while state legislators prod others into water-wise landscapes; plus, a history of how we arrived at a certain idea of landscape perfection. Read the article………………………………..
HB23-1105 (CO)
Pursuant to House Bill 23-1105, signed into law on May 24, 2023, an HOA Task Force is to be appointed by August 1, 2023, to examine issues regarding homeowners’ rights and to perform other duties as noted in the new law. Each homeowner association in Colorado is required to notify owners about this task force. […]
Aurora HOA’s limits on solar installations “over the top,” residents say (CO)
Dick Cunningham and Walter Rozycki want to do what a lot of other Denver-area homeowners have done: put solar panels on their roofs. But the Aurora residents say their homeowner association board pulled the plug on their plans in defiance of state law. Read the article………………………………
Club Valencia condo owners charged thousands for damage assessments one year after fire (CO)
Club Valencia condo owners are now receiving bills — some more than $2,000 — for damage assessments one year after a fire ripped through the Arapahoe County complex. Read the article………………………….
Update on HB23-1105 Homeowners’ Rights Task Force (CO)
The first meeting of the Homeowners’ Rights Task Force occurred on October 24, 2023. At this initial meeting of the task force, brief discussion occurred about such topics as HOA manager licensing, options for resolving association disputes with homeowners that would be outside of the traditional lawsuit actions, the HOA budgeting process and potential reform […]
Arvada homeowner finally moves back into condo after Denver7 gets to the bottom of delayed repairs (CO)
A homeowner forced out of his condo for the last 18 months was finally able to move back in after a fire at the condo next door spread to his own in April of 2022. Read the article…………………………….
HOA management company charging residents for certified mailings: “Do not do this” said Colorado lawmaker
Some residents of an income-controlled HOA in Denver are bristling over the fact their HOA management company has been charging them $35 to send them certified letters notifying them of potential fines for HOA rule violations. The management company, RowCal, has also been charging residents $75 for certified letters notifying them they are behind on […]
Colorado’s justices weigh immunity for municipalities acting as housing developers
…..However, the condominium association for Burlingame Ranch II, an affordable housing community that the city of Aspen developed itself, believed it could hold the city responsible for construction defects in a different way. Instead of claiming negligent construction, which the CGIA would block, the association argued the city breached its contract with homebuyers by not […]
Racist covenant dating to 1941 stricken from record (CO)
A nearly four-year effort by a small band of people in Colorado Springs to erase an 82-year-old racist covenant from the public record succeeded on Oct. 6 when El Paso County Clerk and Recorder Steve Schleiker ordered his staff to remove it. Read the article…………………………..
HOA Task Force Meeting Set (CO)
The HOA Homeowners’ Rights Task Force created by House Bill 23-1105 will hold its first public meeting on October 24, 2023 at 3:00 p.m. by Zoom Webinar. Read the announcement…………………….
Preserve HOA sues Hammersmith Management (CO)
On August 28, the Preserve at Greenwood Village Homeowners’ Association filed suit in Arapahoe County District Court against its former management company, HDM2 d/b/a Hammersmith Management, Inc. (HMI), which provided management services to the Preserve neighborhood for X years until August 2022, when the HOA terminated its relationship with Hammersmith. Read the article…………………………………
New condos are hard to find in Colorado. Getting developers to build more will roil the Capitol next year
Construction defects liability has been politically fraught, but the failure last year of Gov. Jared Polis’ signature land-use measure has reignited the push for lawmakers to take on the issue Read the article………………………………
Many Colorado homes and power grids aren’t ready for more electric vehicle charging. Here’s what experts say needs to be done.
With hundreds of thousands more electric vehicles expected on Colorado highways in the next few years, CBS News Colorado has learned many power grids aren’t yet ready to handle the added power demands to charge those vehicles. Read the article…………………………….
