A blog I wrote in 2016 (HOA’s: Follow Your Bylaws & Proper Parliamentary Procedure) examined two opinions from the NC Court of Appeals about HOA/condo board decisions. The short takeaway from those cases for associations? FOLLOW THE RULES. A new case from the Court of Appeals issued today (June 19, 2018) again examines the requirements of an association board to take lawful action. In Homestead at Mills River Property Owners Association, Inc. v. Hyder et al., a Henderson County association brought a lawsuit against a successor developer due to a fight over Common Area. The case is lengthy (40 pages!) … Continue reading →

A South Carolina bill we have been watching for more than a year was signed into law by the governor yesterday, May 17, 2018.  House Bill 3886 is the first bill specifically directed at homeowners associations and condominiums in South Carolina and will impact how each of these types of communities operates.  Officially titled the “South Carolina Homeowners Association Act,” click here for the text of the law.   Here is a brief summary of some of the key parts of the new law: Disclosure Duty The law creates a new duty to disclose whether real property being sold is … Continue reading →

What insurance must be purchased by an association can usually be determined by reading the governing documents and relevant NC statutes (and consulting an experienced community association insurance professional!).  The NC Condominium Act details what insurance must be purchased by a condominium association created on or after October 1, 1986 (other statutes provide for insurance requirements on older condos or planned communities). NCGS § 47C-3-113 states, among other things: Commencing not later than the time of the first conveyance of a unit to a person other than a declarant, the association shall maintain, to the extent available: (1) Property insurance … Continue reading →

Last week I was invited to address the Legislative Research Commission’s Committee on Dispute Resolution Options for Homeowners, Associations and Governing Entities. The committee’s charge is to explore the “creation of a mediation or arbitration board” to handle community association disputes, and I was asked to share my thoughts. My comments to the Committee are below. FYI, almost all lawsuits filed in North Carolina’s District or Superior Courts are sent to either mediation or arbitration. And state law currently requires that community associations notify members each year of their right to request mediation. While I am an active proponent of … Continue reading →

Most board members don’t relish the idea of fining their friends and neighbors for minor infractions of their community’s restrictive covenants. Boards are typically willing to issue fines and citations when an owner has piles of garbage in their front yard, windows and siding falling off the exterior, or nipping dogs running around common areas off leash. But what about the situation with the owner who occasionally has to bring a company work van home overnight and park it in the driveway- and the Declaration of Covenants says no commercial vehicles parked in driveways? Or the environmentally friendly owner who … Continue reading →

Recently, I had the opportunity to attend the annual Community Association Institute Law Seminar. One of the topics covered at the seminar was transgender issues in community associations.  We all know that community associations are microcosms of the society at large, and transgender issues are no exception. Transgender persons face violence, discrimination in the workplace, educational challenges, and health concerns.  Relevant to community associations, they also face significant hurdles related to housing.  A report of the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey (USTS), looking at almost 28,000 transgender persons in all fifty states, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico … Continue reading →

Our clients often ask us what can be done about homeowners who are clearly violating the Association’s governing documents.  Both the North Carolina Planned Community and Condominium Acts (“Acts”) have mirror provisions and procedures for the imposition of fines.  Imposing fines often causes a great amount of heartburn for Boards as they are tasked with enforcing the Association’s governing documents against a neighbor.  While it can be an uncomfortable position to be in, our advice is that if the Board is not willing to enforce their governing documents, the documents might as well not exist. Furthermore, if Associations ignore violations … Continue reading →

Each year several of our HOA/condo attorneys attend the annual community association Law Seminar presented by the College of Community Association Lawyers and the Community Associations Institute. The Law Seminar has excellent HOA/condo speakers and programs, and this year was no exception. There were some 20 education sessions, including discussions of Fair Housing Act developments, the explosion of assistance animal issues in community associations, protecting association names and websites, dealing with hoarders, and the fiduciary obligations of board members. A goal for attorneys who attend the Law Seminar is to come back with a better feel for trends that will … Continue reading →

I am often asked by homeowners, property managers, and HOA boards to review restrictive covenants to determine whether their community may restrict leasing in some way.  The usual answer is “it depends,” and the South Carolina Court of Appeals made it clear in Community Services Associates, Inc. v. Wall that restrictive covenants must be clear in order to prevent leasing. Covenants that restrict the free use of property are disfavored by the law.  Therefore, courts in North Carolina and South Carolina require that any restrictive covenant in a homeowners association or condominium be clear and unambiguous.  So long as they … Continue reading →

For many homeowners associations roads can be a source of constant consternation. Most homeowners do not make their home-buying decision based on the condition of the roads in the community or on the responsibility of the community to maintain subdivision roads. Where the community is responsible for the roads, it can be one of the largest budget expenses, often taking years of planning and saving to tackle. Even then, it may require special assessments or other methods to raise the funds to handle. When developers or HOA boards are not diligent in getting responsibility for roads turned over to the … Continue reading →

You can’t turn on the news these days, pick up a paper or listen to the radio without hearing about someone else in the entertainment industry being accused of improper sexual behavior towards employees, coworkers or others. Community Associations are microcosms of our culture, and so it should come as no surprise to find that allegations of harassment can and do come up. Recently I received a phone call from a manager dealing with the following scenario: Board President has served for many years, with wide support from the membership. He keeps the budget in check, makes sure the pool … Continue reading →

The Planned Community Act and the Condominium Act require most homeowners associations and condominium associations to hold budget ratifications meetings.  What are these meetings? A budget ratification meeting is a meeting of the owners of the association to review the proposed budget that has been adopted by the executive board.  The budget ratification meeting has a number of different requirements and provisions that are unlike other meetings of a community association.  Notably, a budget ratification meeting does not have a quorum requirement, which is dramatically different from typical annual or special meetings. In addition, the budget ratification meeting has special … Continue reading →

I am often asked by HOA & condo Boards a question that looks something like these: Is it OK for the Association to use community volunteers instead of a professional? or My Uncle Sal does that, can’t we use him? / I’m sure he’ll give us a discount! Naturally, in typical lawyer fashion, I tell them that it depends.  There are scenarios where the Board will always want a professional service provider and others where it is perfectly acceptable for volunteers from the community to provide services. The bottom line for the Board is always whether it has met its … Continue reading →

What can an HOA or condominium association do when activity is occurring within the community that appears to be objectionable, but which is not specifically addressed in the Declaration of Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions or other association governing documents? The clear answer, if the association wants enforcement power, is to amend the governing documents by following the proper procedure. Vague restrictions are difficult to enforce, and we always recommend amending governing documents to make restrictions as clear as possible. Unfortunately, as most association members are aware, the amendment process can take some time. What if the objectionable activity needs to … Continue reading →