Practical, plain-English guidance for HOA boards and property managers.
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Washington HOA budgets aren't final when the board votes — RCW 64.90.525 requires owner ratification. The correct 30-day and 14–50-day timeline, the majority-of-votes rejection threshold, and what the budget must include.
As of January 1, 2026, one statute governs meetings for every Washington association: WUCIOA's RCW 64.90.445. What changed, what executive sessions actually require now, and the new notice, comment, and budget rules.
Florida Statutes Chapter 720 requires 48-hour posted notice, owner speaking rights, 7-year minutes retention, and a 10-business-day records deadline — with statutory damages if boards miss it.
California's Davis-Stirling Open Meeting Act sets strict rules for HOA boards: 4-day notice with an agenda, no email votes, an owner forum, and minutes available within 30 days. Here's the plain-English version.
Minutes aren't official until the board approves them. Approval is a quick, routine agenda item — but doing it correctly is what turns a draft into the association's legal record. Here's the right process. When minutes get approved Minutes are approved at the next board meeting after the one they...
Not all minutes carry the same weight. A draft is a working document; approved minutes are the association's official legal record. Confusing the two can cause real problems — from owner disputes to questions about whether a decision is even valid. Here's the difference and why it matters. Draft...
Many states have "open meeting" or "sunshine" laws that apply to homeowners associations. The principle is simple: because boards make decisions that affect every owner's property and money, owners have a right to know how those decisions are made. Here's what open meeting laws typically require —...
The secretary is the board's recordkeeper — the person who makes sure decisions are documented, notices go out, and the association's official records stay intact. It's one of the most important board roles and, for new volunteers, one of the most unclear. Here's a complete checklist of what the...
Meeting minutes are permanent legal records of your association's decisions, and most state HOA laws require boards to keep them — often for many years, and in many states, permanently. Here's what retention actually requires and how to stay compliant without drowning in paper. The short answer...