Aurora council votes to let HOAs, special districts plow residential streets (CO)
As winter approaches and the mountains start to see snow, Aurora’s City Council decided Monday that the city will let special districts and HOAs plow their own residential streets this winter. Read the article…………………………………
A Denver couple are suing after sewer gas leaked into their home for nine months (CO)
About a month after Sanford and Angela Smith moved into a 16th-floor condo in the high-rise Candlewyck Condominium complex in southeast Denver in 2021, they began smelling a foul, eggy odor. Eventually, little black gnats were breeding and circulating around the unit. Read the article………………………..
HOA irrigation pipe floods Castle Pines Village home, causes $80,000 in damage (CO)
A family is on the line for over $80,000 after an irrigation pipe belonging to their homeowners association burst and flooded their home. Their insurance won’t cover the damage because it came from an outside source, but the insurance company for the HOA found they weren’t liable because there was no proof of negligence. Now […]
Residents outraged by HOA’s bizarre move after a devastating disaster: ‘They should understand more than anyone’ (CO)
A huge residential fire in Denver killed two people in December 2021 and saw more than 1,000 homes and businesses destroyed. Known as the Marshall Fire, it was caused and made worse by high winds in Boulder County. On December 24, a residential fire was lit to burn scrap wood and tree cuttings. Wind gusts […]
Centennial HOA: How is affordable housing to be cared for? (CO)
We’ve all heard the lament from APCHA and Aspen City Council about the inadequate upkeep that pervades our affordable housing inventory. The Centennial Condominiums HOA Board and homeowners agree wholeheartedly with those concerns. Read the article………………………..
Arvada condo owner in limbo after he says HOA dragging feet in fire damage repair (CO)
An Arvada homeowner had to move out of his newly purchased condo only 10 days after buying it because a fire spread to his unit. Now, nearly 16 months later, he is fed up over the lack of progress his homeowners association has had in making the necessary repairs to the building. Read the article………………………..
Playing with fire (mitigation) (CO)
Repeated studies have shown global climate change is leading to larger, more severe wildfires. The raging infernos that sparked Aug. 8 in Maui leveled thousands of homes and killed more than 100 people. The entire Canadian town of Yellowknife, which is about the size of Durango, was forced to evacuate last week under threat by […]
Jared Polis, Democratic state lawmakers call for more changes to Colorado’s HOA laws after Colorado Sun investigation
The Sun’s investigation, published this week, found that HOAs have filed roughly 3,000 foreclosure cases since 2018, more than 250 of which have resulted in properties being auctioned off. At least 100 of the properties auctioned off were sold for $60,000 or less, according to court records. Read the article………………………..
HOA-foreclosed homes in Colorado are auctioned off for a fraction of their market value, erasing years of equity
A Colorado Sun investigation found that more than 250 HOA-foreclosed properties have been auctioned off in the state since 2018. At least 100 of them were sold for $60,000 or less. Read the article………………………..
Homeowners insurance in Colorado skyrockets, Louisville condo owners see sevenfold increase (CO)
Some condo owners in Louisville are reeling after their homeowners insurance jumped 700%. And they’re not the only ones experiencing sticker shock. Premiums are soaring across the state due to high inflation on top of devastating fires, floods and hail storms. Read the article………………………..
Residents of Denver condo complex The Beauvallon shaken after a gunman targets their building (CO)
Residents of a downtown Denver condo complex are shaken after a gunman targeted their building multiple times. They hope a short video which shows the man in an alley near the building firing at least one gunshot helps police make an arrest. Read the article………………………..
Homeowners in Boulder’s mountain communities struggle to find insurance after devastating wildfires (CO)
Jessica Brookhart lives south of Gold Hill in the mountains west of Boulder. She built her home with her husband in 2017. That home is currently uninsured. Facing a three-fold increase in her Farmers Insurance policy renewal last year, Brookhart shopped around, only to discover significantly diminished options from her broker. Read the article………………………..
