Common interest developments: associations

Associations must act quickly to restore essential services when outages begin in common areas, while homeowners receive revised rules for electronic voting and uncontested board elections.

What the law does ​

• Makes associations responsible for restoring interrupted gas, heat, water, or electric service that begins in common areas, unless governing documents or a utility provider assign responsibility otherwise.
• Requires boards to begin the repair process within 14 days of an outage, permits limited reduced-quorum and electronic votes to authorize action, and allows emergency financing and assessments if reserves are insufficient.
• Makes affected owners responsible for their own temporary-relocation costs during association repairs.
• Requires electronic-ballot notices 30 days before the election only for members voting electronically.
• Shortens the notice period for seating uncontested board candidates without a ballot: initial notice at least 30 days before nominations close and reminder notice at least 10 days before the deadline.

Who it affects ​

• Common interest development associations and their boards.
• Homeowners and other members of common interest developments.
• Candidates for association boards.

Context ​

The law does not alter utilities' or local governments' existing repair duties and does not apply when specified federal, state, or local emergencies materially impair an association's ability to perform.