Winzenburg, Leff, Purvis & Payne, LLP

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I recently read an article about a homeowner in Texas who received a violation notice from her homeowners association as a result of chalk drawings left on her driveway by her son – something the owner and neighbors do not feel the Association’s governing rules specifically address.  The article goes on to state that the owner and her neighbors organized an event where they handed out bundles of chalk to kids from the neighborhood who gathered to decorate their sidewalks and driveways. While this may be a knee-jerk reaction for most folks, intentionally violating the rules in an attempt to  “send their neighborhood association a message” may only worsen the situation by subjecting more owners to similar violation notices and potential fines.  Though the Association may not have a rule specifically addressing chalk use, most Association’s have rules and regulations that deal with the maintenance and upkeep of a property and require owners to keep their property in a clean, safe, and attractive manner – something “chalk drawing” could surely fall under. Continue Reading Chalk Another One Up to Bad Communication

It’s no secret that Colorado’s housing market continues to improve and according to the Denver Post, some buyers have even been forced into bidding wars over the low inventory in certain areas.   While the increase in home sales is great news for the local economy, this is also an important reminder to associations to…

We hear the term “Due Diligence” used in many different contexts, but what does it mean? According to Merriam Webster, it is the care that a reasonable person exercises to avoid harm to other persons or their property. A common transaction where this term is used is in the purchasing of a home. While many of us think of due diligence as obtaining inspections, appraisals and checking out the neighborhood and schools, one should also research if the property is located within a covenant controlled community.Continue Reading Due Diligence and Living Happily Ever After

If you’ve ever flipped through a pop magazine, I’m sure you’ve seen the articles that show pictures of celebrities and how they are “just like us”. While those stories usually depict celebrities going to the grocery store or taking public transportation, I recently read an article in which a former Playboy model allegedly violated her association’s rules by constructing a pink doghouse for her three dogs. For some reason, the pink doghouse did not comply with her Association’s rules and regulations. Continue Reading Even Celebrities Have to Follow the Rules

A lien is a security interest, or encumbrance, over some type of property to secure the payment of a debt or some other obligation. Liens also have different priorities over one another and only when a lien is “perfected” will it be legally entitled to priority over subsequent liens. A creditor must normally “perfect” its lien by taking steps required by law to give other parties notice of the lien. As Lindsay Smith points out in her blog, Colorado requires that any party claiming an interest in real property record evidence of that interest in the real property records of the county in which the property is located. Continue Reading Liens – Protect your association’s interests!

I recently read an article where a homeowner was upset about her condominium association initiating foreclosure proceedings against her for her failure to pay her assessments. While people may read this article and feel sorry for the homeowner, one should keep in mind that the homeowner failed to appear at court to protect her interests and, more likely than not, failed to respond to the Association and its attorneys attempts to contact the homeowner prior to the foreclosure proceedings even being initiated. It does not appear that the homeowner is the helpless victim of the actions of a condominium association, but instead, that the homeowner apparently avoided her obligation to pay assessments and did not take any action to prevent the events that followed.   Continue Reading Before You Start Pointing Fingers….