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  <lastBuildDate>Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:28:12 -0500</lastBuildDate>
  <pubDate>Wed, 08 Feb 2012 20:33:25 -0500</pubDate>
  <title><![CDATA[California HOA & Condo News from CAN]]></title>
  <description><![CDATA[News about Homeowner and Condominium associations in California, compiled by the Community Associations Network]]></description>
  <link>http://www.communityassociations.net/california.html</link>
  <language>en-us</language>
  <copyright>Community Associations Network, LLC</copyright>
  <webMaster>webmaster@communityassociations.net</webMaster>
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    <item>
     <title>Rancho to make final decision on sex offender ban</title>
     <description><![CDATA["Until the homeowner associations come forward with a written request signed by the president and secretary and until they put signs up, the city is unable to enforce it," Simonian said at that meeting. "The ordinance will be on the books if the HOA's continue to discuss the matter. The ordinance is an essential first step."]]></description>
     <pubDate>Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:27:46 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.ocregister.com/news/city-339371-ban-ordinance.html</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Caller spots smoke coming from condo roof</title>
     <description><![CDATA[A caller said smoke was coming from the roof of a condominium. Firefighters responded to the call. The incident was reported at 7:06 a.m. on Feb. 3 on the 0 block of Conch Reef]]></description>
     <pubDate>Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:46:01 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.ocregister.com/news/feb-339192-block-aliso.html</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Lewow v. Surfside Owners Condo. Ass'n (Cal. Ct. App. - Feb. 2, 2012)</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Paul Lewow filed a lawsuit against his homeowners' association and lost.  The HOA filed a notice of entry of judgment, and was about to file a motion for attorney's fees seeking around $300,000.  So Mr. Lewow did what you might expect many people in such a situation to do:  He filed for bankruptcy.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:42:28 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/yOUQiQ</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Coachella Valley pair plead not guilty of running fraud ring</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Sheriff's Deputy Sean Patrick told The Desert Sun that a check, written by a homeowners' association in Indian Wells to The Gas Co., was intercepted, modified and cashed for $1,200.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:05:43 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.mydesert.com/article/20120207/NEWS0802/202070340/Coachella-Valley-pair-plead-not-guilty-running-fraud-ring?odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7CFrontpage%7Cs</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Rental restriction proposal dies at Silver Lakes election</title>
     <description><![CDATA[A proposal to cap the number of rentals allowed in the Silver Lakes residential community died at the homeowners association's election for a lack of quorum.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Mon, 06 Feb 2012 18:26:19 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.vvdailypress.com/articles/rental-32736-dies-restriction.html</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Barbecue fire ignites Napa condo</title>
     <description><![CDATA[A condo on South Freeway Drive ignited just before 4 p.m. Sunday after a barbecue on the patio malfunctioned, authorities said.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Mon, 06 Feb 2012 07:15:06 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://napavalleyregister.com/news/local/barbecue-fire-ignites-napa-condo/article_e1ee258e-507f-11e1-acea-001871e3ce6c.html</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>The Garden Wars (POA v. community vegetable garden)</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Does a community garden proposal put residents at risk? Or is it a healthy family activity that offers fun and organic vegetables to the community?]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:42:36 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/zHS9IT</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Silver Lakes homeowners to decide on rental cap</title>
     <description><![CDATA[ A controversial proposal to impose a rental cap on homes in the Silver Lakes residential community is up for election Saturday.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:56:42 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.vvdailypress.com/articles/homeowners-32690-lakes-rental.html</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>2-alarm blaze damages Solana Beach condo</title>
     <description><![CDATA[A two-alarm fire damaged at least one condominium, but caused no injuries, in Solona Beach Thursday morning, fire officials said.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:04:49 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2012/feb/02/2-alarm-blaze-damages-solana-beach-condo/</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Brad Watson: Most HOAs have right to own parking policies</title>
     <description><![CDATA[We recently rented a condominium and had both of our vehicles towed our first weekend living in the community.  While moving in, our garage was full of boxes, so we parked one of our cars in front of our garage for the night and the other in a visitor parking spot near our unit.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Wed, 01 Feb 2012 11:58:59 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.the-signal.com/section/24/article/59142/</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>New HOA laws impact homeowners</title>
     <description><![CDATA[From rental restrictions to electric vehicles and electronic meeting notices, Californians living in homeowners associations are seeing several new laws governing their communities that took effect Jan. 1.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sat, 28 Jan 2012 14:50:57 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.pleasantonweekly.com/news/show_story.php?id=8586</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>How Do I Deal with Condo Dispute Resolution?</title>
     <description><![CDATA[When last we met I talked about some of the most common areas of contention amongst condominium owners (and yes, say that three times fast!) - today I’d like to tackle the topic of hacking through the mess of resolving condominium disputes.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sat, 28 Jan 2012 14:19:54 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.examiner.com/real-estate-in-san-francisco/how-do-i-deal-with-condo-dispute-resolution</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Homeowner groups: Scrap condo conversion lottery</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Amid surging demand to convert San Francisco residences into condominiums, a public policy group is floating a proposal to allow property owners to bypass a controversial lottery system by paying into the city’s affordable housing fund.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 27 Jan 2012 11:54:49 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/print-edition/2012/01/27/homeowner-groups-scrap-condo.html</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>New HOA laws impact homeowners</title>
     <description><![CDATA[From rental restrictions to electric vehicles and electronic meeting notices, Californians living in homeowners associations are seeing several new laws governing their communities that took effect Jan. 1.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 26 Jan 2012 22:10:15 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.pleasantonweekly.com/news/show_story.php?id=8586</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Curious About Common Condo Disputes?</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Most condos in San Francisco are in smaller buildings of six units or less, or even two or three-flat buildings. These HOAs are usually self-managed and the owners interface with each a great deal when managing the business of the building.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 26 Jan 2012 13:37:30 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.examiner.com/real-estate-in-san-francisco/curious-about-common-condo-disputes</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Rancho bans sex offenders from parks, but HOAs say no</title>
     <description><![CDATA["Until the homeowner associations come forward with a written request signed by the president and secretary and until they put signs up, the city is unable to enforce it," Simonian said. "The ordinance will be on the books if the HOAs continue to discuss the matter. The ordinance is an essential first step."]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 26 Jan 2012 13:35:28 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/xFk27q</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>It's a new beginning for Villa Portofino</title>
     <description><![CDATA[This has been almost like a real new beginning for the neighborhood, resident and HOA board member Larry Prelesnik said.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 26 Jan 2012 12:12:32 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.mydesert.com/article/20120126/BUSINESS04/201250344/It-s-new-beginning-Villa-Portofino?odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7CFrontpage%7Cs</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>SF residents can return home to Telegraph Hill</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Residents who were evacuated from their homes after boulders slid down San Francisco's Telegraph Hill can now return to their condominium, but authorities still say they should avoid sleeping there.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Wed, 25 Jan 2012 11:24:02 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_19815017</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Three condo units 'yellow tagged' after Telegraph Hill rock slide</title>
     <description><![CDATA[ A major rock slide prompted authorities to yellow tag several homes early Monday evening at the Parc Telegraph condo complex not far from San Francisco's Coit Tower.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:11:33 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/zHQuON</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>SF condo evacuated after rains loosen boulders</title>
     <description><![CDATA[San Francisco authorities have evacuated a condominium building at the base of San Francisco's Telegraph Hill after several boulders slid down the hill and crushed a parked car.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Mon, 23 Jan 2012 15:05:44 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/xmANli</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Fire alarm saves Nakoma</title>
     <description><![CDATA[According to the Gold Mountain Homeowners Association, sometime after 10 p.m. the night of Wednesday, Jan. 18, the Nakoma fire alarm system activated a fire dispatch call. Portola Fire Chief Travis Schiavone responded with a Portola fire pump unit and his crew and found smoke coming from the lodge.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 20 Jan 2012 16:39:35 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://plumasnews.com/mcondon/9038-fire-alarm-saves-nakoma</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Lawsuit: Church, Developer Lied About Expansion Plans</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Now, a neighboring homeowner's association is suing the church and the developer for fraud and accusing them of misrepresentation.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 19 Jan 2012 11:09:09 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.10news.com/news/30246987/detail.html</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Homeowner Assoc. Opposes Quail Brush Power Plant, Mayor Doubts City Can Help</title>
     <description><![CDATA[The Sunset Greens Homeowner Association submitted a resolution opposing the peak power plant proposed to be constructed near Santee, and the Mayor explains why the city can't help oppose it.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Wed, 18 Jan 2012 20:26:21 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://santee.patch.com/articles/sunset-greens-homeowner-assoc-opposes-quail-brush-power-plant</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Just Plain Stinks!</title>
     <description><![CDATA[KUSI's Michael Turko got really aggravated about this case, after he was lied to by one of the worst homeowners associations he's ever encountered. Turko says it's a case left over from last year that should have been taken care of long ago.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Wed, 18 Jan 2012 19:37:51 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/Acpobt</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Brad Watson: Can an HOA stop me from making ‘improvements’?</title>
     <description><![CDATA[I live in a homeowners association that was created in the late 1980s. For years, the association landscape areas were meticulously maintained. But for the past five years, the slope behind my home has not been maintained properly.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Wed, 18 Jan 2012 10:49:17 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.the-signal.com/section/25/article/58198/</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Man Arrested for Arson at Ventura Condo Complex</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Police arrested a man Saturday for allegedly setting two fires at the same Ventura condominium complex.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sun, 15 Jan 2012 15:50:57 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.ktla.com/news/landing/ktla-ventura-arson--at-condo-complex,0,633971.story</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>HOA ADVISER: Gifts to contractors and vendors</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Q. The board of directors of our condominium association gave Christmas gifts in the form of bonus checks to several vendors and contractors that do work on our buildings. Is this permissible? I don't like them spending our money that way.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 13 Jan 2012 16:50:34 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.dailybreeze.com/business/ci_19734506</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Summary Of Important New Legislation Affecting California Homeowner, Condominium</title>
     <description><![CDATA[As they do almost every year, the California Legislature has yet again changed the Davis-Stirling Act (there have been approximately 50 amendments to the Act since its inception in 1985)]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 13 Jan 2012 15:28:07 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.hoalawblog.com/NewLegislation2011blog.pdf</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Capo Terrace Residents Near Deal to Buy Beleaguered Trailer Park</title>
     <description><![CDATA[The residents of a rundown, legally embattled mobile-home park are nearing a deal to buy the 18-acre property from the bankrupt landowner they’ve been fighting for years.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 12 Jan 2012 15:16:14 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://sanjuancapistrano.patch.com/articles/homeowners-of-capo-terrace-close-to-deal-to-buy-their-beleaguered-mobile-home-park</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Condo owners get say on levy</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Two City Council members want to hear what downtown condo owners have to say about a proposed plan to assess them for maintenance and beautification programs delivered by the Downtown Long Beach Associates.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 12 Jan 2012 11:24:59 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.presstelegram.com/ci_19723255</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>New California Community Association Laws for 2012</title>
     <description><![CDATA[A new year always introduces changes in our lives. Apart from New Year's resolutions you have promised to fulfill, there are also a number of new laws your community association should be aware of. For Californians part of or on the board of a community association, it's wise to take a look at these new HOA laws for your state.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Wed, 11 Jan 2012 19:10:32 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.managementtrust.com/blog/bid/76148/New-California-Community-Association-Laws-for-2012</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>San Rafael condo fire linked to failed bathroom fan</title>
     <description><![CDATA[A fire in a two-story San Rafael condominium was caused by an electrical problem in a bathroom fan, the fire chief said Tuesday.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Tue, 10 Jan 2012 20:06:43 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.marinij.com/sanrafael/ci_19713292</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Arcadia tweaks homeowner associations' authorities</title>
     <description><![CDATA[The city's homeowner associations can no longer ban the removal of trees such as sycamores and magnolias but now have the authority to review plans for shrubbery and driveways under a newly adopted resolution.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Tue, 10 Jan 2012 19:13:21 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/AoImeO</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>A Goat Story, Gone Well</title>
     <description><![CDATA[More than 300 Spanish Boer Cross goats came to Laguna Niguel to do a job, and a job they certainly did, says the group that hired them.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Mon, 09 Jan 2012 19:50:11 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/xVWwA3</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Woman dies in Bay Point fire</title>
     <description><![CDATA[A 60-year-old woman died, and a man suffered minor injuries after a two-alarm fire destroyed their Bay Point condo early Saturday morning, a Contra Costa Fire District official said.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sun, 08 Jan 2012 17:37:58 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_19695599</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>HOA ADVISER: Can members veto a board action?</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Q. Do the members of a homeowner association have the power to veto actions of the board of directors?]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 06 Jan 2012 20:45:41 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.dailybreeze.com/business/ci_19686905</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Silver Lakes Association eyes rental restrictions</title>
     <description><![CDATA[A proposed amendment to the Silver Lakes Association’s policy would cap the number of rentals at no more than 25 percent of residential lots in Silver Lakes, off National Trails Highway about 14 miles northwest of Victorville.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 06 Jan 2012 15:43:32 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/wli1AH</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Alleged Scam May Mean Eviction For Renters</title>
     <description><![CDATA["They say they're a nonprofit organization, but they're not paying the taxes, they're not paying the HOA. They're here just to make money," Lemack said.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 06 Jan 2012 11:47:43 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/y5Ecm0</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>California Real Estate Litigation: Homeowners Suing HOA for Flooded Home</title>
     <description><![CDATA[San Clemente homeowners have filed a California real estate lawsuit against the Rancho San Clemente master homeowners association and a neighborhood subgroup, alleging the HOA failed to properly maintain a slope.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 05 Jan 2012 20:29:10 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/w9XJ89</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Residents Sue OverCrumbling L.A.</title>
