Blog - Educational Community for Homeowners (ECHO)

Common Sense: Balancing Responsibility and Authority in HOAs

Educational Topics

There is a tendency in many people to equate responsibility with power. They are clearly not the same. Responsibility is a legal obligation. Power is legal authority. A popular maxim […]

HOA Taxes: Deadlines, Forms, and Tips

Educational Topics

Associations, like all other businesses, are required to file taxes. Here is a brief summary of 8 tax reporting and filing requirements for your association.

A Guide to Rain Gutter Screens

Educational Topics

Rain gutter screens offer the hope of reduced maintenance. But our experience from installing and removing gutter screens for over forty years indicates that sometimes they actually do reduce gutter […]

Governing Document Amendments: Development Process and Court Intervention

Educational Topics

To amend your HOA’s governing documents, you must begin by developing and presenting the amendments to the members. And sometimes, when a vote cannot be obtained, associations can use the […]

Homeowner Association Financial Analysis: Part I

Educational Topics

Published in the ECHO Journal, February 2007 One-Year Data Comparisons In the fall of 2005, my “staff” (two teen-aged sons) and I developed a spreadsheet containing financial information from all […]

New State Certification Requirements for Electricians

Educational Topics

Published in the ECHO Journal, March 2007 Legislation was passed in 1999 requiring all electricians who work for a C-10 electrical contractor to be certified by the state of California. […]

2006 Statute and Case Law Update: Part I

Educational Topics

Published in the ECHO Journal, March 2007 This summary of case law and legislative developments distills the legal developments in the 2006 calendar year. In Part I—Case Law, summaries are […]

Homeowner Association Financial Analysis: Part II

Educational Topics

Published in the ECHO Journal, March 2007 Editor’s Note: Part I of this article that looked at one-year cost comparisons from 60 associations appeared in the February issue of the Journal. […]

Have Truck, Laptop & Cell Phone—Will Travel

Educational Topics

Published in the ECHO Journal, April 2007 The Best Firm to Serve Your Needs May Not be Local The homeowner association service market is a very specialized market. The typical […]

Owner of Record

Educational Topics

Published in the ECHO Journal, April 2007 It comes up all the time. A resident wants to attend and participate at a board meeting or wants to serve on the […]

Getting Your HOA to “On Time and On Budget!”

Educational Topics

An effective construction manger will display great strength through respectful and clear communication skills, will keep the HOA board informed, will create and maintain a cooperative environment, and will be […]

2006 Statute and Case Law Update: Part II

Educational Topics

Published in the ECHO Journal, April 2007 This summary of case law and legislative developments distills the legal developments in the 2006 calendar year. In Part II—Statutory Law, the principal […]