New 2023 HOA Laws and What They Mean For Your HOA

May 25, 2023

The Utah general legislative session for 2023 was January – March 2023, and the general effective date for legislation from the session was May 3, 2023.

Records

Senate Bill 191 (2023) clarifies the Nonprofit Act regarding which records an owner is entitled to see if the owner follows the process specified in Subsection 16-6a-1602(2) (the process that requires the owner to have a “proper purpose” for seeing the records).  The statute now specifies that the records that may be viewed after following that particular process are the “other records” listed in Utah Code Subsections 16-6a-1601(2) through (5), namely: “appropriate” accounting records and a membership list with the names and addresses of all members in alphabetical order and showing the number of votes of each member.  Previously, the subsection referred to “any of the other records of the nonprofit corporation.”  (Since Subsection 16-6a-1602(1) specifies the process to view the records listed in Subsection 16-6a-1601(5), the process specified in Subsection 16-6a-1602(2) only applies to the records listed in 16-6a-1601(2) through (4), which, again are “appropriate” accounting records and the membership list).  

The bill also defines the term “corporate records” in the definitions section of the Utah Revised Nonprofit Corporation Act, to mean the records described in Section 16-6a-1601, and to exclude “correspondence, communications, notes, or other similar information, regardless of format or method of storage, that are not an official decision, published document, or record of the corporation.”  However, the Nonprofit Act never uses the term “corporate records” in any substantive way, so the definition has limited usefulness, if any at all.  See Utah Code Section 16-6a-102(13).

Rental Restrictions

The law prohibits a condo and community association from requiring an owner who rents out their home to pay an additional assessment or fee because the home is a rental.  Senate Bill 191 (2023) amends the statute to provide that an association that permits at least 35% of the units in the association to be rental units may charge an owner who rents their unit an annual fee of up to $200 to defray the association’s additional administrative expenses directly related to that rental unit, as detailed in an accounting provided to the owner.  See Utah Code Sections 57-8a-209(9)(c) and 57-8-10.1(9)(c).

Board Member Qualifications, Sex Offenders

Senate Bill 191 (2023) amends the law to provide that an association may, through governing documents or the board’s internal procedures, disqualify an individual from serving as a director because the individual has either been convicted of a felony or is required to register with the sex offender registry due to a conviction for an offense committed against a person under 18 (a.k.a. a “sex offender”).  See Utah Code Sections 57-8a-501 and 57-8-59.

The bill further provides that an association rule may restrict an adult or juvenile who is required to register with the sex offender registry due to a conviction for an offense committed against a person under 18 (a.k.a. a “sex offender”) from accessing a swimming pool, park or playground that is maintained, operated, or owned by the association (a “protected area”), except an association cannot restrict such access when that person must be in a protected area to perform their parental responsibilities.  See Utah Code Sections 57-8a-218(18) and 57-8-8.1(10).

Definition of “Political Sign”

The law contains restrictions against association rules restricting political signs, except reasonable regulations on the time, place, and manner of posting a political sign.  But, the law never defined what constituted a political sign.  Senate Bill 191 (2023) defines a “political sign” to mean “any sign or document that advocates: (1) the election or defeat of a candidate for public office, or (2) the approval or defeat of a ballot proposition.”  See the new definitions in Utah Code Sections 57-8a-102(21) and 57-8-3(34).  See the restrictions against rules governing political signs in Utah Code Sections 57-8a-218(4) and 57-8-8.1(8).

Community Associations Only

Water-efficient Landscaping

Under Senate Bill 191 (2023), community associations must adopt required rules regarding water efficient landscaping before June 30, 2023.  The requirement for associations to adopt rules supporting water-efficient landscaping, including allowance for low water use on lawns during drought conditions, was made law in 2022.  This new law requires those rules to be adopted by June 30, 2023.  Additionally, the bill explicitly provides that a rule may not prohibit low water use on lawns during drought conditions.  See New 2022 HOA Laws and What They Mean For Your HOA.  See also Utah Code Sections 57-8a-218(16) and 57-8-8.1(9).

House Bill 450 (2023) modifies Utah Code Section 57-8a-231 in the Community Association Act, which was enacted last year and states that an association may not enforce a governing document that prohibits a lot owner of a detached home (aka single family home) from incorporating water wise landscaping on the owner’s lot, except in certain instances.  The bill clarifies that an association may restrict or prohibit the use of specific plant materials other than water wise plant materials (as defined in the statute).  Additionally, the provision in the statute that said an association could adopt a requirement that imposes minimum or maximum vegetative coverage was deleted.  Now the statute says an association may not require an owner to have more than 50% vegetative coverage that is not water wise landscaping on the owner’s lot.

Rules

The law that’s been in place for several years in Utah Code Section 57-8a-217 requires that before a board in a community association adopts or amends a rule, the board must: (1) deliver notice to the owners that the board is considering a change to a rule, (2) provide an open forum at the board meeting giving owners an opportunity to be heard at the board meeting before the board adopts or amends a rule, and (3) deliver a copy of the change in the rules within 15 days after the date of the board meeting.

Senate Bill 152 (2023) amends the law to say that if a board fails to do any of those things, a lawsuit must be brought within 18 months in order to challenge the board action.  See Subsection 57-8a-217(7).

Definition of “Rule”

Both the Condo and Community Association Acts have long had provisions governing “rules” in an association but neither act ever defined what constitutes a rule (other than that a rule is adopted by a board and the provisions of CC&Rs and bylaws are not rules).