     <description><![CDATA[When the Los Angeles City Council approves new condos, office towers and other forms of growth, should it know whether the city's troubled, aging infrastructure can take that extra load?]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 05 Jan 2012 20:20:59 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.laweekly.com/2012-01-05/news/Los-Angeles-residents-sue-infrastructure-city-council/</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Forecast: No bottom soon for O.C. condos</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Us: How will 2011 be viewed when we all have a clear head? The bottom? More of the same? Year you'd rather forget?]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 05 Jan 2012 15:50:24 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.ocregister.com/articles/housing-334278-condosetc-sometimes.html</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Playa Vista: Homeowners association wins appeal in construction defect lawsuit</title>
     <description><![CDATA[An appellate court has rejected an appeal by Playa Capital and the developer’s co-defendant that sought to compel binding arbitration in a lawsuit brought by a homeowners group at the planned community of Playa Vista.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 05 Jan 2012 12:09:03 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/w9kb1e</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Brad Watson: Can association say ‘bah humbug’ to my decor?</title>
     <description><![CDATA[I installed Christmas lights and decorations, and I received a threatening violation letter stating that if I did not remove the lights and decorations from my balcony and front-yard area that I would be fined and the association would remove everything at my expense.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 05 Jan 2012 10:25:45 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.the-signal.com/section/25/article/57420/</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>One Person Injured During Condo Fire in Pleasant Hill</title>
     <description><![CDATA[The Contra Costa County Fire Protection District responded to a fire in a two story condominium building in the 300 block of Camelback Road in Pleasant Hill at approximately 3:20 pm on January 2nd.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Wed, 04 Jan 2012 18:23:27 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://claycord.com/2012/01/03/update-one-person-injured-during-condo-fire-in-pleasant-hill/</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Revamping of Davis-Stirling Act Slated for 2013 or 2014</title>
     <description><![CDATA[In 2002, the California Law Revision Commission (CLRC) was charged by then-Governor Gray Davis with clarifying ambiguities within the Davis-Stirling Act. (Civil Code Sections 1350-1378) to make it more "user-friendly" for homeowners and board members alike. After working fro many years with stakeholders, including a working group of attorneys, community managers and other industry professionals]]></description>
     <pubDate>Tue, 03 Jan 2012 15:04:41 -0500</pubDate>
     <link><![CDATA[http://www.hoalawblog.com/2012/01/davisstirling_amendments_slate.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+HoaLawBlogCom1+%28HOA+Law+Blog%29]]></link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Improvement fee divides downtown Long Beach residents</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Residents who oppose the plan - many of whom joined the grass-roots group Downtown Homeowners Unite - say the DLBA's services are already covered by homeowner association fees and state and city taxes. They also say the plan lacks equal representation and accountability. Residents' representation on the board would be about 9 percent because votes on the board are weighted.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Tue, 03 Jan 2012 10:41:07 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.presstelegram.com/breakingnews/ci_19662900</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>SOHA wants an end to divided districts</title>
     <description><![CDATA[When it comes to political representation, the Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association believes that less is more.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Mon, 02 Jan 2012 16:08:39 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.dailynews.com/ci_19658435</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Sun City residents battle to stay relevant</title>
     <description><![CDATA[The retirement community of Sun City, part of the new city of Menifee for three years, will turn 50 next year.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Mon, 02 Jan 2012 16:03:10 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/tcxpWt</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Happy New Year to All</title>
     <description><![CDATA[May 2012 be a quiet, peaceful year for your association.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sun, 01 Jan 2012 12:29:46 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.communityassociations.net</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Feds sue to stop Santa Rosa from enforcing seniors-only housing project</title>
     <description><![CDATA[The U.S. Department of Justice is suing Santa Rosa City Hall and a local condo board for their efforts to prevent the developer of a senior housing project from renting to non-seniors.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 30 Dec 2011 18:44:23 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20111229/ARTICLES/111229467</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Laguna Honda air conditioning hum irks neighbors</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Thompson, an active member in the Midtown Terrace Homeowners Association since moving there in 2008, has recruited scores of angry neighbors to sign a petition protesting the hum. He's met with hospital staff to discuss potential remedies and toured the roof with them, saying they had to yell at each other to be heard.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 29 Dec 2011 10:39:35 -0500</pubDate>
     <link><![CDATA[http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/12/29/BA711MER20.DTL&tsp=1]]></link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Cat Dies In Condo Complex Fire</title>
     <description><![CDATA[The occupant's cat died in a one-alarm fire at a condo complex on Walden Road, Walnut Creek, Wednesday morning, the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District reported.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 29 Dec 2011 10:34:07 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://walnutcreek.patch.com/articles/firefighters-control-apartment-complex-fire</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Fire damages five units at San Mateo retirement community</title>
     <description><![CDATA[ Firefighters responded to a kitchen fire Wednesday that damaged five units in an upscale retirement community off Central Park.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 29 Dec 2011 10:12:06 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.mercurynews.com/san-mateo-county-times/ci_19634343</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Another HOA 'It Ain't Right!'</title>
     <description><![CDATA[KUSI's Michael Turko got the call when a homeowners association decided to go to war over a new set of front doors.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Tue, 27 Dec 2011 12:45:28 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.kusi.com/story/16396310/another-hoa-it-aint-right</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>NBA BALLER JARRON COLLINS: My HOA Left Me SOL</title>
     <description><![CDATA[NBA journeyman Jarron Collins claims he saved his entire condo complex from a possible TOXIC MOLD invasion ... only to get the shaft in a big time settlement ... this according to a new lawsuit.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sun, 25 Dec 2011 21:20:43 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/t6sxXV</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Condo fire displaces 8 people</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Eight people were displaced from their Del Cerro condos Sunday morning after a fire broke out on the second story, authorities said.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sun, 25 Dec 2011 13:33:12 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/dec/25/condo-fire-displaces-8-people/</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>San Francisco fire started at bottom of trash chute</title>
     <description><![CDATA[San Francisco fire officials say the five-alarm blaze that tore through two residences began at the bottom of a trash chute in an alleyway.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sat, 24 Dec 2011 17:32:44 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/2011/12/san-francisco-fire-started-bottom-trash-chute</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>HOA sued over damage from 2010 flood</title>
     <description><![CDATA[In a lawsuit filed Nov. 8, the Petersens blame the Rancho San Clemente Community Association for what they call faulty maintenance of the slope behind their home and a v-ditch that was overwhelmed by mud Dec. 22, 2010]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sat, 24 Dec 2011 11:39:58 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/uOAzXt</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>HOA ADVISER: Who is responsible for ongoing water intrusion?</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Q. The garages of our condominium buildings are constructed partly below the surface of the land. The walls get wet whenever it rains and a white powder is forming on the inside walls. The powder is starting to turn slightly red in color.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 23 Dec 2011 19:47:35 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.dailybreeze.com/business/ci_19610479</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>San Francisco Fire Leaves 60 Homeless, 2 Injured</title>
     <description><![CDATA[It took about half of San Francisco's fire department to put out the fire that started on Thursday, which has left as many as 60 people homeless and two injured, according to reports.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 23 Dec 2011 15:30:46 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://uk.ibtimes.com/articles/272197/20111223/san-francisco-fire-60-homeless-2-injured.htm</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Community Boards: 35 years settling neighborhood feuds</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Community Boards, a nonprofit Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) organization, helps settle disputes without courts, judges and lawyers. It’s funded by the state, a host of foundations and individual donors. For 35 years it has offered citywide mediation services and training.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 22 Dec 2011 11:06:46 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/vQmu5k</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Malibu West Homeowners Starting to Worry as GHAD Bills Begin to Mount</title>
     <description><![CDATA[As the bills start coming in for preliminary work done for the Broad Beach Geological Hazard Abatement District, Malibu West homeowners, who collectively own one lot on Broad Beach, are becoming increasingly concerned about just how much ultimately the GHAD might cost the residents of the more financially modest neighborhood.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 22 Dec 2011 10:45:15 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://malibusurfsidenews.com/stories/201112/201112220003.html</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Discrimination Based On Genetic Information Prohibited (SB 559)</title>
     <description><![CDATA[SB 559 goes into effect on January 1, 2011 and expands the prohibited bases of discrimination under the Unruh Civil Rights Act and the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) to include genetic information.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Wed, 21 Dec 2011 10:55:08 -0500</pubDate>
     <link><![CDATA[http://www.hoalawblog.com/2011/12/discrimination_based_on_geneti_2.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+HoaLawBlogCom1+%28HOA+Law+Blog%29]]></link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Brad Watson: Could my HOA face a coup d’é tat?</title>
     <description><![CDATA[We have some disgruntled homeowners in our HOA that are talking of starting their own association. Is that possible?]]></description>
     <pubDate>Wed, 21 Dec 2011 10:37:40 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/ru4ibO</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>No Loans for Condos</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Owning a home it is the American dream, but if that home is a condo in Sacramento, you are going to have a hard time getting financing.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Wed, 21 Dec 2011 10:35:13 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/tRbzeD</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>HOA laws changing with New Year</title>
     <description><![CDATA[From rental restrictions to electric vehicles and electronic meeting notices, Californians living in homeowners associations will see several new laws governing their communities starting Jan. 1, 2012, according to the California Association of Community Managers.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Tue, 20 Dec 2011 16:57:33 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=20029</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>SF condo owners' suit rejected by appeals court</title>
     <description><![CDATA[A state appeals court has refused to let dozens of San Francisco property owners drop out of a program that required them to set some units aside for low- and moderate-income housing when they converted their apartment houses to condominiums.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Tue, 20 Dec 2011 08:31:51 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/vdSeHI</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Child playing with lighter causes condominium fire</title>
     <description><![CDATA[WESTMINSTER Officials said a child playing with a lighter caused a fire at a Westminster condominium Saturday evening.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Tue, 20 Dec 2011 08:31:03 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.ocregister.com/news/fire-150715-ocprint-officials-block.html</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Solar installer clashes with homeowners group</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Bureaucracy-battling solar panel company owner Bradley Bartz is turning up the heat on his latest nemesis - the Palos Verdes Homes Association.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Mon, 19 Dec 2011 22:41:47 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/t566xA</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Marin supervisors to consider tough anti-smoking ordinance</title>
     <description><![CDATA[A Marin County crackdown on smoking in multi-unit apartment and condominium complexes will get its first test Tuesday, when county supervisors are expected to approve it and set a public hearing for Jan. 10.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sun, 18 Dec 2011 21:59:20 -0500</pubDate>
     <link> http://bit.ly/sh50AN</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Condo fire displaces Westminster family</title>
     <description><![CDATA[ A condominium fire displaced a family of five Saturday evening in Westminster, Orange County Fire Authority Battalion Chief Kris Concepcion said.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sun, 18 Dec 2011 12:33:21 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.ocregister.com/news/fire-332079-concepcion-displaced.html</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Stakes are high as Palm Springs area golf communities struggle to stay relevant</title>
     <description><![CDATA["We're entering a new normal; we're in a recasting era," said Pete Halter, chairman of The Halter Companies, an Atlanta firm that advises developers. "We can't think that this will be over soon. Things have changed for good."]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sun, 18 Dec 2011 12:22:06 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://mydesert.co/t3ih6H</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Avoiding risky loans</title>
     <description><![CDATA[In the meltdown mess of the real estate mortgage market, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Federal Housing Administration took a look at the long list of condominium developments that were approved for the FHA-backed mortgage insurance on home loans - and their exposure.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sat, 17 Dec 2011 17:44:21 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.the-signal.com/section/24/article/56492/</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Legal battle over sewer costs continues</title>
     <description><![CDATA[The Nevada City attorney representing dozens of DarkHorse homeowners has filed new legal challenges in an attempt to block a request for more than $500,000 in compensation by DarkHorse Golf Club LLC.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sat, 17 Dec 2011 13:22:27 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.theunion.com/article/20111217/NEWS/111219822</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>HOA ADVISER: Eviction by homeowner's association</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Q. Can the board of directors of our association evict the tenant of a member if the tenant is violating rules of the association?]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 16 Dec 2011 18:51:49 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.dailybreeze.com/business/ci_19560618</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Lawsuit blames HOA for pre-Christmas flood</title>
     <description><![CDATA[San Clemente couple are suing the Rancho San Clemente master homeowners association and a neighborhood subgroup, alleging faulty slope maintenance after a flow of mud and water heavily damaged their yard and home during a rainstorm a year ago.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 15 Dec 2011 15:33:49 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/vjOGjR</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Four families displaced in West Covina condo blaze</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Four families were displaced and two firefighters suffered minor injuries when a two-story condominium caught fire Wednesday morning, officials said.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 15 Dec 2011 09:40:09 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.sgvtribune.com/news/ci_19546879</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Port Hueneme wrestles with how to repair roads</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Fixing streets with some minor problems by applying seals before the underlying foundation of the road erodes would be cost-effective, Santamaria said. If the foundation erodes, the entire street would have to be replaced.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Wed, 14 Dec 2011 11:30:19 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.vcstar.com/news/2011/dec/13/port-hueneme-wrestles-with-how-to-repair-roads/</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Paris Hilton is the ‘neighbour from hell’</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Her homeowner’s association had also prevented her from filming her now cancelled reality series at the home so she had to use her sister’s Nicky address instead.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Mon, 12 Dec 2011 19:27:17 -0500</pubDate>
     <link><![CDATA[http://www.film-news.co.uk/show-news.asp?H=Paris-Hilton-is-the-%E2%80%98neighbour-from-hell%E2%80%99&nItemID=8670]]></link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>FHA rule changes limit homebuyer options</title>
