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With the passage of HB 12-1237 during the final hours of the 2012 legislative session last week, associations moved one step closer to new requirements concerning the official records that they must make available to owners upon request. We fully expect this bill to clear the final hurdle on its way to becoming law. Once HB 12-1237 is signed into law by Governor Hickenlooper, associations will have until January 1, 2013, to implement new records policies and practices.

It’s not too early for associations to start reviewing their mandatory inspection and copying of records policies and making necessary updates before the effective date of HB 12-1237. All associations should have clear policies that do the following:  

  1. Ensure availability of all documentation expressly declared a "record" by statute plus any additional records defined in an association’s governing documents
  2. Exclude specific documents from owner review

The biggest change most associations will make to their policies involves the removal of any requirement that owners state a "proper purpose" before getting access to records. Under HB 12-1237, associations must maintain certain records, and owners are entitled to access that information. Associations can help minimize the impact of owner requests for records on other association business by adopting clear policies, keeping records up to date, and making documents easily accessible.Continue Reading For the Record … Effective Records Policies Start Now

This at least should be a rule through the letter-writing world: that no angry letter be posted till four-and-twenty hours will have elapsed since it was written. ~ Anthony Trollope

In my life outside of community association law practice, I volunteer with Denver Public Schools (“DPS”). On more than one occasion, my work with DPS, and in other volunteer roles, has allowed me to better relate to the challenges that association board members experience in their roles as community leaders – whether it’s the time commitment, strong emotions, opposing views, an unclear governance model, or thousands of e-mails flooding my inbox, I’ve experienced it.

Most recently, I served as co-chair for a large community committee that participated in a year-long process of monthly, and sometimes weekly, meetings. At the committee’s inception, a member of the general public submitted a Colorado Open Records Act (“CORA”) request to DPS, asking for all documents related to the committee’s work. DPS administration informed me and the rest of the steering committee of this CORA request to make us aware that the contents of our e-mails would get released to the constituent.Continue Reading Association Records: Navigating the Electronic “Paper” Trail