July 2015

In my first installment of this blog series entitled HOA Board Meeting Basics, I discussed whether the Colorado Common Interest Ownership Act ("CCIOA") or the Colorado Revised Nonprofit Corporation Act ("Nonprofit Act") require that members of an HOA be provided with notices of board meetings and agendas.  In this installment of the series, I will discuss open board meetings in HOAs.

For most folks living in Colorado, our home is the biggest investment we will ever make in our lives.  For those of us with a home in an HOA, we know that in addition to our normal obligations as homeowners, we must pay assessments for our share of the common expenses of the community and comply with the governing documents of our association. 

Our HOAs are governed by boards of directors which have a great deal of authority over our how our communities are maintained, the fiscal health of our communities, how the governing documents are enforced and the overall culture of our communities. Since boards of directors have a great deal of power, it only makes sense that CCIOA requires that Board meetings be open to the members of the HOA or their designated representatives.  Having open meetings provides members with an opportunity to see their boards in action and to observe the due diligence they engage in before making important decisions. Continue Reading HOA Board Meeting Basics: Exceptions to Open Meetings Limited

Just last week, I had the privilege of teaching a class for the Aspen Pitkin County Housing Authority on HOA meetings.  Since my friends in Aspen and Pitkin County had numerous and excellent questions relating to meetings, I thought it would be helpful to post a series of blog entries on HOA board and membership meetings.  In order to avoid confusion, I will start this series of blog entries by addressing issues relating to HOA board meetings.

For those of you who follow our blog, you know that the Colorado Common Interest Ownership Act ("CCIOA") is the primary body of statutory law in Colorado that regulates HOAs.  Since most HOAs are nonprofit corporations, when we are dealing with issues relating to governance, we must also look to the Colorado Revised Nonprofit Corporation Act ("Nonprofit Act") for guidance. 

The first question I will address is whether HOA boards must provide notice of their board meetings to the members of their associations.  Interestingly, CCIOA and the Nonprofit Act do not require that members of an HOA be provided with notice of board meetings.  However, it is important to check out the bylaws for your association to determine whether the bylaws require that notice of board meetings be given to the members.  If your bylaws require that notice be given to members, make sure to carefully follow the notice requirements outlined in your bylaws. Continue Reading HOA Board Meeting Basics: Notice to Members and Agendas

As attorneys who specialize in the practice of community association law, we often hear folks talk about service animals and the Americans with Disabilities Act ("ADA").  What most folks don’t understand is the ADA doesn’t apply to private residential HOAs.  Instead, the ADA requirements relating to service animals apply to HOAs that provide a place of public…