     <description><![CDATA[When the Federal Housing Administration, or FHA, changed the loan approval guidelines for condominiums two years ago, many of the condo complexes that once were FHA approved no longer qualify for eligibility]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sun, 11 Dec 2011 14:06:21 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.the-signal.com/section/24/article/56076/</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Hollywood Sign Pits Neighbor Against Neighbor</title>
     <description><![CDATA[The president of the Hollywoodland Homeowners Association has been outspoken against the posting of signs directing tourists away from the closest viewing points in the neighborhood to a centralized area with more parking.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sat, 10 Dec 2011 18:51:31 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/12/10/hollywood-sign-pits-neighbor-against-neighbor/</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Former Bayside Commons Manager Charged with Embezzlement, Grand Theft</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Albany police arrested the former general manager of the Bayside Commons condo complex on Pierce Street in late December, said authorities on Thursday in response to an information request from Albany Patch.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sat, 10 Dec 2011 11:17:40 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/vW2o8W</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Senate Bill 563: Use of a Preauthorization Consent Form to Allow Emergency Decis</title>
     <description><![CDATA[As many associations are aware, Senate Bill 563 (SB 563) will become effective
on January 1, 2012. SB 563 makes various changes to board meeting requirements.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 09 Dec 2011 16:11:16 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://pacleg.com/hoablog/2011/12/epsten-grinnell-howell-senate-bill-563-use-of-a-preauthorization-consent-form-to-allow-emergency-decisions-by-electronic-transmission/</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Hot dog! First dog park planned for Aliso Viejo</title>
     <description><![CDATA[After about 10 years of discussions within the community, plans for a dog park at Aliso Canyon Community Park are again moving forward.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 09 Dec 2011 10:10:37 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.ocregister.com/news/park-330633-dog-years.html</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Monarch Bay to cut down 20 eucalyptus after Newport death</title>
     <description><![CDATA[More than 20 eucalyptus trees along Pacific Coast Highway near Crown Valley Parkway are facing removal by the Monarch Bay Association. Winterhalter said the trees became a pressing issue after a Costa Mesa woman was crushed by a falling eucalyptus in Newport Beach in September.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 08 Dec 2011 16:59:35 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45601971#.TuEyo2Mr2nA</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Palm Springs homeowners can be assessed HOA fees after foreclosure</title>
     <description><![CDATA[The cause of most homeowner liability for HOA fees - even during or after bankruptcy or foreclosure - leads back to the 2005 bankruptcy law changes.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 08 Dec 2011 16:49:37 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://edbrophy.com/palm-springs-homeowners-can-be-assessed-hoa-fees-after-foreclosure/</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Brad Watson: Bylaws require boards to meet</title>
     <description><![CDATA[I have some issues with how our association is maintaining many of the common areas throughout our community, but it is nearly impossible for me to address my concerns because the board of directors only holds one meeting per year.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Wed, 07 Dec 2011 10:58:00 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.the-signal.com/section/25/article/55862/</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Smoke-Free Alameda Blog: What Comes Next for Condo Dwellers?</title>
     <description><![CDATA[On Nov. 15, 2011, the Alameda City Council unanimously approved ordinances to control second hand smoke in indoor places of employment, public outdoor spaces, and rental accommodation and condominiums. Th]]></description>
     <pubDate>Wed, 07 Dec 2011 10:43:00 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/v4So9C</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Los Alamitos Backs Off Rossmoor Annexation</title>
     <description><![CDATA["It seems to me that they are backing off from taking that corner," said Mark Nitikman, a member of the Rossmoor Advisory Committee and Rossmoor Homeowners Association. "I think they are going to let the (Rossmoor Community Services District) play out their hand."]]></description>
     <pubDate>Tue, 06 Dec 2011 10:36:44 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://losalamitos.patch.com/articles/los-alamitos-backs-off-rossmoor-annexation</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>First Person: Support Your Homeowners Association</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Councilwoman Joyce Starosciak noted how many of the honorees were current or past leaders of homeowners associations (HOAs).]]></description>
     <pubDate>Tue, 06 Dec 2011 10:08:05 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/rEWa23</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Downtown Long Beach residents oppose a new fee</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Opponents of the proposal say they already pay for services covered by homeowner association fees and state and city taxes. For condo owners downtown, it means paying about $70 to $120 a year.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Tue, 06 Dec 2011 10:00:36 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_19476788</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Response to water main break angers homeowners</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Residents in the Autumn Hills condo complex in south Chula Vista are dreading their next water bill after a water main broke Nov. 16 gushing thousands of gallons of water down a sidewalk for several hours.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Mon, 05 Dec 2011 15:14:05 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/vW1TzJ</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Fair Housing Lawsuit Filed Against CA Municipality-HOA for Discrimination-childr</title>
     <description><![CDATA[The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, alleges that the city of Santa Rosa, a California municipality, and La Esplanada Unit 1 Owners’ Association, a homeowners’ association, sought to restrict residency at a condominium complex to seniors aged 55 and older]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sun, 04 Dec 2011 15:50:34 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://1.usa.gov/tpkq2t</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Peaceful protest in Carrboro over Human Rights Center</title>
     <description><![CDATA[- Chanting "Human Rights for everyone," nearly 100 people marched peacefully Saturday through downtown Carrboro to the condominium complex to protest Thursday’s decision to oust the Human Rights Center.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sun, 04 Dec 2011 15:36:27 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/vpfSWA</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Ventura condo blaze blamed on recessed light</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Residents who were away for several days got home to find their condo damaged by fire and needing more than $100,000 in structural repairs.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sun, 04 Dec 2011 15:20:03 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.vcstar.com/news/2011/dec/03/a-fire-caused-by-an-overheated-recessed-light-in/</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Ten condos burned in San Ramon apartment complex fire</title>
     <description><![CDATA[The wind is being blamed by firefighters for helping spread a fire that damaged 10 condominium units Friday and led to injuries for a man who jumped from a second story.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sun, 04 Dec 2011 15:19:13 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.insidebayarea.com/live-chats/ci_19457839</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Ten condos burned in San Ramon apartment complex fire</title>
     <description><![CDATA[The wind is being blamed by firefighters for helping spread a fire that burned 10 condo units Friday and led to severe injuries for a man who jumped from a second story.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 02 Dec 2011 21:15:50 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.contracostatimes.com/top-stories/ci_19457839</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>HOA ADVISER: Foreclosures, rentals causing decline in values, refi problems</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Q. In the last year, there have been several bank foreclosures in our condominium community. The foreclosing bank rented the units and then sold them to an investor. Before the foreclosures, values had declined substantially, and now they are even lower.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 02 Dec 2011 14:22:17 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.dailybreeze.com/business/ci_19454951</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Villa Riviera Tree Removed</title>
     <description><![CDATA[A clash at the historic Villa Riviera between several homeowners and the association board came to an end Wednesday.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 01 Dec 2011 20:00:06 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.gazettes.com/news/updated-final-villa-riviera-tree-removed/article_b7ee0fbe-1a2a-11e1-90b5-001cc4c002e0.html</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Rabid Bat Found At Del Cerro Condo Complex</title>
     <description><![CDATA[A bat that was found the day before Thanksgiving in a Del Cerro condominium complex -- and died two days later -- tested positive for rabies, the county of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency announced on Wednesday.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 01 Dec 2011 10:26:55 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.10news.com/news/29893622/detail.html</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Fighting Squatters, South L.A. Style</title>
     <description><![CDATA[When a quiet neighborhood on the border of South Los Angeles became home to a family of squatters, the peace neighbors enjoyed came to an abrupt halt.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 01 Dec 2011 10:19:00 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://t.co/Y5Si4Y3V</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>California Enacts New Employment Laws Impacting Community</title>
     <description><![CDATA[On October 9, 2011, Governor Brown signed into law several new bills 
impacting California community associations as well as their managing 
agents who are employers.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Wed, 30 Nov 2011 15:35:28 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.hoalawblog.com/11-29-11%20NewEmploymentLaws.pdf</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Can Condos and Edgy Art Coexist?</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Arts spring up and make a neighborhood cool. Other people want to live there, to be near the artsy people. So developers come to build. Artists end up priced out. The cycle goes on, here and elsewhere.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Wed, 30 Nov 2011 10:20:22 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.voiceofsandiego.org/arts/article_ea223dd8-1ae9-11e1-8bad-001cc4c03286.html</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title><![CDATA[2012 Legislative & Case Law Update]]></title>
     <description><![CDATA[Below you will find an overview of the new legislation impacting California community associations ("Associations").  Unless stated otherwise, the legislation takes effect January 1, 2012.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Mon, 28 Nov 2011 16:00:08 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://conta.cc/v12X1w</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Blaze breaks out at Harbor City condo</title>
     <description><![CDATA[A fire broke out Sunday in a condominium in Harbor City, but no one was harmed, a city fire official said.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Mon, 28 Nov 2011 15:08:38 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.dailybreeze.com/news/ci_19424783</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Wetlands need restoring now. Who's going to pay?</title>
     <description><![CDATA[A new study, issued by the Point Reyes Bird Observatory (PRBO) Conservation Science, says we need to get moving fast on wetland restoration or risk losing everything we've done already.  The problem we still face, however, is how we are going to pay for it.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sun, 27 Nov 2011 15:47:04 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://redwoodcity.patch.com/blog_posts/wetlands-need-restoring-now-whos-going-to-pay</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Brad Watson: Can my HOA interfere with my satellite?</title>
     <description><![CDATA[I recently had a satellite dish installed at my condominium, and I received a letter from the HOA stating that it was installed illegally and it must be removed.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sat, 26 Nov 2011 21:22:13 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.the-signal.com/section/25/article/55096/</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Cleanup at Carson's Carousel housing tract still stalled after 2 years</title>
     <description><![CDATA[More than two years after oily sludge was discovered trapped in the soil several feet below Carson's 50-acre Carousel housing tract, plans to clean up the mess are still moving slowly.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Tue, 22 Nov 2011 11:02:34 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/t21O9j</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>L.A. County warns apartment, condo dwellers of secondhand smoke</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Public health officials in Los Angeles County are warning nonsmoking residents of multi-unit apartment and condo buildings that they are at risk of secondhand smoke.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Wed, 16 Nov 2011 21:32:49 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://lat.ms/v541K9</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Homeowners drop lawsuit over trash collection</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Homeowners who sued the city of San Diego after Mayor Jerry Sanders made them pay for trash pickup in this year’s budget withdrew their court action, the City Attorney’s Office announced Monday.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Mon, 14 Nov 2011 20:03:55 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/v7JPSr</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Chlorinator Suit Stirs Concerns</title>
     <description><![CDATA[In September 2008, Sophia Seddiqi and Russell Detar used an inground spa at the condominium complex where they lived in Southern California. They later suffered severe pain and blistering, which turned out to be second-degree burns.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sat, 12 Nov 2011 11:16:06 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/t5MLVD</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>TEROSO DEL VALLE MASTER v. GRIFFIN (solar power)</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Defendants and appellants Martin and Carolyn Griffin appeal from a judgment following a jury verdict in favor of plaintiff and respondent Tesoro del Valle Master Homeowners Association (Tesoro) on its claims that appellants installed a solar energy system at their residence in contravention of conditions, covenants and restrictions governing their property]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 11 Nov 2011 15:23:11 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://1.usa.gov/sVcp38</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Golf course communities facing uncertain futures</title>
     <description><![CDATA[The future of the Coachella Valley's golf course communities and private clubs is about as certain as a duffer's tee shot.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 11 Nov 2011 10:35:29 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://mydesert.co/tqOAOC</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Arsonist sets major construction site fire in LA</title>
     <description><![CDATA[A major arson fire in a six-unit townhouse construction site forced dozens of people to flee neighboring homes early Thursday in fashionable Brentwood as it fed on four structures that were in the wood-frame stage and damaged nearby dwellings and cars.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 11 Nov 2011 09:55:49 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.sacbee.com/2011/11/10/4044574/under-construction-condo-fire.html</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Duck Deaths Trigger $9,000 Water Testing</title>
     <description><![CDATA[To find out why ducks are dying in Lake Forest, the city and a homeowners association are splitting the cost of a $9,270 investigation into the health of a local lake.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 11 Nov 2011 08:37:19 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://lakeforest-ca.patch.com/articles/duck-deaths-spur-lake-water-test</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Brad Watson: HOAs, members have options for settling debts</title>
     <description><![CDATA[I have been responsible for paying the HOA dues on my mother’s condo and, admittedly, I fell behind. She called last night and said she received two certified letters in the mail threatening foreclosure.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Wed, 09 Nov 2011 09:23:04 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.the-signal.com/section/25/article/54224/</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Surfrider takes Dana Point beach-access battle to homeowners</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Nonprofit foundation that sued the city over gates that restrict public access to two trails to Strand Beach through a multimillion-dollar housing development will hold a meeting tonight with the Niguel Beach Terrace Community Association]]></description>
     <pubDate>Tue, 08 Nov 2011 15:07:56 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.ocregister.com/news/city-325968-access-strand.html</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Mind the Gap! Relief for Property Owners on Slip and Fall Liability</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Generally, owners have a duty to maintain their propertty in a safe condition, and repair any known dangerous conditions. From a liability standpoint, the issues that concern landowners are 1) what condition is safe enough and 2) did they know about the potentially dangerous condition?]]></description>
     <pubDate>Mon, 07 Nov 2011 17:06:00 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/uloQ6s</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>New Laws to Affect California Real Estate Agents and Brokers in 2012: Part One</title>
     <description><![CDATA[As 2011 comes to a close, it is no surprise that there are over a dozen new laws that will affect both real estate agents and brokers. To assist you in understanding these new regulations and laws, we will be posting them over the next few weeks in a three part series.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Mon, 07 Nov 2011 10:26:45 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://americantrustescrow.com/2011/11/07/new-laws-to-affect-california-real-estate-agents-and-brokers-in-2012-part-one/</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Downtown residents fight fee</title>
