Blog

By Dyanne L. Peters, Esq.

This article first appeared in our Communicator Magazine, Winter 2026 Issue.

When you hear the term "AI," it may conjure images of robots taking over the world as seen in popular movies like The Matrix, Terminator, or iRobot. Despite these sci-fi depictions that create a technological dystopian vision of the future (and an entertaining film), the use of this tool has grown tremendously over the last several years to the point where AI has become integrated into our everyday lives. While it is becoming a more widespread and useful technology, it is still in the beginning stages, and there are a lot of issues to navigate and consider when using AI.

In the context of use for everyday functions by a community manager, AI is certainly convenient and useful. AI is becoming a powerful addition to a manager’s toolkit, but it is just that: a tool. AI cannot replace a manager’s critical thinking, problem solving, experience, and due diligence. While AI can do many th...

By Hooman Bolandi

This article first appeared in our Communicator Magazine, Winter 2026 Issue.

Picture this: A storm rolls through, and your team discovers a leaking roof – too late to avoid costly repairs and homeowner complaints. What if you could spot these issues before they spiral? For property managers, protecting roofing, walls, pavements, parking structures, retaining walls, boundary barriers, hardscapes, and landscapes is a constant challenge. Add inflationary pressures on services and goods, staff retention struggles, and rising homeowner expectations for better service levels and tech-enabled efficiencies, and the stakes climb higher. This article isn’t about chasing the latest trend – it’s about understanding tools like 360-degree digital scanning, LiDAR, infrared detection, and AI-driven analytics, and what to learn about them to be more effective stewards. How can these fit your processes to proactively manage assets? Let’s explore the problem, the tools, and the practi...

By Caroline Selber and Breda Potter

This article first appeared in our Communicator Magazine, Winter 2026 Issue.

WHAT IS AN EVEMS AND WHY DO YOU NEED ONE?

For such a big acronym, electric vehicle energy management systems (EVEMS) are deceptively simple: They manage electricity.

But why you need one might not be so obvious. And finding out is important; to power an electric vehicle charger, your home will need enough electrical capacity.

All homes have an electric panel with breaker switches. Condos and apartments, also known as multi-unit residential buildings (MURBs) or multi-unit dwellings (MUDs), will have an electrical panel for each unit, and often only one more panel for lights and outlets in shared spaces, like a hallway. These panels commonly have a limit of 100 amps, sometimes 200 amps. This means that all of the electronics and appliances that you have running in your home must draw power less than the maximum number of amps your panel can afford, or else a breaker will ...

By Randy Newma
This article first appeared in our Communicator Magazine, Winter 2026 Issue.

If your association has ever had to foreclose on a home for unpaid assessments, you probably know how stressful and complicated the process can be. A recent California Court of Appeal decision, Bird Rock Home Mortgage, LLC v. Breaking Ground, LP (2025) D084138 (filed September 16, 2025) makes it clear that foreclosure sales may take longer to finalize than many expected.

WHAT HAPPENED

The Oceanside Community Association foreclosed on a property after the owners stopped paying their assessments. At the foreclosure sale, a bidder, Bird Rock Home Mortgage, offered $60,000 and thought they had won as the successful bidder at the foreclosure sale. Wisely, instead of handing over the deed, the trustee kept the sale "open" for the mandatory holding period under the recent California law, Civil Code § 2924m. During that time, a qualified nonprofit called Breaking Ground stepped in and submitted a bid ...

By Ashley Vos

This article first appeared in our Communicator Magazine, Winter 2026 Issue.

What does being a good neighbor look like in a world where your primary connection to the community is on an app, not a shared driveway conversation? It’s a real question for community associations today. Connections used to be created face-to-face, communication happened through a phone call or a let- ter, and meetings always took place in person. Now, the modern world runs at a relentless pace, and residents expect information instantly. Additionally, man- agers are struggling with larger work- loads and tighter deadlines. Because of this, digital platforms, automation, and online portals have become essential to managing an HOA.  

Yet, with all of this progress, how do we keep technology from becoming a barrier to connection?  

To build a strong association, we have to recognize that while tech cannot replace personal relationships, it can be used to enhance them! When used intentionally, ...

By Bradley Epstein, Esq, Ed Snow, Robert Smith, & Richard Seim

This article first appeared in our Communicator Magazine, Winter 2026 Issue.

WHAT HAPPENS IN A TYPICAL ELECTION?

The board wonders why they have to think about an election again, since it’s only been five months since the last one. They wrestle with the usual choices (Election date? Acclamation? Hire the inspector now or wait? How to get members to participate?) They begin charming, shaming or strong-arming the members to volunteer, to nominate, to update their records, to show up and help stuff envelopes for the call for nominations ... and the reminder ... and the pre-ballot notice ... and the ballot ... and another reminder. At some point, the volunteers realize that paper elections consist largely of putting envelopes inside other envelopes, and then taking them out, and also that their bargaining position allows them to insist on pizza while they work. The election meeting arrives, either with or without a quorum o...

By Melissa Bauman Ward, Esq., CCAL

This article first appeared in our Communicator Magazine, Winter 2026 Issue.

In 2025, despite vigorous advocacy, we did not get any of our proposed legislation sponsored. Perhaps it wasn’t our day, week, month, or even our year. We did have some legislative successes in terms of educating legislators with regard to our priorities for our HOA communities, as well as defeating some particularly bad bills and encouraging amendment of several other bills so that they were less damaging to our community stakeholders.

2025 brought us a mid-year surprise – and not a good one – in the form of AB 130, the fine cap bill, but fortunately, the rest of the year was relatively mild from a legislative standpoint. In addition to limiting fines, bills were enacted which clarified disclosures to prospective purchasers regarding balcony repair projects (SB 410), dealt with EVCS insurance (SB 770), changed requirements for JADUs (AB 1154), protected owners whose homes...

By Kevin Holloway

When community members think of emergencies, they typically picture a natural disaster, inclement weather, or a structural failure. Yet, in today’s digital world, there’s another growing threat that often goes unnoticed: cybercrime. While this threat is much quieter than the physical disasters we may encounter, this emergency is just as dangerous and growing fast!

Throughout the years, cybercrime has often been considered a problem for big businesses, but the reality is that more and more community associations are finding themselves facing this crisis. Why? Homeowners’ associations manage highly sensitive resident information, vendor accounts, and large reserve funds. That’s exactly the kind of data cybercriminals are after! And, the repercussions of a successful attack can be catastrophic! It can lead to an erosion of trust from residents, legal ramifications, operational disruptions, and significant financial losses.

Knowing how and why these attacks happen is t...

This article first appeared in the Communicator, Fall 2025 Edition. To view click here.

When catastrophe strikes in the form of sewer backups, roof leaks, and pipe breaks, it is often unclear what to do. Then, once the initial emergency is handled, the larger question of who is responsible to pay for the repairs must be addressed.

SEWER BACKUPS

Worse than a simple pipe leak, a sewer backup can become a hazmat situation. The initial response to such an emergency is: (1) immediately fix the leak (or clog), and (2) notify insurance of the loss. As part of the initial repair, be sure to have the plumber or repair person document what is causing the backup and, most importantly, where the blockage is located. Photos and drawings of locations are key because responsibility for repair of sewer backups is typically determined by location. The board has a fiduciary obligation to investigate the cause of the damage, so it is essential to engage a plumbe...