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.
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.
The winding up process includes, among other things, giving notice of the dissolution to creditors of the HOA (Corporations Code § 8618), paying all known liabilities and debts (Corporations Code §§ 8713, 8714), selling assets (Corporations Code § 8710), and distributing any remaining assets to homeowners.
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.
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.
The new HOA law in California, passed in September 2024, includes amendments to the Davis-Stirling Act of 1985. These amendments make it possible for HOAs to conduct elections online rather than through costly and time-consuming paper balloting.
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.
Examples of Common HOA Rules Architectural controls. Lawn and holiday decoration restrictions. Home maintenance standards. Noise complaint policies. Home occupancy limits. Parking rules and guidelines. Pet size and quantity limits. Short-term rental restrictions.
You can contact your local government office for assistance. For example, you can visit the California Attorney General's HOA Consumer Information page for more details. Online Databases: There are online databases and resources that compile HOA documents.