     <description><![CDATA["They're asking us to pay again for core, basic services that the city should already be taking care of or are handled through HOA fees, like cleaning sidewalks, public safety or landscaping," said Sandy Rendell, who helped found the group in recent weeks. "(It is) double taxation and another layer of quasigovernment through the DLBA that's unaccountable and gives us no real vote.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Mon, 07 Nov 2011 10:15:33 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/ssIDR5</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Plastic natural gas pipe worries Davis neighborhood after leaks</title>
     <description><![CDATA[In only 18 months, the residents in one small area of the Stonegate subdivision in West Davis reported a half-dozen gas leaks at their homes.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Mon, 07 Nov 2011 10:09:09 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/slr4TW</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Marin officials to consider smoking crackdown in condos, apartments</title>
     <description><![CDATA[In a proposal modeled on a strict anti-smoking law in Larkspur, county health officials are circulating an ordinance cracking down on smoking in multi-unit apartment and condominium complexes.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sun, 06 Nov 2011 21:36:09 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/uihjr4</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>HOA ADVISER: Board ignores call for annual meeting to elect directors</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Q. The board of directors of our homeowners association has not held an annual meeting to elect new directors for more than 18 months even though our bylaws require an annual meeting to be held. I have requested that our "annual" meeting be held, but have been ignored. What can I do?]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 04 Nov 2011 16:35:24 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.dailybreeze.com/business/ci_19262959</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>a funny HOA meeting as the world's microcosim.</title>
     <description><![CDATA[I reluctantly attended our HOA (Home Owner’s Association) meeting and I was rewarded with an amazing experience. It turned into an amazing  sample of the current mind set of the planet today. It explained a great deal]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 03 Nov 2011 22:06:55 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://t.co/8gRAFQn6</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>City: Bible Studies in HOA Clubhouse are OK</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Two homeowners cited for holding Bible studies in their San Juan Capistrano home can use their association’s clubhouse for the gatherings without any special permits, the city has informed them.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 03 Nov 2011 21:57:44 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/tf4dyx</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Fire At Palm Springs Condo Complex Deemed Electrical</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Palm Springs firefighters determined electrical issues were to blame for an early morning fire that damaged a total of six local condominiums.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 03 Nov 2011 15:42:21 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.kpsplocal2.com/news/local/story/UPDATE-Fire-At-Palm-Springs-Apartment-Complex/pcZ2VTaXiEay1FgwcIvJyg.cspx</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Elderly woman feared dead in three-alarm fire that guts Peacock Gap condos</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Firefighters searched the charred tangle of a Peacock Gap home for the remains of a 90-year-old woman Thursday after a fast-moving fire ripped through a five-unit condominium complex.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 03 Nov 2011 14:48:43 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.marinij.com/marinnews/ci_19254502</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Residents say it’s a complex situation</title>
     <description><![CDATA[The recent police dragnet for shooting suspects inside a Canyon Country condominium complex came as no surprise to some residents, who complain that crime has become a daily fixture there.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 03 Nov 2011 14:47:15 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/uKoXsa</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Study Session on Homeowners' Association Resolution</title>
     <description><![CDATA[The Arcadia City Council will discuss a proposed resolution Tuesday that would consolidate the separate resolutions governing the design review processes for the city's five homeowners' associations.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Tue, 01 Nov 2011 10:40:09 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/sizCQo</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>'Regular guy' from Vacaville honored for small solar installation</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Rasmussen approached the homeowners association members with the idea of using a solar-powered pump as a replacement and they gave him the green light.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Mon, 31 Oct 2011 11:12:52 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/w411lp</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>HOA ADVISER: What kind of evidence can be used in a hearing?</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Q. Our board recently held a hearing to determine whether to fine a member for an alleged rule violation. The board allowed hearsay to be introduced. Is this allowable by law?]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 28 Oct 2011 17:39:04 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.dailybreeze.com/business/ci_19214469</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>San Francisco condo owners score $5.4M recovery</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Owners of residences at a San Francisco condominium building have recouped $5.4 million in a landmark construction defect case that sets a state record for per-unit recovery.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 28 Oct 2011 17:07:31 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/sCRdBd</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Brad Watson: How homeowners can keep oversight on associations</title>
     <description><![CDATA[I live in a homeowners association consisting of several hundred single-family homes. I am concerned because our dues have increased substantially in the past year, and I get the feeling that the association is being mismanaged by the board of directors and/or the current management company]]></description>
     <pubDate>Wed, 26 Oct 2011 10:38:32 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/s4c4f0</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>City trees: More expensive and dangerous than they are worth?</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Richard Close, the president of the Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association, said: “The problem is the city has not maintained the sidewalks, has not maintained the trees. Now that there’s a major problem, the proposal is to shift the responsibility to the homeowner. The problem is most homeowners cannot afford the cost of maintenance]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sat, 22 Oct 2011 16:09:55 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.scpr.org/programs/patt-morrison/2011/10/21/21112/city-trees-danger-danger-everywhere-or-a-potential</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>HOA ADVISER: Association member violating rules</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Q. Can our board of directors hold a hearing and discipline a member of the association for violating specific rules based upon numerous anonymous complaints?]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 21 Oct 2011 12:42:20 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.dailybreeze.com/business/ci_19162614</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>TEMECULA: Abandoned Maravilla condo complex approved again</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Despite some neighbors' worries about construction noise and traffic, the Temecula Planning Commission approved plans Wednesday for a 210-unit triplex condominium development at the intersection of Tierra Vista and Ynez roads.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 20 Oct 2011 13:54:02 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/temecula/article_155ab65e-e9a2-5bd8-9f85-6f40bf55e290.html</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>SELTZER v. EUGENE BURGER MANAGEMENT CORPORATION</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Here, Seltzer appeals the trial court's post-judgment orders awarding attorney fees to defendants and denying Seltzer's motion for stay of enforcement and claim of exemption. After reviewing the record, we affirm the trial court's post-judgment orders.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 20 Oct 2011 13:51:54 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/rtHUHq</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Tips for condo financing</title>
     <description><![CDATA[One of the most important things to understand when attempting to obtain financing for a condominium is an "HOA Cert" or Homeowner(s) Association Certification.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 20 Oct 2011 13:35:42 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://napavalleyregister.com/business/columnists/chris-salese/tips-for-condo-financing/article_409f6e72-fadf-11e0-992b-001cc4c03286.html</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>City May Consider Ban On Smoking Outside Apartments, Condos</title>
     <description><![CDATA[The city of San Diego could ban smoking right outside the homes of some smokers.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Mon, 17 Oct 2011 21:36:19 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/qOjWPU</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Matrix drilling in Sycamore Canyon poses problems for nearby residents</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Cindy Grubb has lived in her condominium just above Sycamore Canyon near Workman Mill Road for 20 years, and for most of it she wasn't concerned that there were oil wells 600 feet away.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Mon, 17 Oct 2011 11:10:13 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/nj2Mzm</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title><![CDATA[HOA ADVISER: Enforcing HOA bylaws and CC&Rs]]></title>
     <description><![CDATA[Q. Does the Department of Real Estate assist with the enforcement of homeowner association bylaws and CC&Rs?]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 14 Oct 2011 14:34:10 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.dailybreeze.com/business/ci_19111681</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Spring Valley Condo Complex on Fire</title>
     <description><![CDATA[There was fire at a condominium complex on Sweetwater Springs and Del Rio Road in Spring Valley. Multiple Fire crews were able to extinguish the fire around 6am this morning.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 14 Oct 2011 11:10:20 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.sandiego6.com/news/local/story/Spring-Valley-Condo-Complex-on-Fire-UPDATE/7sgznzHfyEqAIpM2x-yR3A.cspx</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Cupertino blast neighborhood fears the worst</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Hubbart and several neighbors were looking for answers Thursday as they stood outside the condominium destroyed in the August blast while Democratic state Assemblymen Paul Fong of Cupertino and Jerry Hill of San Mateo announced legislation to compel state regulators to force PG&E and other pipeline operators to replace faulty Aldyl-A pipe.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 13 Oct 2011 22:08:23 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/nj4seW</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Brad Watson: How HOAs handle disciplinary action</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Dr. HOA,
I recently received a letter from my association’s management company that they are fining me $50 for adding a new light to the front of my home without their approval, and the letter states that the fines will continue to increase until the issue is resolved.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 13 Oct 2011 15:19:47 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.the-signal.com/section/25/article/52568/</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Seven Oaks making another try at voting</title>
     <description><![CDATA[The 1,759 property owners in Seven Oaks are being asked to re-vote on amendments to their neighborhood’s rules due to a ballot misprint in an attempt earlier this summer.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Wed, 12 Oct 2011 20:52:54 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.pomeradonews.com/2011/10/11/seven-oaks-making-another-try-at-ccr-voting/</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Condo community spruces up with art</title>
     <description><![CDATA[A condominium community is trying a novel approach to improving its property values.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Mon, 10 Oct 2011 19:07:49 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/ouTzvp</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Woman, Children Escape Condo Fire in Salinas</title>
     <description><![CDATA[A woman and her four children are safe after they escaped a condo fire on Las Cruces Way Friday afternoon.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sat, 08 Oct 2011 10:18:46 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.kionrightnow.com/story/15645666/woman-children-escape-condo-fire-in-salinas</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Deja vu for Leisure World seniors demanding transparency</title>
     <description><![CDATA[One might assume that the decision would also apply to Leisure World’s 16 "mutuals" - essentially smaller associations which manage clusters of condos and homes - but one might be mistaken.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 07 Oct 2011 11:23:10 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/qAPkDa</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Laguna Terrace residents asked to pay for court appeal</title>
     <description><![CDATA[The Laguna Terrace Park Assn. reportedly was given until Oct. 15 to mull over ramifications of a request by the park owner to fund an appeal of a court decision that gave jurisdiction over development to the California Coastal Commission — with no guarantee of subdivision.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 06 Oct 2011 21:49:12 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.coastlinepilot.com/news/tn-cpt-1007-terrace-20111006,0,6962831.story</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Sheriff to watch for illegal cyclists on private road</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Downhill cyclists in Felton near the University of California, Santa Cruz campus might need to find a new place to ride.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 06 Oct 2011 20:36:43 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/mTwSUX</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Aliso Viejo reviews smoking in apartments, condos</title>
     <description><![CDATA[City Council members asked Wednesday for more information on how limiting smoking in apartments, condos and townhomes might work.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 06 Oct 2011 18:52:29 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.ocregister.com/articles/smoking-320741-smoke-council.html</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Exec hanging on after $273K blunder at Leisure World</title>
     <description><![CDATA[After seniors in Leisure World Seal Beach were forced to cough up a $273,000 late fee to the Orange County treasurer/tax collector - because checks for property tax payments totaling $2.7 million were forgotten in a folder on the assistant controller’s desk -- some residents warned that heads would roll.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 06 Oct 2011 17:13:53 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/peI7tT</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>California Forum to Focus on Community Association Issues</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Diverse legal issues affecting the governance and management of homeowner and condominium associations in California will be the focus of a day-long legal forum Oct. 21 in Long Beach.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Wed, 05 Oct 2011 15:46:52 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.investors.com/NewsAndAnalysis/Newsfeed/Article/136632163/201110051136/California-Forum-to-Focus-on-Community-Association-Issues.aspx</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>RUFFALO v. LAKE OF PINES ASSOCIATION, INC.</title>
     <description><![CDATA[On appeal from the resulting judgment, the Ruffalos contend the trial court erred in overruling their objection to admission of the settlement agreement. They also contend that even if the agreement was admissible, defendants failed to perform their obligations under the agreement, excusing the Ruffalos' performance, including dismissal of the action.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Mon, 03 Oct 2011 10:56:08 -0500</pubDate>
     <link><![CDATA[http://www.leagle.com/xmlResult.aspx?xmldoc=In%20CACO%2020110930032.xml&docbase=CSLWAR3-2007-CURR]]></link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>HOA ADVISER: Common errors in preparing a budget</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Q. What are the most common errors made by homeowner association boards and management companies when preparing their HOA budgets?]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 30 Sep 2011 17:46:36 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/roaFJd</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>REGENCY OAKHURST OWNERS' ASSOCIATION v. GASKIN</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Gaskin failed to maintain the balcony on his unit. He allowed rubbish and dirt to accumulate to such a point that rain water could not properly drain, which caused water damage to the balcony structure and dry rot. Gaskin failed to notify Regency of the damaged condition and then refused to allow Regency reasonable access to his balcony to make necessary repairs.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 29 Sep 2011 12:22:22 -0500</pubDate>
     <link><![CDATA[http://www.leagle.com/xmlResult.aspx?xmldoc=In%20CACO%2020110928049.xml&docbase=CSLWAR3-2007-CURR]]></link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>CADAM v. SOMERSET GARDENS TOWNHOUSE HOA</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Following trial, the jury decided in favor of Cadam and awarded her $1,336,197 damages. It found that Somerset and GM were each 50 percent responsible for her injuries. Somerset and GM filed a motion for JNOV and, in the alternative, for a new trial. Following written and oral argument, the trial court granted the JNOV, ruling that "[n]o reasonable person could find this was not a trivial defect looking at the photographs, . . . the height, [and] the surrounding circumstances."]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 29 Sep 2011 12:17:35 -0500</pubDate>
     <link><![CDATA[http://www.leagle.com/xmlResult.aspx?xmldoc=In%20CACO%2020110928038.xml&docbase=CSLWAR3-2007-CURR]]></link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Homeowners association says city owes it $55,000 in water bills</title>
     <description><![CDATA[A homeowners association has filed a claim against Lake Elsinore, contending the city owes it nearly $55,000 in bills the group mistakenly paid for the irrigation of a city park.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 29 Sep 2011 12:03:51 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/qbkJZY</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Brad Watson: Make sure your HOA properly vets vendors/contractors</title>
