December 19, 2024
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 12, 2024
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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May 16, 2023
Don’t sweat the small stuff. While it may be a good tip for reducing stress in your life, it is almost certainly not a good tip when it comes to following the governing documents for your condo or HOA. In fact, ensuring that all of the rules are followed—yes, all the small things—may in fact reduce your overall stress by…
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January 30, 2023
Michigan’s Marketable Record Title Act, MCL 565.101, et seq., has been around since 1945, yet many homeowners associations are unaware of the Michigan Marketable Record Title Act and its potentially devastating impact on their communities. This article will provide a brief background on the Michigan Marketable Record Title Act and its 2018 amendment that opened the door to the possible…
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January 17, 2023
Full disclosure, my parents owned a motorhome and would load my sister and me in the motorhome every summer for week- and month-long trips. I have some great memories from these tips, but I also remember the motorhome sitting on our driveway on the rare occasions we were home. I’m sure that some of the neighbors were not pleased with…
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November 1, 2022
The Fair Housing Act, 42 USC 3601 et seq. (“FHA”), prohibits discrimination in housing based on an individual’s race, color, religion, sex, familial status, or national origin. Persons protected by the Fair Housing Act based on their familial status include: Someone who is younger than 18 years old and lives with either a parent, a person who has legal custody…
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