Law Firm Carolinas is pleased to announce the addition of three attorneys to the firm’s Community Association Law practice, which represents homeowner, condominium, and townhouse associations throughout North and South Carolina. Blakley Jones, based in the Charlotte office, will practice in both North Carolina and South Carolina. She advises homeowner and condominium associations on governance, operations, litigation, and real estate matters. Before joining Law Firm Carolinas, she practiced civil litigation in New York, focusing on insurance defense and commercial disputes. She earned her law degree, magna cum laude, from Loyola University New Orleans College of Law. Blakley can be reached … Continue reading
Author Archives: Jim Slaughter
Flock Cameras Are Coming to HOAs and Condos. Is Your Association Ready?
Automatic license plate readers, or “ALPRs,” are becoming more common in homeowner and condominium associations. Flock Safety is the best-known provider, although other companies offer similar systems. An ALPR is more than a traditional security camera. It photographs passing vehicles and uses software to identify the license plate, vehicle type, color, location, and time. The information is stored in a searchable database, usually for a limited period. Why Are Associations Installing Them? Associations generally install ALPR cameras at community entrances to help address: The cameras may provide useful information after an incident. They may also allow an association to provide … Continue reading
New North Carolina Law Creates Filing Requirement for Most Every HOA and Condominium Association
If you serve on the board of a homeowners or condominium association, you probably think of your community as being governed by the North Carolina Planned Community Act or Condominium Act. That’s true, especially for newer associations. But it is only part of the picture. Most homeowners and condominium associations in North Carolina are also nonprofit corporations. That means they must follow the North Carolina Nonprofit Corporation Act as well. In fact, North Carolina law requires every planned community created on or after January 1, 1999, with 21 or more lots to be organized as a nonprofit corporation. Most condominium … Continue reading
Three Common Meeting Myths That Can Slow Down HOA Boards
Community association board meetings are often more formal and complicated than they need to be. Many common meeting practices come from rules designed for large annual membership meetings, not smaller board or committee meetings. In a recent article published by the Community Associations Institute, I addressed three common procedural myths that can slow down HOA and condominium board meetings. Understanding these differences can help boards encourage discussion, make decisions more efficiently, and conduct more productive meetings. Read the full article: Board Meetings Aren’t Annual Meetings: Three Common Meeting Myths
No Drama, Just Order: Practical Tips for Better HOA and Condo Board Meetings
This article is adapted from my conversation with Robert Nordlund on HOA Insights: Common Sense for Common Areas, Episode 162, “Handle Conflict at HOA Board Meetings Without the Drama,” presented by Association Reserves on June 15, 2026. A link to the full podcast or video is available here: Community association board meetings do not have to feel like a courtroom, a city council meeting, or a parliamentary procedure exam. Most HOA and condominium boards are small groups of volunteers trying to make sensible decisions for their communities. That said, meetings still matter. Boards are making decisions about property, money, contracts, … Continue reading
Should Your HOA or Condo Association Have a Facebook Page or Other Social Media Presence?
Many boards are looking for better ways to communicate with owners. Email newsletters, websites, text alerts, and social media can all be effective tools for keeping residents informed. When discussing social media, however, it is important to distinguish between an official association account and an owner-created page or group. This article addresses official association social media accounts, whether on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Nextdoor, LinkedIn, or other platforms. In most cases, a community association has little or no control over independent social media groups created by owners, even if many residents participate in them. More Communication Is Usually Better As a … Continue reading
Are Emotional Support Animals Still Protected Under Fair Housing Laws?
A new HUD memorandum is generating headlines suggesting that emotional support animals (ESAs) may no longer receive protection under federal fair housing law. Some articles have gone so far as to suggest that associations can now deny ESA requests that previously would have been approved. The reality is more complicated. On May 22, 2026, HUD’s Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity issued a memorandum directing HUD enforcement staff to prioritize cases involving animals that have been trained to perform disability-related tasks. The memorandum represents a significant shift in HUD’s enforcement approach, although it does not amend the Fair … Continue reading
Should Your Board Approve Routine Financial Reports? Considerations and Risks
Boards receive financial reports all the time. At most meetings, there is some version of the same information: account balances, income and expenses, and current financial position. The question is not whether boards should see that information. They should. The real issue is what the board does with it. Many boards take the extra step of voting to “approve” or “adopt” these routine financial reports. Sometimes it is included in a consent agenda. Either way, the result is the same. The board is taking formal action on something that usually does not require formal action. What Boards Think The Vote … Continue reading
Institutional Investors and Rental Restrictions: Congress Steps In
In a prior article, HOA and Condo Rental Restrictions and Institutional Investors, I discussed the increasing role of institutional investors in the single-family housing market and the steps many community associations are taking, including rental caps and leasing restrictions, to address large-scale investor ownership within their communities. That discussion focused on what associations can do through their governing documents. A recent development suggests that this issue may now be moving beyond governing document amendments and into federal action. A recent report from CNN highlights proposed federal legislation, often referred to as the “21st Century ROAD to Housing Act,” that would … Continue reading
You Don’t Have a Current Will? What Are You Thinking?