     <description><![CDATA[I recently joined the board of directors for my condominium association after the implementation of a hefty special assessment resulting from crooked and/or incompetent vendors.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Wed, 28 Sep 2011 08:49:31 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.the-signal.com/section/25/article/51812/</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Arcadia City Council rejects increasing control of HOAs</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Council members last week rebuffed a proposed draft resolution that several argued would give city-designated homeowner associations too much power.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Mon, 26 Sep 2011 21:14:49 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/orjRWr</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Plastic natural gas pipe failure data kept secret</title>
     <description><![CDATA[The type of plastic pipe that caused a natural gas explosion and fire in a Cupertino condominium last month has long been considered a potential threat to the public, but federal pipeline regulators have allowed companies to keep it in the ground]]></description>
     <pubDate>Mon, 26 Sep 2011 08:48:22 -0500</pubDate>
     <link><![CDATA[http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/09/25/MNAH1L8QMB.DTL&ao=all]]></link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Prices collapsing in senior communities</title>
     <description><![CDATA[North San Diego and Southwest Riverside counties have everything an incipient retiree could want: Steady sunshine, moderate temperatures, and plenty of cheap 55-and-up communities to live in.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sun, 25 Sep 2011 19:18:52 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/nSji1n</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Bayview homeowners blame liquor store for crime</title>
     <description><![CDATA[In San Francisco, some neighbors say they feel like they're being held captive in their own homes. They say this week's shooting of a 5-year-old girl proves what they've been telling police, that a liquor store on their block is a magnate for criminals.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sat, 24 Sep 2011 12:12:25 -0500</pubDate>
     <link><![CDATA[http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/local/san_francisco&id=8366305]]></link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Remember these four million HOA rules</title>
     <description><![CDATA[We live in a society where there seems to be no shortage of rules. Some of the rules are common sense and things we really need to know, like driving our car on our side of the double yellow line. Some of the rules are a little crazy, like that classic "Do Not Remove" tag found on mattresses. It's the rules that are found between these far-reaching extremes that confuse and aggravate people.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 23 Sep 2011 22:24:34 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/nOehNW</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>No coverage for cleanup from asbestos release, state appeals court says</title>
     <description><![CDATA[A pollution exclusion in a condominium association’s policy precluded coverage of its $650,000 cleanup of a residential complex resulting from the release of asbestos fibers, a California appeals panel has ruled.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 23 Sep 2011 18:50:18 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/n90IT6</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title><![CDATA[HOA ADVISER: Existing CC&Rs are obsolete]]></title>
     <description><![CDATA[Q. We were about to make an offer to purchase a condominium when we learned that the board's attempt to get restated CC&Rs failed to get approved.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 23 Sep 2011 12:25:51 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.dailybreeze.com/business/ci_18960093</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Burglary Series Has Vista Gated Community On Edge</title>
     <description><![CDATA[A brief surveillance video is the best clue in the growing mystery inside a gated community in Vista, 10News reported.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 23 Sep 2011 12:20:26 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/r0Pjgy</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Windemere board holds line on skateboards in La Jolla neighborhood</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Windemere residents divided for weeks over a new homeowners board rule restricting skateboarders have agreed to meet in the middle.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 23 Sep 2011 12:10:19 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/n4ptz6</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>San Dimas man dies after trying to rescue pet bird in fire</title>
     <description><![CDATA[A 60-year-old San Dimas man who ran inside a burning building to rescue his pet bird was found dead Tuesday afternoon outside the fire-damaged structure, officials said.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Tue, 20 Sep 2011 22:40:32 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/09/man-dies-rescue-bird-in-fire.html</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Governor Signs Bill Putting End to Actions Without Meeting</title>
     <description><![CDATA[As many directors and managers already know, the time it takes to successfully run an Association can be significant. One of the tools that Board’s have often used to efficiently handle issues that were not the subject of debate has been the Action Without Meeting, or "AWOM".]]></description>
     <pubDate>Tue, 20 Sep 2011 19:30:29 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://hoabrief.com/2011/09/21/governor-signs-bill-putting-end-to-actions-without-meeting/</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Troubled over Rancho Tehama Reserve bridge</title>
     <description><![CDATA[The faction and infighting between members of the Rancho Tehama Association Board of Director and the resentment some residents have toward its leaders was evident as the board met Tuesday to discuss repealing a moratorium for work on the Humboldt Bridge.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Tue, 20 Sep 2011 18:12:06 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/qC6qGS</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Homeowners' Association Resolution on Council Agenda</title>
     <description><![CDATA[The Arcadia City Council will discuss a proposed resolution Tuesday that would consolidate the separate resolutions governing the design review processes for the city's five homeowners' associations.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Tue, 20 Sep 2011 18:08:52 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/qXFE6r</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>2 Condominiums Destroyed In Fire</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Fire destroyed two townhomes in South Sacramento early Wednesday morning.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Tue, 20 Sep 2011 18:01:23 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44423528</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Neighbors angry over newest Hollywood sign viewing area</title>
     <description><![CDATA[It was like a heated city council meeting played out under the Hollywood sign Monday: Hollywoodland Homeowners Association (HOA) President Sarajane Schwartz confronted L.A. City Councilman Tom LaBonge about what she and other neighbors see as a big problem in their neighborhood.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Mon, 19 Sep 2011 22:26:37 -0500</pubDate>
     <link><![CDATA[http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/local/los_angeles&id=8360459]]></link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>HOA ADVISER: Lawsuit to fix construction defects?</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Q. We live in a community of new single family homes that has an association and common area.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Mon, 19 Sep 2011 17:51:19 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.dailybreeze.com/business/ci_18908884</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>3-Alarm Condo Fire Hospitalizes Calif. Firefighter</title>
     <description><![CDATA[A large three-alarm blaze ripped through a six-unit condo complex in East San Jose on Wednesday afternoon, injuring two residents and a firefighter, authorities said.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Mon, 19 Sep 2011 12:05:41 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.firehouse.com/news/top-headlines/3-alarm-calif-condo-fire-hospitalizes-firefighter</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Sonoma County supports smoking ban in condos</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Smokers in Sonoma County who live in apartment and condominium complexes will have to light up outside starting next year.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Mon, 19 Sep 2011 11:31:59 -0500</pubDate>
     <link><![CDATA[http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2011/09/13/state/n194110D46.DTL&tsp=1]]></link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>More condo units get new lives as rentals</title>
     <description><![CDATA[After years of sluggish condo sales, many developers with projects that are finished, entitled or somewhere in between are looking at becoming apartment landlords.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 09 Sep 2011 13:53:34 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/morning_call/2011/09/more-condo-units-get-new-lives-as.html</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>San Pablo leaders end emergency declaration from March landslide</title>
     <description><![CDATA[In a largely symbolic gesture, the San Pablo City Council this week formally declared an end to the local emergency produced by a March 24 landslide. The action comes three months after federal officials said the damage from the landslide does not qualify for federal aid.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 08 Sep 2011 23:02:29 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_18852850</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Wrangling Over AVCA's $2-Million Fund Isn't Over</title>
     <description><![CDATA[An Aliso Viejo City Council member responded to online criticism, and the city attorney rebutted allegations of public-meeting violations, in a Wednesday night installment of the continuing controversy over a $2-million AVCA fund.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 08 Sep 2011 22:46:15 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://alisoviejo.patch.com/articles/wrangling-over-avcas-2-million-fund-isnt-over-2</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Two Long Beach firefighters injured in downtown condo fire</title>
     <description><![CDATA[One firefighter had possible heat exhaustion and another one suffered a knee injury during an early evening blaze Wednesday at a downtown condominium, officials said.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 08 Sep 2011 22:38:05 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_18846820</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Family escapes 2-alarm condo fire in Sacramento</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Sacramento fire investigators are looking into exactly what caused a fire that destroyed two condos on Calvine Road near Center Parkway.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 08 Sep 2011 22:09:08 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.news10.net/news/local/article/153606/2/Sacramento-family-escapes-overnight-condo-fire</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>BBQ or Electrical Problems? Causes of Portofinio Condo Fire Still Unclear</title>
     <description><![CDATA[An active barbeque pit could have caused the fire that consumed a four-unit Portofino Court condominium Wednesday morning, said a city manager's report put out Friday]]></description>
     <pubDate>Tue, 06 Sep 2011 10:36:14 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://hercules.patch.com/articles/bbq-or-electrical-problems-causes-of-portofinio-condo-fire-still-unclear</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title><![CDATA[PG&E pipe that exploded in Cupertino was made of material connected with numerou]]></title>
     <description><![CDATA[The explosion and fire that ripped through a Cupertino home this week was caused by a crack in a PG&E gas line made of a material whose regular failures have been the subject of at least two federal safety advisories, numerous lawsuits and accidents across the nation dating back at least a decade.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Mon, 05 Sep 2011 20:54:45 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/reG9TV</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Who's moving in next door?</title>
     <description><![CDATA[In a once tight-knit neighborhood people are now divided by the proposal. Allow their old neighbor to house developmentally disabled people or risk friendship and family in the name of personal safety.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Mon, 05 Sep 2011 13:57:07 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/o00yJX</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Residents both worried and relieved in aftermath of Cupertino gas line explosion</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Every now and then, residents of a sleepy condominium complex in Cupertino stopped by the charred home of their neighbor Saturday, surveying the results of an explosion and fire caused by a crack in a PG&E gas line.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sun, 04 Sep 2011 22:47:55 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/pX2utM</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Surf and Sand residents face uncertain future</title>
     <description><![CDATA[When his fellow residents at the Surf and Sand mobile home park in Capitola protested a new and onerous lease this summer, he joined in the fight, even though it meant his rent was raised from $285 to $2,500 a month.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 02 Sep 2011 15:09:48 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/qLv9sp</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Expo helps homeowner association members, property managers deal with today's is</title>
     <description><![CDATA[The free Sizzlin' Summer Community Faire at Westlake Village Inn on Tuesday offered attendees the chance to meet with 40 vendors that offer services to the homeowner association industry as well as participate in workshops addressing legal issues property managers and association members might face, such as neighbor-to-neighbor disputes, collections and enforcement.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 02 Sep 2011 14:46:57 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.vcstar.com/news/2011/sep/01/expo-helps-homeowner-association-members-deal/</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Governor signs HOA document fee bill</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Gov. Jerry Brown has signed a bill that prohibits companies from charging home buyers in a common interest development such as a condominium or townhouse from being charged excess document fees.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 02 Sep 2011 14:37:47 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/nxWr5H</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title><![CDATA[Another PG&E blast draws feds' attention]]></title>
     <description><![CDATA[Federal investigators are looking into the explosion of a leaky Pacific Gas and Electric Co. gas line that devastated a Cupertino condominium, officials said Thursday.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 02 Sep 2011 14:33:57 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/o7sWRF</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Brad Watson: Earthquake insurance not always a solid buy for HOAs</title>
     <description><![CDATA[live in a townhome with a homeowners association. I recently purchased earthquake insurance for my home, but I was told I could only purchase earthquake insurance for the contents inside of my home, not the building itself.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Wed, 31 Aug 2011 13:44:13 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.the-signal.com/section/25/article/50333/</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Condo blaze causes $2 million in damage</title>
     <description><![CDATA[A fire that scorched three condominiums Tuesday morning in Del Mar caused an estimated $2 million in total damage, a fire official said.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Wed, 31 Aug 2011 11:48:58 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/del-mar/article_595fb5f9-b5cf-57a2-ae0d-f8b9f6fb06c3.html</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Homeowners to address parks fund</title>
     <description><![CDATA[After questions came up at recent community meetings about Aliso Viejo Community Association's parks-improvement fund, the master homeowners association is asking sports groups and homeowners to attend its next board meeting to provide input and clear up confusion.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Wed, 31 Aug 2011 11:25:02 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.ocregister.com/news/association-136487-ocprint-city-aliso.html</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>VALENZUELA v. COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Plaintiffs in this action are nine homeowners who owned five residential properties damaged by floodwaters during heavy rainstorms in January and February of 2005. In their operative third amended complaint (the complaint), plaintiffs alleged that various acts and omissions by the County of San Diego (County), Bonita Highlands Homeowners Association (BHHOA), and John and Thelma Oullette caused the flood damage to their homes.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Mon, 29 Aug 2011 10:37:30 -0500</pubDate>
     <link><![CDATA[http://www.leagle.com/xmlResult.aspx?xmldoc=In%20CACO%2020110826036.xml&docbase=CSLWAR3-2007-CURR]]></link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>News and tips for home and condo owners</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Today I've got news and tips for home and condo owners:]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sun, 28 Aug 2011 21:01:14 -0500</pubDate>
     <link><![CDATA[http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/08/28/BUF91KSF4H.DTL&type=business]]></link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>HOA ADVISER: Annual meeting to elect board of directors</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Q. Our homeowners association has not held an annual meeting to elect new directors for more than 18 months even though our bylaws require an annual meeting to be held. I have requested that our "annual" meeting be held, but have been ignored. What can I do?]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 26 Aug 2011 16:31:39 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.dailybreeze.com/business/ci_18763410</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Fire damages three condo units</title>
     <description><![CDATA[A fire damaged three units at an Oceanside retirement community Thursday night displacing several people, according to the Oceanside Fire Department]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 26 Aug 2011 15:50:53 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/oceanside/article_c2c7d60e-e748-588a-8a89-e3d342de7ea6.html</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Covenant formed to protect Ranch still in place</title>
     <description><![CDATA[In the early 1920s, Rancho Santa Fe was promoted as a place with all the urban conveniences, plus rural freedom, rich in romantic heritage of Spain, with room to grow families and orchards of fruit, with protective restrictions on architecture and landscaping as in the most exclusive metropolitan neighborhoods]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 25 Aug 2011 16:41:34 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/q1j8wK</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Fire damages 3 floors of Costa Mesa condo complex</title>
     <description><![CDATA[More than 40 firefighters responded to a blaze that damaged three floors of a condominium complex early Thursday morning.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 25 Aug 2011 16:18:31 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44273444</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>SMURRO v. CANTAMAR COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION (anti-SLAPP)</title>
