Board of Directors

December 19, 2024

Christmas Lights and Legal Fights: Federal Court Questions Enforcement of HOA’s Holiday Decoration Rules Under the Fair Housing Act

Holiday displays are a frequent source of contention within community associations, often raising questions about how to regulate them fairly and uniformly. Courts have consistently emphasized that community associations can enforce reasonable restrictions on holiday decorations, provided these rules are neutral, uniformly applied, and focused on objective factors like time, location, and size. For example, in Osborne v Power, 319…
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December 17, 2024

Prescriptive Easements and Use of Common Elements by Adjoining Property Owners

On December 29, 2022, the Michigan Court of Appeals issued an unpublished opinion in the matter of Alexander Queen v Woodbury Green Condominium Association, unpublished per curiam opinion of the Court of Appeals, issued December 29, 2022 (Docket No. 359092) addressing the issue of a prescriptive easement being claimed by a property owner outside of a condominium project over a…
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December 12, 2024

Should Your Condominium Association Have A Maintenance Matrix?

Common complaints that co-owners have about the condominium’s master deed and bylaws are that they are poorly written, full of legalese, and are difficult to understand.  When it comes to the responsibilities of the condominium association and co-owners to maintain, repair, and replace the common elements and the unit, a maintenance matrix be helpful to clearly and simply identify whether…
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December 9, 2024

FinCEN appeals nationwide Corporate Transparency Act Injunction: What is the impact on Community Associations?

On December 3, 2024, a federal court in Texas issued a nationwide preliminary injunction in Texas Top Cop Shop, Inc v Garland, No. 4:24-CV-478, 2024 WL 4953814, at *37 (ED Tex, December 3, 2024), temporarily halting the enforcement of the Corporate Transparency Act. Specifically, the Court held as follows: Plaintiffs have satisfied all prerequisites for a preliminary injunction. The Court…
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December 5, 2024

Federal Court halts Corporate Transparency Act Enforcement: What does it mean for Condos and Homeowners Associations?

The Corporate Transparency Act (“CTA”) has been a significant concern for community associations in 2024. The CTA requires corporate entities, including many condominium and homeowners associations, to report personal information for individuals exercising substantial control of these entities by the end of 2025.  Individuals that qualify as beneficial owners under the Corporate Transparency Act would need to report  names, dates…
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December 4, 2024

What Is the Discriminatory Effects Rule Under the Fair Housing Act?

The Fair Housing Act (the “FHA”) prohibits housing discrimination because of an individual’s race, color, religion, sex (which includes both gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, familial status, or national origin. The most obvious form of housing discrimination is an action, omission, or policy that is intended to discriminate on the basis of one of these protected classes; however, after…
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