Senate Bill 191 (2023) defines “rule” for community associations (but, strangely, not for condos):

“Rule” means a policy, guideline, restriction, procedure, or regulation of an association that:
(1) is not set forth in a contract, easement, article of incorporation, bylaw, or declaration; and
(2) governs the conduct of persons, or the use, quality, type, design, or appearance of real property or personal property.
“Rule” does not include the internal business operating procedures of a board.

See Utah Code Section 57-8a-102(25).

Applicability of the Community Association Act

To avoid any confusion and curtail any argument that the Community Association Act doesn’t apply to a given association just because the association was formed before a certain provision of the act was enacted, Senate Bill 152 (2023) amends the law to provide that the act applies to an association that registers or updates the association’s registration with the Utah HOA Registry.  Of course, registering and updating an association’s registration with the HOA Registry is required by the law.  See Utah Code Section 57-8a-105(7).

How the new laws affect your community and what you need to do to comply with the new laws

Your community association (noncondos) must adopt rules supporting water-efficient landscaping, including allowance for low water use on lawns during drought conditions by June 30, 2023. See CounselOurHOA.com for sample rules (for Prudent-Legal subscribers).

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Posted by Curtis G. Kimble

New 2022 HOA Laws and What They Mean For Your HOA

June 1, 2022

The Utah general legislative session for 2022 was January – March 2022, and the general effective date for legislation from the session was May 4, 2022.

Water-efficient Landscaping

Under Senate Bill 152 (2022), all associations (even condominiums) are required to adopt rules supporting water-efficient landscaping, including allowance for low water use on lawns during drought conditions. See Utah Code Sections 57-8a-218(16) and 57-8-8.1(9).  

Under House Bill 282 (2022), an association may not prohibit an owner of a lot with a detached dwelling (aka single family home) from incorporating water wise landscaping on the owner’s lot.  “Water wise landscaping” means any of the following: (1) installation of plant materials suited to the microclimate and soil conditions that can remain healthy with minimal irrigation once established or be maintained without the use of sprinklers, (2) use of water for outdoor irrigation through proper and efficient irrigation design and water application, or (3) the use of other landscape design features that either minimize the need of the landscape for supplemental water from irrigation or reduce the landscape area dedicated to lawn.

However, an association can require a lot owner to comply with a site plan review process, to maintain plants in a healthy condition, and to follow specific water wise landscaping design requirements adopted by the association, and can restrict the use of mulches considered detrimental to the association’s operations, impose minimum or maximum vegetative coverage, and restrict the use of specific plant materials.

The bill enacts a new section of the Community Association Act, Utah Code Section 57-8a-231.

Finally, an association may not require a lot owner to have lawn in an area that’s less than eight feet wide and may not restrict the conversion of a “grass park strip” to water-efficient landscaping.  See Senate Bill 152 and House Bill 282, now codified in Utah Code Sections 57-8a-218(16), 57-8-8.1(9) and 57-8a-231(3)(b).

Records

Senate Bill 152 (2022) limits the records that owners are entitled to see to just the main records, such as minutes, governing documents, financials, etc.  This is a change from prior law where owners were entitled to view and copy virtually all records of their HOA.  Specifically, an association is required to keep and make available to owners a copy of the governing documents, most recent approved minutes, most recent budget and financial statement, most recent reserve analysis, and certificate of insurance for each insurance policy the association holds, plus the records listed in Utah Code Subsections 16-6a-1601(1) through (5).

Additionally, an association must now have all of its governing documents on its website, including the CC&Rs (declaration), articles of incorporation, bylaws, the plat of the development, and the rules, as well as the most recent approved minutes and most recent budget and financial statement.  Previously, just the declaration and bylaws (and most recent approved minutes and most recent budget and financial statement) were required to be on the website.  If the association doesn’t have a website, then it must make the documents available to lot owners free of charge during regular business hours at the association’s address listed with the Utah HOA Registry.  See Utah Code Section 57-8a-227(2) and Section 57-8-17(2).

Electric Vehicle Charging Systems

Senate Bill 152 (2022) added new statutes to both the Condo Act and Community Association Act that provide:

  • an association may not prohibit an owner from installing or using an electric vehicle charging system in a parking space on the owner’s lot or in a limited common area parking space designated for the owner’s exclusive use;
  • an association may (1) require the owner to obtain approval before installing a charging system; (2) require that an electrical contractor install the charger, or if installed on common area, require the owner to reimburse the association for any increase in the insurance premium caused by the installation of the charger; (3) require the system to comply with the association’s design criteria and other restrictions if they do not significantly increase the cost of or decrease the efficiency or performance of the charging station; and (4) require the owner to pay the costs of installation, metering, and use of the system, including the costs of electricity and damage to common area.

See Utah Code Section 57-8a-801 and 802 and Section 57-8-8.2.

Rules

Senate Bill 152 (2022) amends and enacts provisions in Utah Code Sections 57-8a-218 and 57-8-8.1 “Equal treatment by rules required — Limits on association rules and design criteria.”

Religious and Holiday Displays.  A rule may not abridge the rights of an owner to display a religious or holiday sign, symbol, or decoration inside a dwelling or outside a dwelling on: (1) a lot, (2) the exterior of the dwelling, unless the association owns or maintains the exterior, or (3) the front yard of the dwelling, unless the association owns or maintains the yard.  But, the association may adopt a reasonable time, place, and manner restriction with respect to a display that is outside a dwelling and visible from outside the lot.