     <description><![CDATA[He argues the acts upon which he bases his cross-complaint are not protected speech. We disagree and affirm. In addition, we grant Smurro's motion to file a late reply brief.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 25 Aug 2011 15:22:13 -0500</pubDate>
     <link><![CDATA[http://www.leagle.com/xmlResult.aspx?xmldoc=In%20CACO%2020110823063.xml&docbase=CSLWAR3-2007-CURR]]></link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Diablo Grande homeowners suit faces setback</title>
     <description><![CDATA[A group that is suing Diablo Grande homeowners association board members and the development’s parent company suffered a blow after a Stanislaus County judge ruled the suit would need to be altered if it is to stand.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Tue, 23 Aug 2011 08:27:26 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/ox9tzA</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Flames Tear Through Condo Roof</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Flames ripped through the roof of a condominium in north Davis on Saturday, sending one man to a local hospital.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sun, 21 Aug 2011 17:42:42 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://davis.patch.com/articles/flames-tear-through-condo-roof</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Customers Win; LA Agrees to Repay DWP Users</title>
     <description><![CDATA[The city was illegally billing apartment and condo residents for city trash pickup, even though they paid for private collection. The city has been wrongly billing people this way for decades. NBC LA first exposed the problem in February 2011.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 19 Aug 2011 16:46:13 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/nmob6s</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>HOA ADVISER: Proper supervision of children</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Q. Our homeowner association has several rules that require adult supervision of children under certain circumstances.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 19 Aug 2011 15:45:59 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.dailybreeze.com/business/ci_18715217</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Brentwood Homeowners Association Opposes New Bus Bench Contract</title>
     <description><![CDATA[The Brentwood Homeowners Association announced on Wednesday that they are opposing the city’s "bus bench deal" with Martin Outdoor Media until the contract is amended to respect the San Vicente Scenic Corridor Specific Plan.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 19 Aug 2011 13:02:23 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://brentwood.patch.com/articles/brentwood-homeowners-association-opposes-new-bus-bench-contract</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>VILLA LOS ALAMOS HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION v. STATE FARM GENERAL INSURANCE COMPANY</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Today we are asked to decide whether MacKinnon's interpretation limiting the scope of the pollution exclusion in a standard CGL policy to environmental pollution also governs the interpretation of a comparable pollution exclusion in a first party property insurance policy. We conclude that it does.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 19 Aug 2011 13:01:00 -0500</pubDate>
     <link><![CDATA[http://www.leagle.com/xmlResult.aspx?xmldoc=In%20CACO%2020110817003.xml&docbase=CSLWAR3-2007-CURR]]></link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Neighborhood-association embezzler is sentenced</title>
     <description><![CDATA[The former administrative manager of a Palo Alto neighborhood association received a six-month suspended sentence and must pay back $60,000 he stole from the Greenmeadow Community Association, a Santa Clara County Superior Court judge ruled Thursday]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 19 Aug 2011 11:41:10 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/nMZgC1</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>HOA management company apologizes for theft of funds</title>
     <description><![CDATA[A management company employee’s scheme to steal more than $200,000 from Diablo Grande’s homeowners association took place over a 28-month period, an executive revealed during a special presentation to homeowners Monday, Aug. 15.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 19 Aug 2011 11:06:15 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.pattersonirrigator.com/view/full_story/15128712/article-HOA-management-company-apologizes-for-theft-of-funds?instance=lead_story_left_column</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Baja beach enclave fights to collect nearly $200,000 in HOA fees</title>
     <description><![CDATA[The Americans who own homes at Baja Malibu Playas say they love their small enclave of cobblestone streets and Pacific Ocean vistas. Yet there is trouble in paradise: Many homeowners have not been paying their monthly maintenance fees.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 19 Aug 2011 10:40:15 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/aug/16/trouble-in-paradise-american-enclave-fights-to-co/http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/aug/16/trouble-in-paradise-american-enclave-fights-to-co/</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Brad Watson: Can a builder hold majority on a homeowners association?</title>
     <description><![CDATA[We recently moved into a new community, and I would like to join the board of directors. The current board is made up of builder representatives, not homeowners. Is it legal for the builder to control the board? They don’t even live in the community, and I thought it was a “homeowners association.”]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 19 Aug 2011 10:39:23 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.the-signal.com/section/25/article/49629/</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>C.A.R. Sponsors Bill That Would Prevent Condominium/Townhome Buyers from Being G</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Assembly Bill 771 (Betsy Butler, D-Torrance) addresses this situation by specifying that only fees for the required documents may be charged when such documents are provided, effectively prohibiting any "bundling" of fees for other documents with these fees. The bill also creates a new form detailing which documents are required. The seller of a CID must complete this form and transmit it to the prospective purchaser along with the required documents. This will eliminate any uncertainty for the prospective purchaser as to exactly which documents are being provided.  AB 771 passed off the Assembly Floor Monday by a vote of 69-0. The measure now awaits the Governor's signature into law.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Mon, 15 Aug 2011 18:52:44 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://newsblaze.com/story/2011081515052300002.bw/topstory.html</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Bel Marin Keys Fire Leaves Condo Uninhabitable</title>
     <description><![CDATA[A fire in a two-story condominium in Bel Marin Keys Saturday afternoon left the unit uninhabitable due to extensive smoke damage, Novato Fire officials said.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sun, 14 Aug 2011 16:20:51 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://novato.patch.com/articles/bel-marin-keys-fire-leaves-condo-uninhabitable</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>HOA ADVISER: Suing to fix construction defects</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Q. We live in a large townhome community, which has extensive common areas. There are numerous construction defects associated with the common areas.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sun, 14 Aug 2011 12:59:42 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.dailybreeze.com/business/ci_18667417</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>33 North condos in San Rafael face possible receivership, foreclosure</title>
     <description><![CDATA[An 82-unit condominium complex in San Rafael near the Marin Civic Center is in danger of foreclosure after U.S. Bank filed a lawsuit against the developer for allegedly defaulting on a $35 million loan]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 11 Aug 2011 11:35:34 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.marinij.com/business/ci_18632941</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Palm Desert couple battling HOA over solar panels</title>
     <description><![CDATA[A Palm Desert couple wanting to help the environment while also cutting utility costs are battling their HOA over the right to install solar panels on their condominium.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 11 Aug 2011 10:13:30 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.mydesert.com/article/20110809/NEWS01/110809013/-No-heading-</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Westside condo complex coming down: Condemned oceanfront building in Santa Cruz</title>
     <description><![CDATA[The final phase of demolition is expected to begin next week on an oceanfront condominium building condemned by the city last year.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 11 Aug 2011 10:05:55 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_18641397?nclick_check=1</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Hollywood sign tourists annoy neighbors</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Robert deVico can't help but laugh at the irony: a 1920s advertisement for his Hollywoodland neighborhood lured home buyers by promising sylvan hills "above the traffic-laden arteries, congestion, smoke and fog of the metropolis" and branded the community with a giant mountainside sign.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sat, 06 Aug 2011 22:40:19 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.newsday.com/news/nation/hollywood-sign-tourists-annoy-neighbors-1.3079854</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Window washers rescued from San Francisco condo complex</title>
     <description><![CDATA[A defective steel support pole that gave way atop a Mission Bay condominium tower left two window washers dangling high above the ground Thursday, with only their safety harnesses keeping them from plunging to their deaths, authorities said]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sat, 06 Aug 2011 19:52:55 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.firerescue1.com/rescue/articles/1098900-Window-washers-rescued-from-San-Francisco-condo-complex/</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>A Bitter Battle: An Orange HOA vs. The Backyard Play Set</title>
     <description><![CDATA[?A four-year battle has been raging in a quiet Orange community, one that's ridden with threats and attorney involvement.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sat, 06 Aug 2011 19:06:54 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/qhCdzj</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>HOA ADVISER: Defining `member in good standing`</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Q. Our governing documents do not include a definition of a "member in good standing." How is it defined absent a provision in the CC&Rs and Bylaws?]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sat, 06 Aug 2011 19:06:10 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.dailybreeze.com/business/ci_18622398</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Judge calls for mediation in Diablo Grande dispute</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Stanislaus County judge recommended mediation Friday, July 29, for a nonprofit that is suing Diablo Grande homeowners association board members over alleged elections fraud.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sat, 06 Aug 2011 17:34:31 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.pattersonirrigator.com/view/full_story/14938369/article-Judge-calls-for-mediation-in-Diablo-Grande-dispute?instance=secondary_stories_left_column</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>SJ Man Pleads in Real Estate Fraud Case</title>
     <description><![CDATA[A South Bay man is due to be sentenced in Santa Clara County  Superior Court on Dec. 15 to five years in prison for defrauding investors in  two failed real estate projects of $1.2 million.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sat, 06 Aug 2011 16:52:18 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/SJ-Man-Pleads-in-Real-Estate-Fraud-Case-126596528.html</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Anaheim Condo Complex at Center of Free-Speech Debate</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Incumbent Brookhurst Village homeowners-association-board director Mohammed Alam campaigned for re-election at a September 2009 meeting. Former Brookhurst board president Veronica Cabrera, though no longer a resident, was there to campaign for a slate of candidates other than Alam.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Mon, 01 Aug 2011 21:10:26 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/nKIzLP</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Flaming Truck Hits Condo, Off-Duty EMT Saves Occupants</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Our hero says it looked like something out of a movie. First an explosion, then a truck engulfed in flames, careens down the road, crashing into a condominium.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Mon, 01 Aug 2011 17:55:32 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.ksee24.com/news/local/Flaming-Truck-Hits-Condo-Off-Duty-EMT-Saves-Occupants-126538088.html</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Condos damaged in separate South County fires</title>
     <description><![CDATA[The second condo fire was reported about three miles away in Chula Vista, on Serena Circle,]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sun, 31 Jul 2011 12:51:42 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/jul/29/condos-damaged-separate/</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Chula Vista Condo Fires Displaces 9 Residents</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Fires that erupted within a few minutes of each other this Friday afternoon damaged condominiums in two South Bay neighborhoods several miles apart and displaced a total of nine people.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sat, 30 Jul 2011 21:32:08 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.10news.com/news/28711240/detail.html</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>HOA ADVISER: Reserve study evaluates common area</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Q. What is a reserve study?   A. It is a written report that evaluates the common area of the association. It provides guidance on how much your association should be setting aside each month for reserve]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 29 Jul 2011 12:50:55 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.dailybreeze.com/business/ci_18575408</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>CA: CABRERA v. ALAM (defamation suit for comments made at an HOA meeting</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Having thrust herself into the controversy surrounding the election of the association's board of directors, she became a limited purpose public figure who was required to show defendant made the allegedly defamatory statements with malice]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 28 Jul 2011 10:01:23 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/ndtA1I</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Rancho council to discuss sex offender ban, county pay report</title>
     <description><![CDATA[In the coming weeks, the council will also have to work closely with the master homeowners association SAMLARC and other HOAs in the city. All parks in the city are maintained by HOAs - not the city - and a ban would require their support to be passed.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Wed, 27 Jul 2011 21:32:03 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.ocregister.com/news/city-309883-council-sex.html</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Gov signs SB209 prohibiting HOAs from unreasonably restricting charging stations</title>
     <description><![CDATA[California Governor Jerry Brown recently signed SB 209 by Ellen Corbett (D-San Leandro) – Common interest developments: electric vehicle charging stations. He accompanied this with a signing message that is included below or you can read the original on the official State of California site.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Wed, 27 Jul 2011 14:38:27 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://topicInfoLink</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title><![CDATA[Pet Q&A: Condo association won't allow rabbits]]></title>
     <description><![CDATA[We live in a condo and have a bunny. Our association rules do not allow bunnies, however. Do you have information I can use to help change the rules?]]></description>
     <pubDate>Tue, 26 Jul 2011 10:38:55 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/q3Cfct</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>GONZALEZ v. DeBERRY:</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Appellant Luis Gonzalez was employed by an unlicensed and uninsured painting contractor who contracted with respondents to paint a three-story building in San Francisco. Respondents are the homeowners association and the two individual owners of the three-unit building.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Tue, 26 Jul 2011 10:17:21 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/qI7L1K</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>State looking at regulating private fishing ponds, lakes</title>
     <description><![CDATA[The rules could have a wide reach, Mlikotin said. They would apply to about 60 fish farmers statewide who grow live fish for pond and lake stocking and for restaurants, he said. In addition, thousands of privately owned ponds and lakes would need stocking permits that require environmental assessments]]></description>
     <pubDate>Mon, 25 Jul 2011 09:36:03 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/roiE9V</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Feds investigate lending by failed Sonoma bank</title>
     <description><![CDATA[A federal grand jury is sifting through the collapse of Sonoma Valley Bank and its use of taxpayer bailout money, part of a criminal probe examining loans the bank made to one of its largest borrowers.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sun, 24 Jul 2011 10:46:05 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20110724/ARTICLES/110729753/1320/entertainment?Title=Feds-investigate-lending-by-failed-Sonoma-bank</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Neighbors Say Hollywood Sign Can't Be "Major Tourist Destination"</title>
     <description><![CDATA[A Hollywoodlander writes to let us know that "it now seems that the present board of the Hollywoodland Homeowners Association is officially endorsing the idea of keeping out tourist[s] from Hollywoodland..."]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sat, 23 Jul 2011 22:49:27 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/qBpdPP</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Walnut Creek Condo Fire Displaces 13</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Eight units of the three-story condominium complex were engulfed by flames when firefighters arrived.  All eight apartments were total loss, but all residents were saved thanks to a stranger's quick action.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sat, 23 Jul 2011 14:14:21 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/o3pOxB</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Coronado condo fire caused by burning candle</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Residents and visitors at one of the Coronado Shores condominium towers were evacuated Thursday morning after a two-alarm blaze broke out inside one unit, causing about $200,000 in damage, officials said.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 22 Jul 2011 18:36:38 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/jul/21/small-fire-doused-coronado-shores-condo-people-eva/</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>HOA ADVISER: Who on the board is entitled to vote?</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Q. Our board is not in agreement on the subject of who is entitled to vote when a unit is owned by a family trust. Who is entitled to vote?]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 22 Jul 2011 16:28:25 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.dailybreeze.com/business/ci_18530784</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Rancho neighborhood turns down increasing Landscape Maintenance District fees</title>
