On January 20th, Representative Kevin Van Winkle (R) introduced House Bill 17-1112 (HB 1112) which would provide immunity from penalties for individuals who engage in the unauthorized practice of a profession regulated by the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA), like a realtor engaging in the unauthorized practice of community association management, under the following circumstances:

Continue Reading Bill Introduced Granting Limited Immunity for Unauthorized Practice of Community Association Management

As I mentioned in my blog entry kicking off the 2017 legislative session in Colorado, 8 to 10 bills relating to construction defects and the construction of affordable housing are expected to be introduced this session.  In my January 12th blog entry, I reported on the bipartisan introduction of SB 45 which is intended to reduce

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Senator Bob Gardner (R) has introduced Senate Bill 17-078 ("SB 78") to address the taxation of "residential storage condominium units."  If my memory serves me well, this is the third time this bill has been introduced in the Colorado General Assembly.  Will the third time be a charm? 
 
This bill is pretty simple and isn’t something

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On the first day of the 2017 legislative session in Colorado, President of the Senate Grantham (R) and Speaker of the House Duran (D) introduced Senate Bill 17-045 to require courts to allocate defense costs in construction defect claims when more than one insurer has a duty to defend.  Senator Angela Williams (D,) a longtime advocate

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The 2017 legislative session opens today in Colorado! For those of you who are political junkies, following the recent elections, here is what you need to know about the makeup of the Colorado House and Senate:Continue Reading 2017 Colorado Legislative Session Promises Focus on Construction Defects

As many of you know, the association is entitled to collect a super lien payment from a foreclosing lender when a property enters into public trustee foreclosure. The super lien amount consists of up to six months of regular assessment charges that came due prior to the filing of the foreclosure. This is a monetary threshold rather than a requirement that there be six months of unpaid assessments due.  For example, if an association had monthly dues of $100.00, a super lien could be claimed for $600.00 so long as the account ledger showed this balance as due. The balance could be comprised of any combination of assessments, late charges, interest, legal fees or other charges.

Continue Reading The Importance of Monitoring Foreclosure Sales

Be Thankful

Be thankful that you don’t already have everything you desire.  If you did, what would there be to look forward to?

Be thankful when you don’t know something, for it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for the difficult times. During those times, you grow.

Be thankful for your limitations, because…

Is your association increasing, or even decreasing, its annual assessment fees for 2017? If so, it is important that the association follow its governing documents when providing notice of the change to all owners.   In addition to providing owners with proper notice of any change, the association should also notify its attorney. This will help to ensure…

As we’ve discussed earlier this year, Congress recently passed the Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act (HOTMA), which was signed into law by President Obama on July 29, 2016. While the act addresses many aspects of housing and federal housing assistance, of particular interest to us and some of our clients is one part of the act that addresses FHA Mortgage Insurance for Condominiums. The act requires that the Secretary of HUD streamline the project certification requirements that are applicable to insurance for condominium mortgages to that recertification is substantially less burdensome than certifications. In addition, the act requires that the Secretary of HUD also consider and modify other factors and practices in FHA project approvals for condominiums, including the amount of commercial space in a mixed-use project, transfer fees, and owner-occupancy requirements.Continue Reading FHA Condominium Owner-Occupancy Requirements

Short-Term Rentals (“STRs”), which can encompass everything from nightly rentals to thirty day rentals to six month rentals, have become a hot button issue in common interest communities since the inception of websites such as airbnb, VRBO and HomeAway.  The market for STRs in Colorado increased exponentially with the legalization of recreational marijuana.  The dramatic increase in STRs has compelled many common interest communities to consider ways to restrict, or at least regulate, leasing in their communities.

When a common interest community wants to restrict leasing to eliminate or control STRs, the first question is whether this can be done by the Board through the adoption of a rule or policy, or whether it requires an amendment to the covenants upon approval of the required percentage of the owners.  The prevailing view is that leasing restrictions may only be imposed by an amendment to the recorded covenants, and not by the adoption of a rule.

The Colorado Common Interest Ownership Act, C.R.S. § 38-33.3-101 et seq. (“CCIOA”) contains several provisions regarding the use of property within common interest communities.  C.R.S. § 38-33.3-205(1)(l) requires that restrictions on the use, occupancy, and alienation of units be contained in the recorded declaration.  C.R.S. § 38-33.3-217(4.5) requires that no amendment may change the uses to which any unit is restricted in the absence of a vote or agreement of at least sixty-seven percent (67%) of owners, or any larger percentage specified in the declaration.  Similarly, the Restatement of the Law on Property/Servitudes provides that, absent specific authorization in the covenants, an HOA does not have the power to adopt rules that restrict the use or occupancy of individually owned units.Continue Reading Short Term Rentals