Political Signs.  The new law says a rule may not prohibit an owner from displaying a political sign inside a dwelling or outside a dwelling on: (1) a lot, (2) the exterior of the dwelling, regardless of whether the association owns the exterior, or (3) the front yard of the dwelling, regardless of whether the association owns the yard.  A rule may reasonably regulate the time, place, and manner of posting a political sign, but may not regulate the content of a political sign. A “design provision” may not establish design criteria for a political sign.

For-Sale Signs.  Finally, a rule may not prohibit an owner from displaying a for-sale sign inside a dwelling or outside a dwelling on: (1) a lot, (2) the exterior of the dwelling, regardless of whether the association owns the exterior, or (3) the front yard of the dwelling, regardless of whether the association owns the yard.  A rule may reasonably regulate the time, place, and manner of posting a for-sale sign.

Continue reading for how the new laws affect your community and what you need to do to comply with the new laws.

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Posted by Curtis G. Kimble

New 2020 Utah HOA Laws

May 12, 2020

By Curtis G. Kimble.

Two bills were passed this year in Utah changing parts of the Condominium Ownership Act and the Community Association Act.  The new laws that were passed by the two bills go into effect today, May 12, 2020.

House Bill 155 (2020) requires a seller of a unit or lot, or the association if requested by the seller, to make certain disclosures before closing on a sale, and requires the Department of Commerce to publish certain educational materials on its website.  The bill enact Sections 57-8-6.1 (in the Condo Act (57-8)) and 57-8a-105.1 (in the Community Association Act (57-8a)), and amends Sections 57-8-13.1 and 57-8a-105.  Specifically, before the closing of a sale of a unit or lot, the seller must provide to the buyer (1) a copy of the association’s recorded governing documents, and (2) a link to the Department of Commerce’s educational materials.  The association must, upon request by the seller, provide those two things to the seller.  Additionally, if a condo association has a manager, the association may now opt to include the name and address of the manager rather than that of each board member (community associations are not and were never required to include the name and address of each board member).

The Department of Commerce is required to publish educational materials on its website providing, in simple and easy to understand language, a brief overview of state law governing associations, including: (1) a description of the rights and responsibilities provided in the law to any party under the jurisdiction of an association; and (2) instructions regarding how an association may be organized and dismantled in accordance with the law.

The education materials don’t appear to be published quite yet on the Department’s website.  When I called the Department, they informed me it should be up within a week.  It isn’t clear yet exactly which website will host the information.  It could be at the Department’s primary website at commerce.utah.gov, or at the Homeowner Associations Registry website at secure.utah.gov/hoa, or somewhere else entirely.  I think the Homeowner Associations Registry website would make the most sense.

Senate Bill 183 (2020), “Nonjudicial Foreclosure Amendments,” amends provisions related to nonjudicial foreclosure of a lien on a unit or lot by an association, including establishing limitations on nonjudicial foreclosure.  A nonjudicial foreclosure is a foreclosure without a lawsuit—in the same manner a bank typically forecloses on a home that is in default.

The bill amends Utah Code Sections 57-8-3 and 57-8-46 (in the Condo Act), and 57-8a-303 (in the Community Association Act), by adding definitions of “judicial foreclosure” and “nonjudicial foreclosure” in the Condo Act to mirror the definitions in the Community Association Act, and by changing the notice that must be sent to a unit or lot owner before an HOA starts a nonjudicial foreclosure.  Additionally, the law now prohibits nonjudicial foreclosure of a unit or lot if the lien includes a fine the association imposed in accordance with Section 57-8-37 “Fines” (condo) or 57-8a-208 “Fines” (for noncondos).

Contact Kimble Law if your association needs any assistance with legal issues!

7 Comments | Condo, New Condo Laws, New HOA Laws, New Non-Condo HOA Laws, Non-Condo HOA, Uncategorized | Permalink
Posted by Curtis G. Kimble

2018 Utah Legislative Session

May 8, 2018

Happy Laws Go Into Effect Day! (okay, I’m sure there’s a better name for that).  Today, May 8, the HOA laws that were enacted this year go into effect.  Specifically, those laws:

  • include an amendment to the law regarding HOA records,
  • include an amendment to the law regarding HOA reserve fund money,
  • regulate how HOAs keep association funds,
  • clean up a couple of the required exceptions to certain rental restrictions,
  • codify that a management committee acts for an association, and
  • enacts provisions regarding a management committee that imposes sanctions or pursues legal action.

HOA Records

A change to the law this year requires an HOA to make certain documents available to homeowners free of charge, via the association’s website or at the association’s address, requires a homeowner to include certain information in a written request for records, establishes a penalty for the failure of an association to fulfill a request,  and provides that an association is not liable for erroneous documents identified or produced in good faith.

The law already required associations to keep certain records and make them available to homeowners who request them.  Now, the law also requires all associations to keep and make available to homeowners a copy of the association’s: (1) declaration and bylaws, (2) most recent approved minutes, and (3) most recent budget and financial statement.  Associations are required to make those documents available to owners, free of charge, through the association website, or, if the association does not have an active website, it must make physical copies of the documents available to owners during regular business hours at the association’s address registered with the Department of Commerce’s Utah HOA Registry.

