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HOA Bylaws

The articles below provide practical information about homeowners association and condo bylaws.

Are HOAs Taking Security Too Far?
March 16, 2013
In this week's tip, we discuss whether your HOA should build a police force to begin raiding owners' homes for rules violations. . . . keep reading

Court Says HOA Can Issue Speeding Tickets; What's Next, Undercover Ops?
March 2013
The Illinois Supreme Court held in January that an HOA's hired security officer could stop and issue a valid speeding ticket againsta home owner. Here, we explain the court's decision in Poris v. Lake Holiday Property Owners Association and whether the court's reasoning would likely be upheld in other states. . . . keep reading

How to Handle an AWOL HOA Board Member
October 2012
Having a hard time attracting not just owners to your meetings but HOA board members? The dilemma happens more than you might think. Here our experts will weigh in on the basic question of how to address a persistently AWOL member of your condominium or homeowner association board of directors. They also address the challenge of a board president who seems to be happy hoarding power through a proxy. . . . keep reading

How Far Does an HOA President's Power Extend? Discussion Forum Follow-Up
September 2012
Can a president sign a landscape contract without the board's approval? And did the president of this reader's HOA have a conflict of interest here? Our experts provide answers. . . . keep reading

Are Ancient HOA Governing Documents Problems Waiting to Happen?
August 24, 2012
In this week's tip, we discuss whether old-as-the-hills governing documents are no biggie or a problem waiting to happen. . . . keep reading

Are Seriously Outdated HOA Documents a Problem? Discussion Forum Follow-Up
August 2012
An HOAleader.com reader writes, "I belong to an HOA that I'm recently discovering is grossly out of compliance. What is the order of priority with the following? 1) Our declaration was written in 1985 and never updated. 2) Our bylaws were signed in 1968 w/no updates. 3) We've never had a reserve study done per 2010 law." . . . keep reading

Does the Size of Your HOA Board of Directors Matter?
August 17, 2012
An HOAleader.com reader in a four-unit association wants to know how many board members his HOA should have. In this week's tip, we start the discussion of determining just how big your board should be. . . . keep reading

How Many Board Members Should Your HOA Have?
August 2012
An HOAleader.com reader in a four-unit association wants to know how many board members his HOA should have. Here our experts offer rules on determining the appropriate number of board members at any condo or homeowner association. . . . keep reading

HOA Owners Argue Over Temporary Structures--But It's a Dangerous Debate
July 27, 2012
In this week's tip, we begin to answer a reader's seemingly simple question about whether a playset is a temporary structure. But there may be way more going on behind this question than just an innocent inquiry. . . . keep reading

What's a Temporary Structure at an HOA?
July 2012
An HOAleader.com reader writes, "Are playsets considered a temporary structure? In our CCRs it states that no tent, utility shed, shack, trailer or other structure of a temporary nature shall be placed upon a lot or any part of the property. If a playset is a temporary structure, it should be denied under the CCRs. If it's denied for this reason, can the family sue the HOA on the basis of discrimination because of the children? This community has four families with children and the rest are retired. So if the playset were approved, then the retired group wants to know why they cannot put up a gazebo." . . . keep reading

How Strong Are Your HOA Owners' Privacy Rights?
November 4, 2011
In this week's tip, we help you determine whether to strip search your residents. OK, maybe that's too strong. But we do offer tips on how intrusive you can be when it comes to "searching" owners. . . . keep reading

How Intrusive Can You Be with HOA Owners?
November 2011
A HOAleader.com reader reports that his HOA is requiring that owners allow coolers to be searched for glass when they enter the pool because of the "no glass container" rule. He contends this is an invasion of his privacy. . . . keep reading

How to Revise Your HOA's Rules
August 2011
So what do you and your homeowners association board of directors need to know about revising rules? When do you need to consult with owners, and when can you just go forward without notice? And even if your state law or governing documents don't require you to provide notice, do you need to consider the message you're sending when you revise rule after rule--some controversial--without a chance for owners to provide feedback? Here's a smart process for HOA rule revisions. . . . keep reading

HOA Boards' Biggest Mistakes: Have You Made These Nine Blunders?
June 2011
If you're not careful, you can take huge missteps in overseeing your homeowner association. Here, we summarize what our experts consider the nine biggest mistakes HOA boards have made and explain what the boards should have done instead. . . . keep reading

Definition: Declaration of Covenants, Codes & Restrictions (CC&Rs)
The declaration of covenants, conditions, and restrictions (CC&Rs) are recorded with the register of deeds in the initial phase of development of a townhome or planned community. . . . keep reading

Definition: HOA Bylaws
HOA bylaws are governing guides. Bylaws are supposed to be about the government of the corporation. They should cover things like how often you have meetings, how many people are on the board, how oft . . . keep reading

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