This By-Laws document contains the following information: the name and location of the corporation, the shareholders, and the duties of the officers.
Homeowners Association Bylaws Template With Rules In Alameda
Category:
State:
Multi-State
County:
Alameda
Control #:
US-00444
Format:
Word;
Rich Text
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FAQ
An HOA has the authority to enforce the rules and regulations of the community using the community rules, or “bylaws and covenants.” These rules are considered “agreed upon” since homeowners approve them through board-elected representatives.
While you can propose rule changes through proper channels, there's no legal way to simply ignore or “get around” the HOA's covenants, conditions, and restrictions (CC&Rs) that you agreed to when purchasing in the community.
Laws always supersede governing documents IF they conflict and the law applies to your HOA. In California, the Davis-Stirling Act may take precedent over general corporation codes because it's specific to HOAs.
HOAs are usually governed by a board of directors or governors that is elected by the homeowners to make decisions about the HOA and enforce its rules. Most HOAs in California are set up as nonprofit mutual benefit corporations, but some may be structured differently.
Once you buy a home that's part of an HOA, you automatically become a member of the HOA. HOA rules are legally binding, and you must adhere to all rules and regulations in the governing document. Yes, there are bylaws that you may not like, but there are no HOA loopholes.
What are unenforceable HOA rules? Keep you out of court. Hush up litigation. Discriminate indiscriminately. Enter your home without cause or notice. String you out on the (clothes)line. Fine you for fun. Change rules on the fly. Demand you take down your dish.
In 2024, the California legislature passed an amendment that allowed online elections to be held within HOAs. It recognized that this could open the door to digital vote manipulation within the HOA's management, though, so the state mandated that each HOA election needed to have an independent inspector of elections.
Conditions and Rules are "cousins", but the difference is that Conditions are flexible while Rules are powerful.
The key differences between standing rules and bylaws therefore relate to both effect and scope: bylaws are more overarching and refer to procedures while standing rules tend to be more administrative and speak to specifics. Bylaws and standing rules are also hierarchical in nature: bylaws supersede standing rules.
Rules tell us what happens if we don't do something; instructions tell us how to respond b.