If a homeowner wishes to view or copy other association records, then in a written request to the association, the homeowner must include certain information, including how the owner wishes to inspect or to copy the documents.  The owner may elect: (1) that the association or a third party duplicating service make the copies or electronic scans of the requested documents, or (2) that the owner be allowed to bring any necessary imaging equipment to the place of inspection and make copies or electronic scans of the documents while inspecting the documents, or (3) that the association email the requested documents to an email address provided in the request.

If an association produces the copies or electronic scans, the owner must pay the association the reasonable cost of the copies or electronic scans and for time spent meeting with the owner, which may not exceed the actual cost that the association paid to a recognized third party duplicating service to make the copies or electronic scans, or 10 cents per page and $15 per hour for the association employee’s, manager’s, or other agent’s time.

In addition to the penalties already in place for failure by an association to comply with this law, the new law imposes the additional penalty that an association must pay $25 per day for as long as the owner’s records request continues unfulfilled, beginning on the sixth day after a proper written request was made.

Finally, the new law states that an association is not liable for identifying or providing a document in error, if the association identified or provided the erroneous document in good faith.

See Utah Code Section 57-8-17 (condominiums) and Utah Code Section 57-8a-227 (non-condo HOAs).

Reserve Fund Money

A change goes into effect today to the law that prohibited an association from using money in a reserve fund for a purpose other than the purpose for which the reserve fund was established.  Effective today, an association may use money in a reserve fund for a purpose other than the purpose for which the reserve fund was established if a majority of association members vote to approve the use of reserve fund money for that purpose.

See Utah Code Section 57-8-60 (condominiums) and Utah Code Section 57-8a-211 (non-condo HOAs).

Association Funds

Starting today, associations are required to keep all of the association’s funds in an account in the name of the association, and an association may not commingle the association’s funds with the funds of any other person or entity.

See Utah Code Section 57-8-7.5 (condominiums) and Utah Code Section 57-8a-230 (non-condo HOAs).

Exceptions to Certain Rental Restrictions

Utah law requires certain exceptions when an association prohibits rentals or restricts the number and term of rentals in the association.  See Utah Code Section 57-8-10.1 (condominiums) and Utah Code Section 57-8a-209 (non-condo HOAs).

A couple of those exceptions were clarified this year.  The law use to say an owner “whose employer has relocated the owner for no less than two years” is exempt from the prohibition or restriction on the number and term of rentals.  This made little sense as a hardship-type exception.  A temporary, short-term job relocation is more likely to cause a hardship.  Long-term relocations are less in need of a hardship-exception because it’s less of a hardship to have to sell a home for a long-term relocation than a short-term relocation.  So, the statute now states an owner “whose employer has relocated the lot owner for two years or less” is exempt from the prohibition or restriction on the number and term of rentals.

Additionally, the new law clarifies that the exemption for owners who have a rental before a prohibition or restriction on the number and term of rentals is adopted terminates when the home is sold or otherwise conveyed (and defines what constitutes such a conveyance).

Miscellaneous

A couple of minor changes were passed that simply codify what was basically already true, at common law or otherwise.  Utah Code Section 57-8-59 states that a management committee acts in all instances on behalf of the association (except as otherwise stated in the association’s governing documents).  And Utah Code Section 57-8-10.7, in the Condo Act, was adopted to match a parallel section in the Community Association Act.  It states that a management committee must use its reasonable judgment to determine whether to exercise the association’s powers to impose sanctions or pursue legal action for a violation of the governing documents, and it specifies certain circumstances under which an association may not be required to take enforcement action.  And, finally, Utah Code Section 57-8a-212.5, in the Community Association Act, was adopted to match a parallel section in the Condo Act.  It states that owners must comply with the governing documents and enforcement may be sought by an association or an aggrieved owner through an action to recover money for damages, or injunctive relief, or both.

Contact Kimble Law for assistance with any of the issues addressed in these new laws, or for any association issues.

2 Comments | Enforcement, HOA Finances, New Condo Laws, New HOA Laws, New Non-Condo HOA Laws, Reserves | Tagged: , , | Permalink
Posted by Curtis G. Kimble

2017 Utah Legislative Session – HOA/Developer Issues

March 10, 2017

HOAs have not come out unscathed by the 2017 Utah general legislative session, which ended yesterday, March 9.  A new law was passed that requires an HOA to comply with rather onerous requirements before it may go after the developer for problems created by the developer.

House Bill 157 (HB 157 3rd Substitute) was passed stating that: (1) an HOA must comply with certain requirements before suing a declarant (the developer of the HOA) or a board related to a period of declarant control, and (2) certain provisions regarding open board meetings apply during the period of declarant control.

Requirements Before Association Can Sue Developer

The new laws enacted by HB 157 (Utah Code section 57-8-58 in the Condo Act and 57-8a-229 in the Community Association Act) require that an HOA may not, after the period of declarant control, sue a declarant (or a board of directors, or an employee, an independent contractor, or the agent of the declarant or the previous board of directors related to the period of declarant control), unless:

(1) the lawsuit is approved in advance at a meeting where owners of at least 51% of the allocated voting interests of the owners in the association are represented (i.e., a quorum of 51% of the voting interests);

(2) the lawsuit is approved either by (i) more than 75% of the voting interests of the owners who are represented (in person or by proxy) at the meeting; or by (ii) more than 51% of the total voting interests of the owners in the association; and

(3) the association first notifies the declarant (or person to be sued) and gives them an opportunity to cure the problem.

