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.
AB1033 is a California state law passed in October 2023 that aims to promote affordable homeownership by allowing ADUs to undergo inium conversion.
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.
New California laws taking effect July 1, 2024 ban hidden fees, limit deposits to one month's rent and double the fines for illegal fireworks.
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.
Be concise and make your purpose/request clear. You can add a friendly greeting at the beginning, but there is no need to provide paragraphs of background information or personal opinions. Offer a solution, if possible. Complete the letter or email with a suggestion on how the board can take action.
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.