Douglas County declares disaster following Highlands Ranch tornado (CO)
To our Highlands Ranch community – you are not alone. As you clean up after Thursday’s storm, you likely have questions. Please read on for what we know now. “We’re counting our blessings that there were no reported injuries nor deaths from Thursday’s storm. However, there was significant damage and debris,” said Commissioner Lora Thomas. […]
Families still homeless after Centennial condo fire (CO)
Fierce flames ripped through the Glenn Oaks condominiums two weeks ago and destroyed several units. Several families remain homeless and are scrambling to find a place to live. Read the article………………………..
Mesa Antero, Chateau Chapparal named Firewise USA (CO)
The Mesa Antero Property Owners’ Association and Chateau Chapparal Owners’ Associations received official designations as Firewise USA sites at the end of May, bringing Chaffee County up to seven such designated neighborhoods. Read the article………………………..
Colorado SB 23-178: Water Wise Landscaping Signed! (CO)
Colorado Senate Bill 23-178 has been signed into law and takes effect on August 7, 2023. It requires Associations to adopt rules concerning water-wise landscaping, but it is important to note this bill only applies to communities with single-family detached homes. Read the article………………………..
Marshall Fire: Louisville residents break ground on rebuilding of Wildflower Condominiums complex (CO)
Almost 1 1/2 years after the Marshall Fire burned down a third of homes in the Wildflower Condominiums complex, residents and Louisville community members gathered Saturday morning to celebrate the beginning of reconstruction. Read the article………………………..
Centennial condominium fire causes roof collapse, no injuries (CO)
Firefighters responded to a two-alarm fire that caused part of the roof to collapse at a condominium building in Centennial on Friday. South Metro Fire Rescue (SMFR) tweeted around 3:45 p.m. that they were on the scene of a fire at the Glenn Oaks Condos on East Fremont Avenue, near South University Boulevard and East […]
Protecting Colorado’s Water Resources & Pollinators: Governor Polis to Sign Bills into Law (CO)
This morning in Boulder at Harlequin’s Gardens, Governor Polis was joined by First Gentleman Marlon Reis, state lawmakers and advocates as he signed the bipartisan SB23-178 Water-wise Landscaping In Homeowners’ Association Communities sponsored by Senators Sonya Jaquez Lewis and Perry Will, Representatives Karen McCormick and Mandy Lindsay to remove HOA barriers to water-wise landscaping, and […]
Red Mountain homeowner finishes off most remaining trees that interrupted his view (CO)
Apparently in one Red Mountain neighborhood, the way you work things out with neighbors who don’t want the trees in front of their homes cut down is, well, you do it anyway. Read the article………………………..
Gov. Polis signs law expanding environmental options for home landscaping in Colorado
Gov. Jared Polis has signed into law a measure that would change Coloradans’ Homeowner Association rules. Around 60% of Coloradans live under a HOA, according to a press release from the governor’s office. Under the newly confirmed State Senate Bill 178, homeowners can now swap their grass lawns for alternatives like turf that require less […]
Bill creating HOA and metro district task forces heads to Jared Polis (CO)
Two separate task forces created by the state General Assembly will take deep dives later this year into the issues affecting tens of thousands of Coloradans living in homeowners’ associations and metropolitan districts. Read the article………………………..
Marshall fire-affected HOA may be first in Colorado to allow metal fencing (CO)
In what many Marshall Fire victims are hoping will become a movement to embrace safety over aesthetics, the Rock Creek Homeowners Association modernized the rules. It voted unanimously Thursday to allow its 65 Marshall Fire victims, and anyone else who lives in the community, to rebuild using metal fire-proof fencing. Read the article………………………..
Homeowner slams HOA over their allegedly illegal parking policy: ‘Lawsuits will be filed’ (CO)
The HOA that governs the Decatur condominium in Colorado recently banned electric vehicles from its parking garage, reports the Summit Daily. According to the outlet, residents received an email that said electric vehicles could no longer park or charge in the facility due to concerns about “increased fire risks if an (electric vehicle) fire happens […]
Colorado bill creating HOA and metro district task forces passes Senate committee
A state Senate committee on Thursday approved a bill to set up a pair of task forces that will separately identify problems within homeowners associations and metropolitan districts and offer possible legislative fixes. Read the article………………………..
