Posts by Earl Laing

Key Takeaways Serving on a Tennessee homeowners association board, you’re used to being the last word on most disputes, because in Tennessee, you usually are. But that authority only holds up if you know which rules come from Tennessee HOA laws and which come from your own declaration. Stepping outside either one can expose your…

Key Takeaways When you’re serving on a self-managed condo board, knowing California’s condo laws is just as important as knowing your COA’s governing documents. Consider this scenario: your board never scheduled an SB 326 balcony inspection and only learned the January 1, 2025 deadline had passed when an insurer asked for the report. Compliance with…

Key Takeaways Serving on your HOA’s board means knowing more than the association’s declaration, bylaws, and rules. You should also be familiar with Missouri HOA laws. A board that knowingly fines a homeowner over a political sign without the state-required written notice and remedy period, for example, can leave its members personally liable. Like many…

Key Takeaways Indiana HOA laws changed more in the 2026 legislative session than in the previous decade, and the changes landed hardest on self-managed boards with no management company to flag them. A board that fines owners under a decades-old covenant clause, charges $35 per hour to pull records, or demands 75 percent approval to…

Key Takeaways Timing is critical when dealing with Washington HOA laws. Most HOAs established before July 1, 2018 are still governed day-to-day by the Homeowners’ Associations Act (RCW 64.38), while associations created on or after that date fall under the Washington Uniform Common Interest Ownership Act (WUCIOA, RCW 64.90). Several WUCIOA provisions already apply to…

Key Takeaways Following your own governing documents should be the extent of the job. In New Jersey, it isn’t enough. New Jersey HOA laws always override association governing documents, and recent legislation has raised the stakes.. Most notably, the state’s 2024 reserve study mandate has raised the stakes for boards that aren’t paying attention. The…

Key Takeaways Real Property Law Article 9-B, better known as the Condominium Act, anchors New York condominium laws, and it says far less than most new board members expect. The statute sets the outer boundaries of the law and then leaves the specifics to your building’s declaration and bylaws. Where your governing documents conflict with…

Key Takeaways Illinois HOAs answer to more than their own governing documents. Board members are also obligated to know Illinois HOA laws and apply them correctly, and missteps can create disputes or even personal liability. The anchor law is the Common Interest Community Association Act (CICAA) at 765 ILCS 160, with related obligations in the…

Key Takeaways When you volunteered for your condo board, you wanted to help your community run smoothly. You did not expect to coordinate structural engineering inspections, commission reserve studies, and track a state regulator that can levy fines up to $5,000 per violation. Yet, that’s what Florida condominium laws now require. The governing statute is…

Key Takeaways Serving on a Colorado HOA board, you likely have governing documents to follow. But do those documents and your policies actually align with Colorado HOA laws? Are you confident that the last fine notice you sent to a delinquent homeowner would stand up to a $25,000 procedural-violation lawsuit? If not, it’s time to…