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Best Practices for HOA Elections

2/13/19

By: Charles McCurdy

In California, as communities with HOAs have proliferated, so has the thicket of statutes, rules and regulations that apply to their operations. For example, just holding an election for an HOA’s Board of Directors implicates California’s Civil Code, its Corporations Code and an HOA’s governing documents, including its bylaws and CC&Rs. Additionally, since 2006, HOAs must have separate documents setting forth their voting rules. As HOA elections frequently morph into contentious affairs, it is often a good idea to provide as much clarity as possible on the standards and procedures to be used in advance of the election. This can help elections run more smoothly and may enable HOAs to avoid disputes and even costly litigation about the results.
To further this goal of more agreeable elections with more definite outcomes, HOAs should update their governing documents, particularly bylaws and voting rules. The Civil Code (§ § 5105 – 5130) relating to HOA elections has changed twice in the somewhat recent past (2006 and 2013), while many HOA’s governing documents date from their founding. In many instances, amended statutes may supersede outdated governing documents. This can sow confusion when members rely on governing documents that no longer control to understand how the election will be run, who are eligible candidates, and other important election-related considerations. Once governing documents comport with current statutes, HOAs should distribute them to their members in the lead up to elections. For example, HOAs can include these documents as part of an election package that may also include ballots, candidate information and other instructions or regulations. HOAs should also remember the law mandates equal access to association media (such as newsletters) and meeting space for campaigning.
While HOA elections may not always bring out the best in their members, a bit of anticipatory drafting and information sharing can go a long way to avoiding litigation over their results.
If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Charles McCurdy at (415) 352-6416 or cmccurdy@fmglaw.com.