SUMMARY OF TENTATIVE RECOMMENDATION
State Assistance to Common Interest Developments
September 2004
Community associations are run by volunteer directors who may have little or no prior experience in managing real property, operating a nonprofit corporation, complying with the law governing common interest developments, and interpreting and enforcing restrictions and rules imposed by a common interest development’s governing documents. Mistakes and misunderstandings are inevitable and may lead to serious, costly, and divisive problems.
The principal remedy for a violation of common interest development law is private litigation. Litigation is not an ideal remedy where the disputants are neighbors who must maintain ongoing relationships. The adversarial nature of litigation can disrupt these relationships, creating animosity that degrades the quality of life within the community and makes future disputes more likely to arise. Litigation imposes costs on a common interest development community as a whole – costs that must be paid by all members through increased assessments. Many homeowners cannot afford to bring a lawsuit and are effectively denied the benefit of laws designed for their protection.
The proposed law would create the Common Interest Development Bureau within the Department of Consumer Affairs. The bureau would educate common interest development homeowners and board members as to their rights and obligations under the law, provide informal assistance in resolving disputes, and as a last resort, enforce the law governing common interest developments.
HOA Constitutional Government 