Colorado legislature OKs forcing HOAs to approve water-saving landscaping
Around 60% of Coloradans live under a homeowner association. If signed into law, Senate Bill 178 would allow those homeowners to swap their grass lawns for landscaping that needs less water to maintain, forcing HOAs to accept the alternative landscaping. The bill passed its final legislative vote on Wednesday, now only needing the governor’s signature […]
Legislative Update: Cleanup Saved for Later (CO)
As the legislature approaches the end of the 2023 session (the legislature adjourns on May 6), various uncertainties remain. Several bills remain pending, including: Creation of a Homeowners Association and Metropolitan District Task Force (HB 23-1105); Regulation of water-wise landscaping in common interest communities (SB 23-178); Electric vehicle and charging requirements (HB 23-1233); and The […]
Homeowners Association sues Tralon Homes for not maintaining neighborhood infrastructure (CO)
New court documents accuse the builder of not maintaining the infrastructure in the Star Ranch neighborhood, located in the Broadmoor Bluffs. Star Ranch, LLC was the original developer of the neighborhood in 2014 and therefore held the declarant rights, meaning it was in charge of the homeowners association and maintaining the neighborhood. However, those rights […]
Thieves target Club Valencia condos where two fires displaced half the property (CO)
Going to the media was one of their last options, but the thefts have become so rampant and dangerous at the Club Valencia condo complex, that now some members of the property’s homeowner’s association (HOA) are speaking out. Read the article………………………..
Residents displaced in Club Valencia fire still need housing (CO)
More than 80 people are still waiting to get back into their homes after the Feb. 1 fire at the Club Valencia condominiums in Aurora. One owner said they are waiting to receive more information about how soon their nightmare will end. Daniel Peña was not home at the time of the fire but said […]
Colorado Springs day care provider wins status change over HOA objections
Anderson and others opposed said the day care center also violates the community’s covenants — rules, restrictions and other binding agreements residents sign when they move into the community. Their covenants don’t allow residents to operate businesses out of their homes, Anderson said. Read the article………………………..
Rebuilding the 80027: Rock Creek HOA debates fire-resistant fencing (CO)
As the Marshall fire whipped through Superior’s Rock Creek Ranch subdivision, one firefighter clocked the amount of time it took for each house to explode into flames: Seven minutes. No one had ever seen such a destructive fire in the middle of winter. Read the article………………………..
Senate bill poses big changes for single-family homes (and in HOA’s)(CO)
The new law mandates in-house apartments, backyard apartments, six-unit apartment houses, town homes, and cottage clusters in all HOA-type associations. Your HOA board of directors, which normally decides on zoning issues in your neighborhood, will be powerless. The same will be true for neighborhoods zoned as Planned Unit Developments (PUDs). There will be no way […]
Spring Has Sprung, as Have More Association Bills (CO)
I had been waiting to write under the hopes of being able to include information concerning the HB22-1137 clean-up bill. However, as of today, the bill has not yet been introduced. While this concerns me in what it may contain, we can no longer ignore the two bills that continue to work their way through […]
Centennial HOA president considers suing city over pickleball moratorium (CO)
A man in Centennial is considering suing that city over a moratorium the council just passed, banning the construction of new courts. Watch the news report………………….
Colorado would offer homeowners, businesses last-resort property insurance under new bill
The measure comes in response to growing wildfire risk across the state. The majority of U.S. states already offer state-run or state-regulated property insurance to people who can’t get covered on the private market. Read the article………………………..
Insurance denies Club Valencia’s claims for fires that displaced half the property, causing delayed repairs (CO)
About half of all the residents at the Club Valencia condominium complex in Arapahoe County are still waiting to return home, after two fires in three months made roughly 160 units uninhabitable. Read the article………………………..