I was talking recently with my law partner, Andrew Brower, who spends most of his time on estate planning. At some point the conversation turned to how many people either do not have a will at all or have one that has been sitting in a drawer for years. The percentage is . . . higher than you would expect. Studies suggest somewhere between about 55% and 75% of Americans do not have a will. And even among those who do, many have not looked at it in a long time. Life may have changed, but their documents have not. … Continue reading
“Security” Cameras? Associations Should Be Careful What They Promise
Cameras can help associations understand what happened after an incident, but they don’t provide “security.” Using the wrong language or policies can create liability. Here’s what boards should know before installing or adopting a camera system. Continue reading
When Should a Board Bring in a Parliamentarian? Practical Considerations
Boards often ask whether they need a parliamentarian. The better question is when it makes sense to bring one in. This article walks through practical factors to consider, including board size, complexity of issues, and meeting dynamics. Continue reading
What Does “Ex Officio” Really Mean and What Rights Come With It?
Can I vote as an ex officio member? Can we ask ex officio members to leave? I hear such questions often. And almost every time, the issue is not the rules. It is a misunderstanding of what “ex officio” actually means. Ex officio simply means “by virtue of an office.” A person is on a board or committee because they hold a certain position. When they leave that position, the next person in the position automatically takes their place. Many people think “ex officio” means a person cannot vote. As I note in Robert’s Rules of Order Fast Track (p. … Continue reading
What the Resolutions Process Is and Is Not
Several national clients have asked me recently for advice on “modernizing” their resolutions processes. That has involved looking at what they do, why they do it, and what improvements might make the process more efficient or easier for members to understand. From those conversations comes this article, which discusses the general process. There are as many resolutions processes as there are associations. That’s because each organization is governed by language in its bylaws (sometimes “constitution”) or board policy. If the procedure appears in the bylaws, the process tends to be fixed, since bylaws can be difficult to amend. On the … Continue reading
150 Years of Robert’s Rules of Order
This Thursday, February 19, 2026, we mark the 150th anniversary of the first publication of Robert’s Rules of Order in 1876. For 150 years, this book has helped groups hold fair, organized, and effective meetings. That is an extraordinary legacy for a book written by an Army engineer. Who Was General Robert? Henry Martyn Robert was a general in the United States Army Corps of Engineers. He was not trained as a lawyer or politician. He became interested in meeting procedure after being asked to preside over a church meeting that quickly became confusing and disorderly. As I discussed in … Continue reading
Running Better, More Legal, Virtual Meetings
In May 2022, my law partner, Harmony Taylor, and I presented a program at the Community Associations Institute (CAI) Annual Conference on running better, more legal virtual meetings for community associations. By that point, most boards and managers had already experienced electronic meetings out of necessity. What remained unsettled was not whether meetings could be held online, but whether they were being conducted in a way that was legal, defensible, and effective. The questions we heard were consistent. Can we meet virtually at all? Does it matter whether the meeting is for the board, the members, or a committee? What … Continue reading
Involved With HOAs or Condominium Associations? Make Sure You Have the Correct Copy of Robert’s Rules of Order
For homeowner and condominium associations, membership and board meetings are not routine gatherings. Membership meetings tend to be where directors are elected and governing documents amended. Boards govern the association throughout the year, exercising authority that directly affects owners’ property rights and financial obligations. Because of that, how meetings are conducted matters, both legally and practically. In many states, and in many association governing documents, meetings are required to be conducted in accordance with the most recent edition of Robert’s Rules of Order (sometimes described as the “current” or “latest” edition). When that is the case, having the correct and … Continue reading
Why I Write Parliamentary Books: Reflections from an Author Chat with the American College of Parliamentary Lawyers
This article is adapted from remarks I delivered during an “Author Chat” with the American College of Parliamentary Lawyers on February 7, 2023. It reflects an edited written version of that presentation, focusing on why I write parliamentary books, how my books differ, and trends I see in modern meetings and parliamentary practice. Why I Write About Parliamentary Procedure Anyone who wants to write about parliamentary procedure should keep their day job. That is not why we write. We write because we find this subject genuinely interesting, because we enjoy teaching it, and because we were taught by others to … Continue reading
You Need the Correct Copy of Robert’s Rules of Order
In most associations, significant decisions are made at board, committee, and membership meetings. Budgets are adopted. Directors are elected. Budgets are adopted. Directors are elected. Governing document amendments and policies are approved. When an organization says it follows Robert’s Rules of Order, it is committing to run its meetings under a recognized, structured system designed to promote fairness, order, and clear decision making. Because of that, how meetings are conducted matters, both legally and practically. Many association governing documents require that meetings be conducted in accordance with the “current edition” of Robert’s Rules of Order. When that is the case, … Continue reading
A New HOA Warranty Option for North Carolina Buyers
A new product has recently become available to some North Carolina purchasers buying homes or condos in community associations. Known as “HOA Warranty,” this is a private, optional product offered at closing and is not governmental or legislative in any way. Because it is new to the North Carolina market, we want to make readers aware that it exists, not to recommend for or against its use. You can learn more about the product directly from the provider at HOA Warranty: Special Assessment Protection. What the Product Is Intended to Do The general purpose of the HOA Warranty product is … Continue reading