Additionally, before owners may vote to approve the lawsuit, the association must provide each owner:

(1) a written notice that the association is contemplating legal action; and

(2) after the association consults with an attorney, a written assessment of: (i) the likelihood that the legal action will succeed; (ii) the likely amount in controversy in the legal action; (iii) the likely cost of resolving the legal action to the association’s satisfaction; and (iv) the likely effect the legal action will have on an owner’s or prospective buyer’s ability to obtain financing for a lot or unit while the legal action is pending.

Finally, before the association commences the lawsuit, the association must allocate an amount equal to 10% of the cost estimated to resolve the lawsuit, not including attorney fees, and place it in a trust that the association may only use to pay the costs to resolve the lawsuit.

The statute does not apply to lawsuits where the amount being sued for is less than $75,000.

Open Board Meetings During Declarant Control

HB 157 also modifies Utah Code Section 57-8a-226 “Board meetings – Open meetings” which applies to community associations (inexplicably, the statute that applies to condominiums was not changed).

This statute requires every association except declarant-controlled associations to give 48 hours’ notice of board meetings to each owner who requests it, unless the meeting was provided for in a meeting schedule previously provided to the owner, or unless the meeting is to address an emergency.  The board meeting must be open to each owner, except for specific reasons (such as to discuss ongoing litigation or delinquent assessments).  The board must provide each owner an opportunity to offer comments at the board meeting.

The existing statute does not apply to an association during the period of declarant control, but the new statute requires that, during the period of declarant control, the association must hold at least one such board meeting a year as well as each time the association increases a fee or raises an assessment.  The requirements of Section 57-8a-226, subsections (1) through (3) (summarized above) will apply to such a board meeting.

Other laws were also passed which will be discussed in a different blog post.  Stay tuned.

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Posted by Curtis G. Kimble

New 2014 Utah HOA Laws

May 16, 2014

By Curtis G. Kimble.

A few new HOA laws went into effect earlier this week on May 13.  They are not too substantial and shouldn’t significantly alter your way of doing business, but they’re important to know about and comply with.

1.    S.B. 147 deals with rental restrictions.

This bill amended Utah Code Section 57-8-10 and enacted 57-8-10.1 in the Condo Act, and amended 57-8a-209 in the Community Association Act.  It prohibits an association from requiring a homeowner to:

A.  obtain the association’s approval of a prospective renter; or

B.  give the association:
(i) a copy of a rental application;
(ii) a copy of a renter’s or prospective renter’s credit information or credit report;
(iii) a copy of a renter’s or prospective renter’s background check; or
(iv) documentation to verify the renter’s age.

There is an exception if the association’s CC&Rs “prohibits or restricts occupancy of the lots by a certain class of individuals, the association may require a lot owner who owns a rental lot to give the association” those items in B above.  So, for instance, a 55 and older community could require a homeowner to give the association documentation to verify that at least one occupant is 55 or older.

2.    H.B. 26 deals with fines.

This bill amended Utah Code Sections 57-8a-208 and 57-8a-301 in the Community Association Act, and made a minor change in 57-8-37 and 57-8-44 in the Condo Act.

Appealing a Fine.  In the Community Association Act, it limits how and when an owner can appeal a fine that’s levied against the owner.  An owner has 30 days to request a hearing after a fine is levied, and then the owner has up to 6 months to appeal the fine by bringing a court action to challenge the fine.

When the Fine Becomes a Lien.  It further requires that a fine does not become a lien against a lot until, basically, seven months after the fine is levied (because the owner has 30 days to request a hearing before the board and then 180 days after that to bring a court action).   If, after that time, the owner has not sued to challenge the fine in court, the fine becomes a lien against the owner’s lot (if the owner has sued within that time, the fine does not become a lien until the court action is over).    Previously, the owner only had 14 days to request a hearing, an unpaid fine became a lien just like assessments (no 6-7 month waiting period), and the owner was not limited in the time they had to file a lawsuit to challenge the fine.

Condos.  There is nothing much new for condos.  The Condo Act already required that a fine does not become a lien against a unit until, basically, seven months after the fine is levied (because the owner has 30 days to request a hearing before the board and then 180 days after that to bring a court action) and limited an owner to a 6 month period to challenge the fine in court, but it’s now clear that if the owner has sued within that time, the fine does not become a lien until the court action is over.

3.    H.B. 350 deals with removal of board members.

This bill amended Utah Code Section 16-6a-808 in the Nonprofit Corporation Act.  This section provides the requirements to remove a board member (director) from office.  The old section was problematic because (a) it didn’t defer to the association’s bylaws if the bylaws provided a different method for removing a director (the Nonprofit Act should let associations decide for themselves how they want certain things handled and should simply be a default when an association’s bylaws are silent on an issue), and (b) it led to a great deal of confusion because it was not clear how many votes were necessary to remove a director when directors were elected by a plurality vote (where the candidates receiving the most votes win).  Most homeowner associations use plurality voting for electing directors.

The new law states that “unless otherwise provided in the bylaws,” a director may be removed by the vote of a majority of the members entitled to vote.  So, the provisions in your bylaws will govern and apply first and foremost, but if your bylaws are silent, more than 50% of the members have to vote to remove a director in order for that director to be removed from office.

