Blog
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May 2025
- May 2, 2025 Why I Support Dying with Dignity May 2, 2025
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May 2023
- May 11, 2023 How Would Robert Rule a Community Association Meeting?* May 11, 2023
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March 2023
- Mar 16, 2023 Disrupting The HOA Industry—Part III: Shattering the “Us v. Them” Mindset Mar 16, 2023
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February 2023
- Feb 28, 2023 Disrupting The HOA Industry—Part II: Why is it “Us vs. Them?” Feb 28, 2023
- Feb 8, 2023 Disrupting The HOA Industry—Part I: Identifying the “Us vs. Them” Syndrome Feb 8, 2023
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January 2023
- Jan 26, 2023 Violence Against HOA Board Members Jan 26, 2023
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December 2022
- Dec 10, 2022 The Wisdom of Water Dec 10, 2022
- Dec 8, 2022 Top 3 Secrets From A Former HOA Attorney Dec 8, 2022
- Dec 3, 2022 Dealing with Irrational Boards Dec 3, 2022
How Would Robert Rule a Community Association Meeting?*
Reliance upon Robert’s Rules in some form or manner is recommended to promote fair, efficient, and uniform HOA board and general membership meetings.
Disrupting The HOA Industry—Part III: Shattering the “Us v. Them” Mindset
Shattering the “Us versus Them” syndrome through drafting and enactment of progressive guidelines comprises a fundamental shift from adversarial to collaborative dispute resolution within a homeowner association.
Disrupting The HOA Industry—Part II: Why is it “Us vs. Them?”
The homeowner association, or HOA, “Us versus Them” syndrome is created when the community is formed—through governing documents drafted by attorneys working for developers. Though likely not intended, the documents are written in a manner that often poses homeowners against one another, in lieu of a more cooperative, collaborative approach.
Disrupting The HOA Industry—Part I: Identifying the “Us vs. Them” Syndrome
Homeowner association board members, owners, managers, and even many attorneys have been programmed in the “us versus them” mindset. “Us” being the board and managers, and “them” being the individual homeowners. Alternatively, “us” is the homeowners and “them” is the board and manager. Why does this adversarial relationship exist?
Violence Against HOA Board Members
Violence against HOA board members is increasing and includes the recent shooting deaths of several directors of condo and homeowner associations in both the US and Canada.
The Wisdom of Water
I tried over 60 trials to verdict, litigated at least a couple hundred more, and counseled clients on perhaps five hundred disputes during my 25-year legal career. Along the way I learned, sometimes the hard way, an especially important concept involving legal disputes: Often, the best route to resolution—like water—is the path of least resistance.
Top 3 Secrets From A Former HOA Attorney
With almost two decades as an HOA attorney, I would like to think I had seen it all. Then again, as soon as I think I’ve witnessed it all, I talk to a homeowner who shares an outrageous story of conflict that leaves me shaking my head. The bottom line is community living, whether a condominium or homeowner association, brings out the best--and worst--in us all. Inevitably, conflict arises.
Dealing with Irrational Boards
As a former community association attorney who fought in HOA trenches for almost two decades, I have witnessed many instances where boards or individual board members act outside their authority, act irrationally, or simply ignore legitimate complaints or calls for action by homeowners.