HOA HELL

Is your HOA run by a director who patrols the neighborhood with a clipboard, a tape measure, and a camera? In this episode, attorney Michael Kushner, California’s most experienced homeowner-side HOA attorney, takes on a listener’s complaint about exactly that kind of HOA and names the #1 reason bad HOAs exist and persist. Living in a good HOA can be a good way to live. Living in a bad HOA is HOA HELL. And the difference starts with you. You’ll Learn in this Episode: ✅ The single factor that l...

In part 3 of KNX News reporter Steve Gregory’s five-part series on California HOAs, California’s #1 homeowner-side HOA attorney, Michael Kushner, takes on a San Diego HOA that banned the American flag. Chris and Amy Cooke have flown their flag on the side of their garage for more than 20 years to honor those who served and died for the country. Then one neighbor’s Padres playoff flag drew a complaint, that complaint snowballed into a total flag ban, and the Ambiance Owners Association started...

Is your HOA spending reserve money on things it’s not supposed to? In this episode, attorney Michael Kushner, California’s #1 homeowner-side HOA attorney, breaks down which money has to go into your HOA’s reserve account, the short list of things your HOA can spend it on, and how bad HOAs frequently misuse the reserve account to pay for things like ordinary landscaping, insurance premiums, and leaking water spigots. When reserve money is misspent on prohibited items, one way or another, homeo...

In part 2 of KNX News reporter Steve Gregory’s 5-part series “Behind the Gate” series on California HOAs, California’s most prominent homeowner-side HOA attorney, Michael Kushner, walks him through what homeowners can and can’t say about their HOAs, both online and during open meetings. More than 14 million Californians live under an HOA, and social media has turned into the place where fed-up residents vent, complain, and name names. Some HOAs have tried passing anti-disparagement rules proh...

Bad HOAs all over California are using the emergency exception to push through massive special assessments without an otherwise required homeowner vote, and sometimes even after homeowners voted one down. In this episode, California’s most respected homeowner-side HOA attorney, Michael Kushner, explains how the emergency exception works (including what it is an exception to) and how homeowners can tell whether their HOA’s emergency excuse qualifies. What You’ll Learn in This Episode:&nb...