The Utah HOA Law App has been updated with all the new laws and will automatically update on your iphone or Android device when you open the app.  iPad app users will have to update the app itself, which should be available in the App Store in the next week or two.

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Posted by Curtis G. Kimble

Bills That Passed This Legislative Session and How to Comply

March 26, 2013

By Curtis G. Kimble.

The 2013 Utah General Legislative Session has ended and the bills that passed have been finalized in their enrolled form to await signature by the Governor. Which bills passed and which ones didn’t?

Only three of the six bills I discussed in my last post ended up passing the House and the Senate.  They all affect condo and non-condo HOAs in more or less the same way.

SB 64 Homeowner Association Reserve Account Amendments

As I noted before, this law will give the decision back to the board of whether and how to fund a reserve (as most CC&Rs require, and where the decision makers will be subject to fiduciary duties).  Specifically, the law:

  • Specifies that a reserve analysis must include certain things, such as a list of the maintenance items that will require reserve funds,  their remaining useful life, and their cost to repair or replace; an estimate of the contribution to a reserve fund necessary to meet the cost to repair or replace each component; and a reserve funding plan that recommends how the association may fund the annual contribution.
  • Requires an association to provide a summary each year of the reserve analysis to each owner (not just to those at the annual meeting) and a complete copy of the reserve analysis, including any updates, to an owner upon request.
  • Requires the board to include a reserve fund line item in the annual budget in the amount the board determines based on the reserve analysis and based on what “the board determines is prudent under the circumstances” (there is no requirement that the amount be higher than 1$ or even 0$ – not that I recommend that).  This is important because it is almost inevitable that the association will not agree with the amounts recommended by a professional reserve study.  Almost every association feels that their reserve professional has recommended that they set aside more than they really need.  This law allows flexibility so the board can fund reserves in the amount they deem is prudent with all things considered.   However, if the CC&Rs requires a certain level of reserve funding, the CC&Rs will control; this law does not authorize a board to fund reserves lower than what their governing documents might require.
  • Allows the homeowners to veto the reserve fund contribution if they don’t like it (whether too low or too high) by a 51% vote of the owners at a special meeting called within 45 days of when the annual budget is adopted.

Additionally, the law provides for specific enforcement procedures if the association fails to comply with certain of its provisions.  An owner can sue for a court order compelling the association to comply, for $500 or the owner’s actual damages, whichever is greater, other available remedies, and costs and attorney fees.

HB 101 Homeowners Association Amendments

This revision to the statute requiring all HOAs to register as an HOA with the state of Utah merely restates what it said before in a little different way. There is no change in the law’s requirements or implications.

SB 90 Condominium and Community Association Amendments

  • With this new law, an association cannot charge a fee for review and approval of plans for construction or improvement of a unit or lot that exceeds the actual cost of reviewing and approving the plans.
  • The law clarifies what happens when there’s a loss to a unit that initially doesn’t look like it will exceed the association’s deductible but then the loss ends up costing more than the amount of the deductible.  The law says that if the board determines that a covered loss is likely not to exceed the deductible, and until it becomes apparent the loss exceeds the deductible and a claim is submitted to the association’s insurer, the unit owner’s policy is the primary policy for coverage.  So, the unit owner’s policy is primary, but only until it becomes clear that the damage will cost more to repair than the deductible.
  • For commercial condominium projects ( projects with no residential units), the insurance requirements of Utah Code 57-8-43 no longer apply for insurance policies issued or renewed after July 1, 2013.  For mixed-use projects (projects with both commercial and residential units), a commercial unit, including any fixture, improvement or betterment therein and including appurtenant limited common area, does not have to be insured by the association, unless the CC&Rs require it.
  • The Community Association Act is now applicable to any association with at least one residential lot (not just associations made up entirely of residential lots).  So, it will generally apply to mixed-use (commercial/residential) projects (except the insurance provisions were amended to not be applicable to commercial lots, the same as with condominium projects).

The following changes will not take effect until July 1, 2014:

  • The law will now authorize not only condos, but non-condo HOAs as well to access a unit or lot as necessary for maintenance, repair or replacement of common areas or for making an emergency repair, provided that 24 hours’ notice is given, or reasonable notice is given (or attempted) in an emergency.  The association is liable to repair damage it causes to the common areas or to a lot or unit the association uses to access common areas, and it must repair that damage within a reasonable time, except in developer-controlled community associations (where many of the laws in the Community Association Act don’t apply, thanks to legislators favoring developers much more than homeowners (contact your legislator and let them know favoring developers over homeowners isn’t acceptable!)).
  • The law authorizes a unit or lot owner to remove or alter a wall between two units or lots if the owner owns both units/lots, even if the wall is common area, unless restricted by the CC&Rs (most condo CC&Rs do, in fact, restrict this) and unless it would impair the structural integrity, mechanical systems or support of the building, the common areas, or a unit/lot.  The board may require the owner to submit, at the owner’s expense, an engineer’s or architect’s opinion stating that a proposed change will not impair the structural integrity or mechanical systems of the building or either lot, reduce the support or integrity of common areas, or compromise structural components.  The board may require the owner to pay all of the association’s legal and other expenses related to the proposed alteration, as well.  The removal or alteration of the wall does not change the assessment or voting right attributable to either of the units/lots (unless the CC&Rs say so).
  • The law also contains a procedure for the unlikely event that two or more associations want to consolidate or merge together into one association.

