In 1993, the federal government enacted the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (“RFRA”). The purpose of the RFRA was to allow a person to avoid complying with any law that interfered with the exercise of their religious freedom unless there was a compelling governmental interest behind
Until recently, many co-owners were concerned about secondhand smoke issues relating to tobacco products in the condominium project and how to limit its impact and/or eliminate the smoke entirely. However, attitudes regarding the acceptable use of marijuana are changing. More co-owners are becoming concerned with
With the exception of vacation condominiums or condominium hotels, residential condominiums are created with the intention that the co-owners will be owner-occupants. However, the glut of foreclosures that occurred from 2007 to 2012 led many investors to purchase condominium units for rental purposes. Moreover, the
In Michigan, two primary statutes govern the affairs of a condominium association: the Condominium Act and the Nonprofit Corporation Act. The last major revisions to the Nonprofit Corporation Act took place in 2008 through Public Act 9 of 2008, which permitted voting by electronic means,
As the housing market continues to slowly recover from the foreclosure crisis in Michigan, and other areas of the country, many community associations are still facing significant challenges with unit owners who file for personal bankruptcy. Numerous unit owners are beginning to utilize an old
The Federal Housing Administration (“FHA”) is a government-owned and operated insurance company which was established by the National Housing Act of 1934. FHA insures home loans for buyers who typically cannot afford a conventional down payment. To be clear, FHA does not lend taxpayer money