     <description><![CDATA[ Residents in the Victoria Planned Community voted down changes to its landscaping fees, which means homeowners in Landscape Maintenance District 2 will not see an increase in their property tax bill.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 22 Jul 2011 11:15:40 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.mercurynews.com/california/ci_18525120?nclick_check=1</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>New LARCS president shares insights</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Ryan Miller is the new president of the Ladera Ranch Community Services board of directors. He's lived in the community since 2004 with his wife and two daughters and has been on the LARCS board for the past four years.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 21 Jul 2011 21:23:29 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.ocregister.com/news/community-309186-larcs-event.html</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>On Home Owner Associations, or, how to herd cats</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Q.  Our board is not in agreement on the subject of who is entitled to vote when a unit is owned by a family trust. Who is entitled to vote?]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 21 Jul 2011 18:25:25 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://topicInfoLink</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Fire knocked down in Dana Point condo</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Firefighters knocked down a fire that was spotted on the third floor of a condominium, authorities said.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 21 Jul 2011 18:24:14 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.ocregister.com/news/fire-309160-firefighters-floor.html</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Small fire doused in Coronado Shores condo, people evacuated</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Residents and visitors at one of the Coronado Shores condominium towers were evacuated Thursday morning after a fire broke out inside one unit, officials said.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 21 Jul 2011 15:09:35 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/jul/21/small-fire-doused-coronado-shores-condo-people-eva/</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Brad Watson: Incompetent managers and due hikes without a vote</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Dr. HOA,  I began attending my association’s board meetings earlier this year after learning that our dues were going up 20 percent.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Wed, 20 Jul 2011 10:45:54 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.the-signal.com/section/25/article/48213/</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Chris Brown -- Neighbors Says He's a Nightmare</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Chris Brown is at war with his fellow West Hollywood condo owners, who claim the rapper is the neighbor from hell, parking in handicapped spaces, blasting music, and racing dogs in hallways.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Wed, 20 Jul 2011 10:17:25 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.tmz.com/2011/07/20/chris-brown-handicap-parking-vandalism-west-hollywood-condo-neighbors/</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Resident's commercial truck an issue for HOA</title>
     <description><![CDATA[A parking brouhaha in Cimarron Cove in Cathedral City has pitted residents against the board of the development's homeowners association.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Tue, 19 Jul 2011 11:11:43 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/nXD6ob</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Brush fire burns close to homes in Fletcher Hills</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Firefighters are crediting the homeowners association for clearing brush and creating a defensible space around the homes.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Mon, 18 Jul 2011 22:44:43 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/r6i8W1</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>HOA ADVISER: Why build a cooperative?</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Q. Why would a developer build a cooperative instead of a condominium building?]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 15 Jul 2011 12:06:32 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.dailybreeze.com/business/ci_18483711</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Diablo Grande embezzlement is news to sheriff</title>
     <description><![CDATA[The Diablo Grande Residential Association caused a stir two weeks ago when it claimed $200,000 had been embezzled by a management company, but Stanislaus County Sheriff Adam Christianson says nobody told him or his office about it.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Tue, 12 Jul 2011 21:46:49 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.modbee.com/2011/07/09/1768774/diablo-grande-embezzlement-is.html</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Bill protects owners' rights to rent out condos</title>
     <description><![CDATA[The Legislature has unanimously passed a bill that would protect the right of condominium owners to rent out their units if they had that right when they bought the property.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 08 Jul 2011 17:09:46 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/o2yf9F</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>HOA ADVISER: Can a real estate agent serve on the board?</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Q. I am a licensed real estate agent that lives in a community association. I have represented people who have purchased homes within the community and people who have sold their homes]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 08 Jul 2011 15:23:33 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.dailybreeze.com/business/ci_18439945</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Friendly Hills homeowners oppose proposed Suburban rate hike</title>
     <description><![CDATA[The Friendly Hills Property Owners Association on Wednesday voted to oppose a nearly 32percent rate increase Suburban Water Systems is seeking from the state Public Utilities Commission.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 08 Jul 2011 11:06:14 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.whittierdailynews.com/ci_18435218</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title><![CDATA[Homeowner’s association has no board to enforce CC&Rs]]></title>
     <description><![CDATA[Q:  I moved to town last year and started reading your columns the first week I was here. Now I need your advice.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 07 Jul 2011 20:13:57 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.dailyrepublic.com/real-estatenews/homeowners-association-has-no-board-to-enforce-ccrs/</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Brad Watson: No pools or parks, so why do I really need an HOA?</title>
     <description><![CDATA[live in a homeowners association, but we don’t have a clubhouse, pool or park like other homeowners associations. Why would we be in an HOA, and is it even legal, if we don’t have any amenities?]]></description>
     <pubDate>Wed, 06 Jul 2011 09:54:10 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.the-signal.com/section/25/article/47529/</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Legal rulings could open up RPV</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Following an epic, nine-year court battle over whether his land - and that of the owners of 15 other lots in Portuguese Bend - could be developed, Tabor finally began construction on his Cinnamon Lane property in March]]></description>
     <pubDate>Tue, 05 Jul 2011 12:01:43 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/mJfAYf</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Palm Springs offers Lawn Buyback Incentive Program to replace turf with desert l</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Palm Springs residents can enroll in a new Lawn Buyback Incentive Program that encourages property owners to replace turf with low or no water use desert-friendly landscaping, city officials said.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Mon, 04 Jul 2011 10:17:11 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.mydesert.com/article/20110704/NEWS07/107040330/Palm-Springs-offers-Lawn-Buyback-Incentive-Program-replace-turf-desert-landscaping?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|Frontpage|s</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>New paint on La Jolla condo complex sparks complaints</title>
     <description><![CDATA[A multi-story condominium complex at 7811 Eads Ave. is getting a new coat of dark reddish-brown paint that caught the attention of some people who questioned whether it is an acceptable color in the La Jolla’s Planned District Ordinance (PDO).]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sat, 02 Jul 2011 16:10:38 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.lajollalight.com/2011/07/01/new-paint-on-la-jolla-condo-complex-sparks-complaints/</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Making condos last another 50 years: Part III</title>
     <description><![CDATA[This third and last in a series highlighting ways to make your condo home a better place to live longer. There are a lot of simple practical steps to lengthening the life expectancy of your condominium, which if built in the 1970s or ’80s might be past its expiration date. Each complex, whether it is a four-plex or 400 units, should have its own longevity strategy, often in the form of reserves]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sat, 02 Jul 2011 15:58:05 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/kpkHhU</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>HOA ADVISOR: Recording a violation of architectural requirements</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Q. Can our homeowner association legally record a document against a lot within our community that would put a future buyer on notice that the home is in violation of our architectural requirements?]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sat, 02 Jul 2011 15:15:38 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.dailybreeze.com/business/ci_18391078</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Lawsuit against homeowners group delayed in court</title>
     <description><![CDATA[A lawsuit against Diablo Grande’s homeowners association faced delays this week, after a judge learned that none of the defendants have been served with the suit.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 01 Jul 2011 10:54:08 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/jJxXbf</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Wild animal attacks, kills second Santa Venetia cat</title>
     <description><![CDATA[John Parulis, a Marin Cove Homeowners Association board member, said a gardener at the Santa Venetia complex contacted him about the dead cat Tuesday afternoon. Parulis and another resident found the animal's body parts on common land behind 56 Schmidt Lane.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Wed, 29 Jun 2011 20:55:46 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.marinij.com/marinnews/ci_18379097</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Action Line: How to fight a homeowners association order</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Q I'm one of the homeowners in Mission Garden in Santa Clara. I recently built a portable basketball goal near my garage.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Wed, 29 Jun 2011 09:49:10 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.mercurynews.com/action-line/ci_18372039</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Los Altos council member suing over condo price</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Fishpaw filed a lawsuit in Santa Clara County Superior Court on Thursday against Bank of America and the real estate agent who sold him his Los Altos condo, alleging they cheated him out of the discounted price the home should have been sold for under city policies]]></description>
     <pubDate>Tue, 28 Jun 2011 09:42:14 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/iMAvmp</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Smoke, fire rip through Cathedral City condo complex</title>
     <description><![CDATA[An early morning fire charred the exterior of two units of a Cathedral City condo complex and brought smoke and water damage to at least four more.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Mon, 27 Jun 2011 10:28:26 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.mydesert.com/article/20110627/NEWS08/110627008/Smoke-fire-rip-through-Cathedral-City-condo-complex?odyssey=nav|head</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Making Condominiums last another 50 years: Part II</title>
     <description><![CDATA[While new home construction has been flat for years now, common- interest communities, often referred to as homeowner associations, have grown faster than any other form of American homeownership. CICs can be condominiums or single family detached homes.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sun, 26 Jun 2011 21:40:34 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/lPgiKZ</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>HOA ADVISER: Do we have the right to fly the American flag?</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Q. We live in a large townhome association. We would like to fly the American flag and would like to know whether we have the right to do so.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 24 Jun 2011 22:34:15 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.dailybreeze.com/business/ci_18346403</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Bike Thieves Target Downtown Condominiums</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Several downtown condominium homeowners associations are still feeling the sting from a rash of bike thefts in April, owners said.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 23 Jun 2011 20:28:24 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/lCmOOS</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>This news feed compiled by Community Associations Network</title>
     <description><![CDATA[See the National, Legal and Legislative, and individual state news feeds at our site. Also, see the latest condo and HOA blog posts from around the country.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 23 Jun 2011 18:09:58 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/j76KV7</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Pending Legislation 2011: An update on the current status of legislation</title>
     <description><![CDATA[As summer nears, we wanted to tell you about this year's bills that affect CIDs and the associations that manage them. Pending bills cover subjects ranging from the future enforceability of rental restrictions, to new curbs on assessment collection, from email communications and executive sessions, to conference call procedures for board meetings.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 23 Jun 2011 14:19:23 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://topicInfoLink</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>40-year-old agreement for El Cerrito street maintenance finally approved</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Forty-three years after El Cerrito municipal crews began maintaining the streets, lights and storm drains of Mira Vista Country Club Estates, the city has gotten around to actually agreeing to do so.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 23 Jun 2011 13:39:12 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.insidebayarea.com/crime-courts/ci_18338273</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Lawsuit, changes facing homeowners group in Diablo Grande</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Major upheaval is under way in the developing community of Diablo Grande, where a group of residents has sued homeowners association board members and developer World International and accused members of elections fraud, among other allegations.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 23 Jun 2011 11:43:49 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/mBp62Z</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Claim: City tree damaged community fence</title>
     <description><![CDATA[The Serrano Homeowner's Association asked the city to pay after a eucalyptus tree fell on a fence in November.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 23 Jun 2011 10:50:42 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.ocregister.com/news/city-305372-claim-tree.html</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Brad Watson: My homeowners association can’t do that, can it?</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Dr. HOA,  I received a correspondence from my mortgage company that my homeowners association filed a lien on my property for outstanding assessments. I never received notice from my association.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Wed, 22 Jun 2011 09:02:45 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.the-signal.com/section/25/article/46853/</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Luxury Irvine condo towers go rental</title>
     <description><![CDATA[The luxe new high-rise condos at Astoria in Irvine's Central Park West are no longer for sale -- they're for rent]]></description>
     <pubDate>Tue, 21 Jun 2011 22:04:43 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.ocregister.com/articles/luxury-305289-new-rental.html</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Hidden Creeks Developers Face Tough Questions</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Developers of a controversial 188-home development proposed for the hills above Chatsworth faced tough questions from the land use committee of the Chatsworth Neighborhood Council.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Tue, 21 Jun 2011 10:56:08 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://chatsworth.patch.com/articles/hidden-creeks-developers-face-tough-questions</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Ventura condo fire causes damage</title>
     <description><![CDATA[A cooking-related fire damaged the Pepper Tree condominium complex in Ventura on Monday, authorities said]]></description>
     <pubDate>Tue, 21 Jun 2011 10:53:55 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.vcstar.com/news/2011/jun/20/ventura-condo-fire-causes-damage/</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Better days ahead, majority owner of Villa Portofino condos says</title>
     <description><![CDATA[A half-built Palm Desert retirement community may be getting a new chance at completion after years of sitting in a sea of dusty vacant lots.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sun, 19 Jun 2011 15:39:34 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.theleafchronicle.com/article/J1/20110619/NEWS01/106190316/Condo-majority-owner-says-better-days-ahead?odyssey=mod_sectionstories</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>'Pocket Neighborhoods' documents the modern quest to balance privacy with connec</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Successful neighborhoods make interaction easier and natural, whether residents are on a front porch, in a garden or inside a common shared building. Sustainability becomes not just a matter of materials but a concept that relates to the emotional and psychological well being of residents.  