While these bills are not actually law until signed by the Governor, there is little chance that the Governor will veto any of them (I will, of course, let you know if he does).   (UPDATE: Each of these bills were signed by the Governor and are now law.)   The laws take effect May 14, 2013, except the ones mentioned above that don’t take effect until July 1, 2014.

As always, please note that none of the above is legal advice and should not be relied on as statements of the requirements of the law applicable to any particular scenario or circumstance.  The statutes themselves should be referred to for their exact and full contents and an attorney consulted with for application of any relevant law to a particular set of facts.

1 Comment | Governance, Insurance, New Condo Laws, New HOA Laws, New Non-Condo HOA Laws, Reserves | Tagged: | Permalink
Posted by Curtis G. Kimble

Last Week of Legislative Session: What’s in Store?

March 11, 2013

By Curtis G. Kimble.

It’s the last week of the Utah 2013 general legislative session, which is set to end Thursday, March 14, at midnight, and there are a few HOA bills on the path to becoming law.  Here’s a summary and update on where they are in the process:

HB 335 Condominium Owner Rental Amendments

HB 335 would amend the Condo Act to state a condominium project that recorded its initial declaration before May 12, 2009, would not be able to prohibit or restrict a unit owner’s ability to rent to any greater extent than is described in the declaration that was recorded at the time the unit owner purchased the unit owner’s unit, unless the association obtains the unit owner’s written consent.

This bill is in the House Rules Committee where it has been for a few weeks. This bill will not pass this session.

SB 64 1st sub Homeowner Association Reserve Account Amendments

This substituted version of SB 64 is completely different than the original version (see my prior post).  The most important part of this bill, in my opinion, is that now the decision of whether and how to fund a reserve is back where it belongs. If passed, this version of the law will put that decision back to the board (as most CC&Rs require, and where the decision will be subject to the fiduciary obligations of the decision makers).  This bill would also allow the homeowners to veto the reserve fund contribution  if they don’t like it (whether too low or too high) by a 51% vote of the owners at a special meeting.

Additionally, this bill provides for specific enforcement procedures if the association fails to comply with certain of its provisions.  The association will be required to provide a summary each year of the reserve analysis to each owner (not just at the annual meeting) and a complete copy of the reserve analysis to an owner upon request.  The board also has to include a reserve fund line item in the annual budget in the amount the board determines and the homeowners can veto that determination (as discussed above).

If an association fails to comply, an owner can sue for a court order compelling the association to comply, for $500 or the owner’s actual damages, whichever is greater, other available remedies, and costs and attorney fees.

This bill has passed through the Senate, though the House committee, and is in the House for a vote.  My guess is that this bill will pass, depending on the calendar.

SB 90 1st sub Condominium and Community Association Amendments

SB 90 1st sub changes which associations the Community Association Act applies to.  It currently only applies to wholly residential associations (associations where each member is an owner of a residential lot).  This bill makes the Act applicable to any association with at least one residential lot.  So, it will apply to mixed-use (commercial/residential) projects with at least one residential lot.

The bill states that, unless otherwise provided in the CC&Rs, developers essentially have control of the association for eternity (that is, for seven years after all declarants have ceased to offer lots for sale in the ordinary course of business (compare this with the Condo Act where it’s 3 years after recording the CC&Rs for a typical project)), or 60 days after 75% of the lots that may be created are sold, whichever happens first.

This bill contains changes to the reserve analysis law, as well, which are very similar to SB 64 1st sub (minus the veto and enforcement provisions).

The bill enacts some provisions relating to making changes to adjoining units or lots acquired by same owner, and relating to the consolidation or merger of associations (i.e., a procedure for merging, if two associations wanted to merge or consolidate).

Finally, the bill cleans up the insurance provisions in the Condo Act and Community Association Act and exempts commercial condominiums and lots from its requirements.

This bill has passed the Senate and is now on its way to the House.  Whether it can get through the House in time is anybody’s guess, but my bet is that it will.

SB 274 Condominium Foreclosure Amendments

SB 274 would require a bank or lender to pay a unit or lot’s share of certain common expenses from the time the lender starts the foreclosure process (by filing a notice of default) on a unit or lot.   Many banks start the foreclosure process and then wait for months and sometimes years before completing it, even if the homeowner has given up and long since moved out.  Meanwhile, the association still has to carry applicable insurance and carry out maintenance benefiting the unit or lot.  The bank won’t foreclose because they don’t want to have to start paying assessments.  This bill would address the problem to a small degree by requiring the bank to pay the unit or lots share of “landscaping maintenance in the common areas, water and insurance.”

If this bill gets through the banking lobby, I’d be amazed, but it has passed favorably out of committee and is on the Senate calendar for vote.

HB 101 1st sub Homeowners Association Amendments

The statute requiring all HOAs to register as an HOA with the state of Utah is being merely clarified once again with this bill.   There is no change in its requirements or implications.  It passed the Senate and House.

SB 262 Employment and Housing Antidiscrimination Amendments

SB 262 modifies the Utah Fair Housing Act, which is important for HOAs because the Fair Housing Act prohibits an HOA from discriminating against certain “protected classes” of people in its rules, covenants or practices.  If this bill passes, it would prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.  Specifically, the bill states (the underlined language is new language):  “It is a discriminatory housing practice to do any of the following because of a person’s race, color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status, source of income, [or] disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity: . . . deny or make unavailable [any] a dwelling from any person; (b) discriminate against [any] a person in the terms, conditions, or privileges: (i) of the sale or rental of [any] a dwelling; or (ii) in providing facilities or services in connection with the dwelling; . . ..”

