With the world’s economy in turmoil and a significant increase in the unemployment rate, experts are forecasting a big increase in the number of bankruptcy filings in 2009. If your Association receives a Notice of Bankruptcy filing by one of its owners, don’t panic as there are some remedies. But…
Reported by the Associated Press WASHINGTON (Dec. 16) — Unless new anti-drowning drain covers are installed, tens of thousands of public swimming pools and hot tubs could be forced to close Saturday under a sweeping law designed to prevent drain suction from trapping children underwater. The rules apply to pools…
The 2009 Condominium Bluebook by Branden Bickel and D. Andrew Sirkin has been published and will soon be available to the general public. The Bluebook is a useful tool for California homeowner associations, providing quick reference to state statutes and court cases, as well as useful forms for required notices…
Interesting news report on NPR (National Public Radio) on the effect that this financial crisis is having on community associations: Homeowners associations across the country are being hit hard by the foreclosure crisis. Millions of dollars of monthly dues are going unpaid. Neighbors are left to pick up the tab…
Click here to read an interesting article discussing what we all know, that some owners cannot afford their homes and are not paying their regular or special assessments. They may lose their homes. And this comes from North Carolina.
Our country and most of the rest of the world are in an economic recession, and we are all suffering the fallout from the most significant and severe economic crisis since the Great Depression. Major corporations are filing bankruptcy and are going out of business, banks are being taken over…
Community Associations Institute (CAI) has weighed in on the side of a Vail, Colorado condominium owner who won a costly and contentious, seven-year court battle with his association over who was responsible for resolving a water-intrusion issue. The court determined that the association should pay $550,000 in attorneys’ fees and…
July’s 5.4-magnitude Chino Hills Earthquake was a jolting reminder that we all need to prepare for the “big one”. It is no secret that California is riddled with earthquake faults. Click here for a map which shows seven of the faults with the probability of a magnitude 6.7 earthquake. Scientists…
As part of an association’s preparation for an earthquake, inevitably there is the “issue” of earthquake insurance. In 1994, at the time of the Northridge quake, less than half of all associations had earthquake insurance. I do not believe the statistics have changed much since 1994. Earthquake insurance is not…
I, along with over 70% of other California citizens, have or will vote today (11/4/08). And then, not wanting to pass up a good deal, I went to my local Starbucks for my free cup of joe. That’s right, Starbucks offered a free cup of coffee to anyone that came…