My most recent brush with the electoral process as a candidate occurred in 1989. I was primed and ready to be the Sergeant at Arms of my elementary school student council, and willing to campaign, press palms, kiss babies, and bribe the administration to make that dream a reality. Sure, I didn’t know what a
Lindsay S. Smith
Don’t Blame Me! I Didn’t Vote!
Many clients are facing difficult decisions related to COVID-19. Should we open the pool? Should we waive late fees? Should we tell that owner she needs to repaint her house? Service as a director on a community association Board is never easy, but the pandemic has created stark and binary decisions that are not easy…
Call Your Legislators! Senate Bill 20-211
In response to the economic destruction wrought by COVID-19, Senators Faith Winter and Julie Gonzales, and Representative Leslie Herod introduced Senate Bill 211 on June 1, 2020. SB 20-211 quickly made its way through the chamber and was referred to the Committee of the Whole today. It has not yet made its way to the…
Association Meetings During a Pandemic
Federal, state, and local responses to COVID-19 are changing quickly. Our COVID-19 related communications are based on the facts and guidance available today. Always look for the most up-to-date information when making decisions for your communities.
Social distancing restrictions and recommendations are likely to continue for some time. In light of this new reality, what…
“The first thing we do, let’s call all the lawyers.”
In Shakespeare’s Henry VI, Dick the Butcher suggests killing the lawyers in the context of a revolution. “Killing the lawyers” has been interpreted to either contemplate a nirvana in which annoying attorneys with their endless red tape are no longer around to stop normal people from living happy lives, or to lay the groundwork to…
New FHA Guidelines for Condominiums
On Wednesday, the Federal Housing Administration issued new guidelines for condominium project approval. Before the recession, condominium projects could obtain FHA certification, in whole or in part, and that certification did not expire. In 2011, the guidelines were changed to require re-certification every two years, and limited certification to the entire project. Gone were the…
Manager Licensure Passes – Ish
After much debate between interested parties, HB 1212 has passed and is on its way to the Governor in a form that is substantially different than existed on Monday. Rather than recreating Colorado’s manager licensure program, HB 1212 revives prior licensure legislation until September 1, 2020, and creates a stakeholder process to gather information from…
Manager Licensure Laid Over
After much debate and discussion, the amended version of House Bill 19-1212 has been laid over until tomorrow, May 1, when it will be sent back to the Senate Finance Committee for a vote. After Finance, the bill will go to Appropriations, and then to second and third readings on the Senate floor. If the…
What is this Special Assessment?
Many Colorado communities are facing the need to impose special assessments as a result of recent wind and hail events in the state. Special assessments may be imposed in circumstances where the association lacks cash on hand to pay for a large or unexpected expense. Such assessments have become increasingly common due to changes in…
Manager Licensure Bill
Yesterday, Representatives Brianna Titone and Monica Duran introduced House Bill 19-1212, which, if passed, will re-create the community association manager licensure program that is currently set to end in July of this year. The proposed bill includes provisions responsive to comments made throughout the industry since the original advent of community association manager licensing,…