This bill passed out of the Senate committee with a favorable recommendation and is on the reading calendar of the Senate (to be voted on).

I’ll let you know which bills pass this session after it ends.

2 Comments | New Condo Laws, New HOA Laws, New Non-Condo HOA Laws | Tagged: | Permalink
Posted by Curtis G. Kimble

Our New Utah HOA Law App Helps Associations Follow the Law

December 6, 2012

Up until a few years ago, it seems that a board could get away with not referencing the Utah statutes that apply to HOAs.  Especially in non-condo HOAs, there just weren’t a lot of issues addressed by Utah law, except the procedural and corporate issues set out in the Nonprofit Corporation Act.

But today, the landscape is different.  Many day to day issues, such as adoption and enforcement of rules, spending reserve money, records, providing payoffs, insurance, budgets, and so forth are now addressed in the law and their requirements are not optional.  They must be followed or an association risks expensive litigation and other disputes, especially in today’s  increasingly litigious climate for HOAs, where a technicality or trivial failure of association procedure can lead to a major and costly headache.

As part of Kimble Law’s commitment to provide real value to its clients and to help all community associations operate effectively and properly, we brings you a free app for your smartphone and tablet that provides quick reference to the laws that apply to your association.

Now the laws are available right in your pocket, no Internet connection required!  The statutes are formatted and indented for easier reading than the state’s own website, plus search and bookmark functions make it much easier and quicker to use.  Certain federal regulations applicable to HOAs, such as Fair Housing Act and satellite dish regulations are also included, together with summaries and explanations of those requirements.

Utah HOA Law App Now Available.  Access the Web App online, or download the app to your mobile device today for free!

Click below or search Utah HOA Law in the Apple App Store or on Google Play.

Utah HOA Law for iPhone, iPod:

Utah HOA Law for Android:
Android app on Google Play

file-dec-16-6-51-54-pm

1 Comment | Governance, New Condo Laws, New HOA Laws, New Non-Condo HOA Laws | Tagged: , , | Permalink
Posted by Curtis G. Kimble

Don’t Forget to Conduct a Reserve Analysis by July 1!

June 12, 2012

By Curtis G. Kimble.

The deadline for all HOA and condominium boards in Utah to conduct a “reserve analysis” is fast approaching.  By July 1, every  board (except developer-controlled boards) needs to obtain or perform a reserve analysis if no reserve analysis has been conducted since March 1, 2008.

A reserve analysis is an analysis to determine:

(a)     the need for a reserve fund to accumulate money to cover the cost of repairing, replacing, and restoring common areas and facilities that have a useful life of three years or more, but excluding any cost that can reasonably be funded from the general budget or other funds of the association; and

(b)     the appropriate amount of any reserve fund.

So, each board must:

  1. determine which improvements have a useful life of 3 years or more, then
  2. determine what the cost is for maintaining those improvements over the next several years, and then
  3. determine what they think the appropriate amount of the reserve fund should be.

There are no requirements in the law as to who has to perform the reserve analysis.  So, a board can perform the analysis or it can engage a professional to perform it.  There are several competent reserve study professionals serving the state of Utah.  There are also websites that will create your reserve study for you based on your input, and some will allow users to run “what if” scenarios with their components and funding plans.  A simple Google search will lead to those sites (I cannot vouch for the quality or value of such online services since I’ve never personally used them or analyzed their results).

There are many options when it comes to fulfilling the requirements of this law.  Each association should find the option that works best for them.

Don’t forget the law also requires each board to, annually, present the reserve study to the homeowners at the annual homeowner meeting or at a special meeting of the homeowners, and provide an opportunity for homeowners to discuss reserves and to vote on whether to fund a reserve fund and, if so, how to fund it and in what amount.  The association must also prepare and keep minutes of the meeting and indicate in the minutes any decision relating to funding a reserve fund.

5 Comments | Governance, HOA Finances, New Condo Laws, New Non-Condo HOA Laws, Reserves, Uncategorized | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
Posted by Curtis G. Kimble

The Results Are In: The 2012 Utah Legislative Session

March 8, 2012

By Curtis G. Kimble.

The 2012 general session of the Utah Legislature ends tonight at midnight and only one small change to a current law and no new laws affecting condominiums and homeowners associations were passed this year.  This is probably welcome news to the many boards and management committees that were likely more than a little overwhelmed by last year’s many changes.

The only change this year is to the law regarding reserve studies.  A board is required to conduct a reserve study every five years and to review and update it every two years.  But, when S.B. 56 goes into effect on May 8 of this year (assuming it’s signed by the Governor), a board will only have to conduct a reserve study every six years and review and update it every three years.  While industry professionals generally agree that a reserve study should be updated more frequently than that, even annually, and many states require an annual review and update of a reserve study, this change to the law will take some pressure off boards.

No other new laws or changes affecting condos and HOAs will go into effect this year.  Next year, expect to see more significant changes proposed that haven’t been seen yet.  I have a feeling we can also expect to see that Ombudsman bill (H.B. 56) that I explained here proposed yet again.

1 Comment | New Condo Laws, New HOA Laws, New Non-Condo HOA Laws, Reserves | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
Posted by Curtis G. Kimble

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