We’re thrilled to share that Sandra L. Gottlieb, Esq., CCAL, Co-Founder of SwedelsonGottlieb and a recognized leader in community association law, recently joined The HOA Show Podcast for an insightful discussion on a critical piece of legislation impacting HOAs across California.

🎧 Episode 34: “Assembly Bill 130”

Synopsis: AB 130 was a housing bill passed with urgency by the State legislature that is now in effect. This bill makes significant changes to governance by implementing new fine limits, hearing procedures, and ADU/JADU fee restrictions. These changes, made without any input from industry experts, will dramatically and negatively impact homeowners’ associations.

Changes to Fines and Hearing Procedures

From the attorneys at SwedelsonGottlieb

We recently sent out an alert on the Corporate Transparency Act being blocked by a Judge from the Texas Federal Court. Specifically, Judge Mazzant of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas issued a preliminary injunction against the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA), effectively halting its enforcement nationwide. At that point we were unsure as to what this actually meant for California community associations. We now have more information and good news.

The Impact of Exterior Elevated Element Inspections on the Reserve Study

By Sandra L. Gottlieb, Esq. CCAL and Adrian Chiang, Esq.

For Immediate Release

Firm Contact: SwedelsonGottlieb, 800-372-2202 CK@sghoalaw.com

Cyrus Koochek, Esq. Receives National Recognition as a CCAL Fellow

Deciphering the Election by Acclamation Process: A Sample Timeline

By Adrian Chiang, Esq.

California Senate Bill 900, which was signed into law in September 2024, has brought significant changes to the California Civil Code by amending Sections 4775 and 5610(c).

Under the updated Section 4775, unless otherwise specified in an association’s declaration, the association is now responsible for repairs and replacements related to interruptions in gas, heat, water, or electrical services that originate in the common area, even if they extend to other areas. If an association faces financial challenges due to these added responsibilities and lacks sufficient reserve funds, it can secure a loan without needing a member vote and levy an emergency assessment to repay the loan.

As we are living through an election year, we can expect heightened passion around political views, some of which may surface at our Community Association Board meetings. The energy and enthusiasm that come with election season can sometimes lead to heated debates and discussions.

While Board meetings are an excellent opportunity to address important community issues, they are not intended as platforms for political debate regarding local, state or federal issues. Nevertheless, avoiding political discussions entirely during this period might be challenging due to the current political climate. Open and respectful dialogue is valuable, but it is best conducted in appropriate settings designed for such discussions.

Background

On January 1, 2020, the State legislature added California Civil Code § 5551 to require condominium associations with certain elevated exterior elements (“EEEs”) such as decks, balconies, walkways, stairs, and related railings to be inspected by January 1, 2025. This new law is often referred to as the “Balcony Bill” or SB326 as that was the bill number before being passed into law in year 2019. The cause for this legislation was due to the collapse of a balcony that caused several deaths and so the purpose of these inspections is to make sure EEEs are safe to use and if unsafe, limit access until such EEEs are repaired.