Book: http://bit.ly/ja3yXT]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sun, 19 Jun 2011 15:30:23 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://lat.ms/iPjaz5</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Making condominiums last another 50 years: Part I</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Many visitors visualize living in Napa in a vine-covered cottage surrounded by vineyards with a picket fence on a cul-de-sac.  And what if that vision is a home within a Common Interest Community (CIC), or a condominium? The resident may be renting or owning, but the home meets their needs, short- or long-term.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sat, 18 Jun 2011 18:43:51 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/iZCeNX</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Featured Fraud: Condo Conundrum</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Usually, thinking twice before making a decision results in the best possible outcome. A Calif. property developer thought twice when it came to finding coverage for a condominium project, however, and now it is costing him.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 17 Jun 2011 12:28:58 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/m2wcQc</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>HOA ADVISER: Solar panel restrictions</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Q. Can homeowner associations prohibit members from installing solar panels?]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 17 Jun 2011 12:20:12 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.dailybreeze.com/business/ci_18299348</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Leisure World seniors may revolt over $273,000 penalty</title>
     <description><![CDATA[So precisely how it came to be that the folks who run Leisure World Seal Beach managed to miss the April property tax deadline is still a bit of a mystery.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Tue, 14 Jun 2011 17:53:27 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/mxdc4Q</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>California retirees’ pot collective reflects growing use among seniors but stirs</title>
     <description><![CDATA[But the Golden Rain Foundation, the all-volunteer board that governs the community, cracked down and prohibited the cultivation of marijuana on all Laguna Woods Village property.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Mon, 13 Jun 2011 21:44:32 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://wapo.st/kpP3kn</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>HOA ADVISER: Neighborhood watch program</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Q. Our condominium association is experiencing a high level of vandalism and other criminal activity. Would a neighborhood watch program help?]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sun, 12 Jun 2011 22:11:11 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.dailybreeze.com/business/ci_18248818</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Section 1717: "Practical Liability" Approach to 1717 Fee Recovery Rejected</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Fact that Trust Deed Holder Might Have to Pay Fees Assessed Against Homeowners Did Not Trigger 1717 Fee Recovery.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 10 Jun 2011 11:55:28 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/mJDH7d</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Dr. Brad Watson: The importance of knowing you HOA’s conditions</title>
     <description><![CDATA[I recently moved into a new townhome community, which has a homeowners association. When I closed escrow, I received a stack of rules for my community. How important is it that I read all of this paperwork?]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 10 Jun 2011 11:42:36 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.the-signal.com/section/25/article/46319/</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Car Fire at Condo Complex Evacuates Residents</title>
     <description><![CDATA[An SUV caught fire early Thursday morning at a South Sacramento condominium complex, quickly spreading to a second car and then to the car port.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 09 Jun 2011 14:27:28 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/lLiNdN</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Santa Clarita Men Sentenced In Clean Air Act Case</title>
     <description><![CDATA[The former owner of a San Fernando Valley condominium complex was sentenced today to four years behind bars, and an ex-employee to home confinement, for conspiring to violate federal asbestos standards during renovation of a 204-unit building in Winnetka.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Tue, 07 Jun 2011 18:23:06 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.bhcourier.com/article/Local/Local/Santa_Clarita_Men_Sentenced_In_Clean_Air_Act_Case/76388</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Worker sues Pasadena condo owner after alleged injury</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Ruiz says he was invited into Simmons' condominium in October 2010 to complete some work on the property. He claims he was hurt due to unsafe conditions inside the condo.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Tue, 07 Jun 2011 15:19:04 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.ultimatepasadena.com/stories/248193-worker-sues-pasadena-condo-owner-after-alleged-injury</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Housing Discrimination Action Does Not Arise From Protected Activity</title>
     <description><![CDATA[In this housing discrimination action, plaintiffs Mary Rivera Radell and her adult daughter Nicole Radell, who are of Puerto Rican ancestry, sued their condominium association, defendant Park Wilshire Homeowners Association (Association), and fellow condominium owners, defendants Murray Allen Morguelan and Jehuda Limor, for disparate treatment on the basis of sex, race, ancestry, and national origin in violation of the California Fair Employment and Housing Act]]></description>
     <pubDate>Mon, 06 Jun 2011 12:15:04 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/mF8SA4</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Mussels not welcome in county lakes, homeowners say</title>
     <description><![CDATA[That's a message Lake of the Pines homeowners are putting out on the community's website, warning boaters against transporting potentially devastating aquatic invasive species.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sun, 05 Jun 2011 20:42:29 -0500</pubDate>
     <link><![CDATA[http://www.tahoedailytribune.com/article/20110605/NEWS/110609928/1056&parentprofile=1056]]></link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>HOA ADVISER: Water intrusion most common condo complaint</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Q. What is the most common claim made by a condominium unit owner against the association and how is it typically resolved?]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 03 Jun 2011 16:00:19 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.dailybreeze.com/business/ci_18197620</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Insurance Department arrests developer for double-dipping on Reno Belvedere fire</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Bijan Madjlessi, who controls the Belvedere Towers condominium project in downtown Reno, has been charged with felony insurance fraud in making multiple claims for losses after the building caught fire nearly three years ago.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 02 Jun 2011 19:52:18 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.rgj.com/article/20110602/NEWS/110602026/California-Insurance-Department-arrests-developer-double-dipping-Reno-Belvedere-fire-claims?odyssey=mod|newswell|img|FRONTPAGE|p</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Underground Fire Sparked at Condo Site</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Black smoke rose from a construction site in Little Italy accompanied by an overwhelming smell of plastic Thursday.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 02 Jun 2011 17:19:52 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/Underground-Fire-Sparked-at-Condo-Site--123040623.html</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>On Home Owner Associations, or, how to herd cats</title>
     <description><![CDATA[We live in a large townhome development.  My neighbor has been in violation of the CC&Rs for several years.  The homeowners association has taken no action and probably will take no action in the future.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 02 Jun 2011 17:13:20 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://wehonews.com/z/wehonews/archive/page.php?articleID=6145</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Action Line: Banning hoops on one's property may be against the law</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Regarding playing hoops where they are restricted by the rules, that might run smack-dab into the face of the law.  An attorney who is familiar with this kind of situation has jumped into the fray.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 02 Jun 2011 10:59:20 -0500</pubDate>
     <link><![CDATA[http://www.mercurynews.com/action-line/ci_18185944?source=rss&nclick_check=1]]></link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Mill Valley condo developer charged with insurance fraud</title>
     <description><![CDATA[A Mill Valley property developer was arrested Wednesday on charges he filed claims with two insurers for the same fire damage at a condominium project in Reno, authorities said.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Wed, 01 Jun 2011 21:34:27 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.marinij.com/business/ci_18185601</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Lake Park Condo Management Meets With Fire Victims, Pledges to Rebuild</title>
     <description><![CDATA[A week after two-alarm blaze damaged or destroyed eight units, some owners were given hope for return within weeks]]></description>
     <pubDate>Wed, 01 Jun 2011 09:18:11 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/kjXToY</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Great Grazing Goats</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Here’s something you don’t see every day: hundreds of goats roaming the hills along Crow Canyon Road.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Tue, 31 May 2011 19:04:05 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/luima8</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Condominium owners sue developer for construction woes</title>
     <description><![CDATA[A condominium owners’ group is suing the developer of the Residence Inn Sacramento Downtown for construction defects, including a leaking pool.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 27 May 2011 10:17:15 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/print-edition/2011/05/27/condominium-owners-sue-developer-for.html</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Elk Grove complex bankrupt after failed condo conversion</title>
     <description><![CDATA[The owner of a large Elk Grove apartment complex has filed for bankruptcy after failing to convert the property into condominiums and defaulting on a 2006 loan.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 27 May 2011 10:16:45 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/print-edition/2011/05/27/elk-grove-complex-bankrupt-after.html</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Brad Watson: How far can a homeowners association go</title>
     <description><![CDATA[We lease our property and have tenants that moved in a few years ago with a husband, wife and kids. At some point, the wife and kids moved out and another man moved in. When the lease was up, we renewed the lease to the two men.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 27 May 2011 10:09:18 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.the-signal.com/section/25/article/45641/</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Work Loft Building Recovers $1.4 Million for Faulty Construction</title>
     <description><![CDATA[A 20-unit live-work loft and condominium building, located at 655 5th Street at Townsend, recovered $1,410,000 today for claims related to shoddy workmanship and construction defects within 18 months from the filing of their claim]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 26 May 2011 17:26:13 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://finance.yahoo.com/news/SOMA-LiveWork-Loft-Building-prnews-1065593525.html?x=0</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>3-Thirty-3, neighbors fight over patio hours</title>
     <description><![CDATA[A restaurant/bar opening 200 feet across the bay from multi-million dollar homes in an exclusive gated community probably wasn't a good idea on lots of levels.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 26 May 2011 13:49:14 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/mgd8L4</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>La Mesa Condo Fire Displaces Several Residents</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Crews extinguished a fire that broke out at a condo complex in La Mesa on Tuesday that displaced several residents.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Wed, 25 May 2011 10:17:03 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.10news.com/news/28015125/detail.html</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Cooley's General Pest Control v. Westlake Bay HOA</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Board awards contract; board recalled; new board rescinds contract; HOA loses case and attorney's fees]]></description>
     <pubDate>Wed, 25 May 2011 10:15:43 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/j4BBHu</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Carson residents living on toxic soil have little judicial, legal, legislative l</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Homeowners in Carson's Carousel neighborhood have faced setbacks in their efforts to hold developers and the Shell Oil company responsible for toxic soil under their houses.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Tue, 24 May 2011 15:03:55 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/jBHQwl</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Robert Lamoureux: Copper is best to replace PCV lines</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Mr. Robert Lamoureux,  We live in an area with a homeowners association, and I’m one of the board members — an at-large member. We want to replace our water-supply risers. These are currently all PVC lines and continuously break.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sat, 21 May 2011 22:58:44 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.the-signal.com/section/25/article/45343/</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>HOA ADVISER: Is FHA approval necessary?</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Q. Is a board of directors of a condominium association under a legal duty to obtain FHA approval for the association?]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sat, 21 May 2011 21:44:57 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.dailybreeze.com/business/ci_18104048</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Target of lawsuit investigation to help pay for inquiry</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Professional Community Management, once the target of a lawsuit by a Laguna Woods Village homeowners association claiming the property manager committed fraud, has agreed to shoulder a portion of the cost of an investigation by another village HOA into those claims.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 19 May 2011 15:34:26 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/mEMn7N</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>HOA To Install CA's Largest Residential Solar Water Heating Project</title>
     <description><![CDATA[More and more Associations throughout California are considering the implementation of alternative energy sources as a mechanism to reduce their operating expenses]]></description>
     <pubDate>Tue, 17 May 2011 18:38:06 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/partner/free-hot-water/news/article/2011/05/californias-largest-multi-residential-solar-water-heating-project-of-states-new-program</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Condos Using RFID to Keep Access in Check</title>
     <description><![CDATA[A Southern California condominium complex is replacing its manual gate entrance system with an automatic vehicle identification system powered by RFID.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Mon, 16 May 2011 12:53:08 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/lXLttp</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>SELTZER v. EUGENE BURGER MANAGEMENT CORPORATION</title>
     <description><![CDATA[the operative pleading is the TAC, which sets forth fifteen causes of action (discussed in more detail, post) based on allegations that the Association failed to comply with the 1994 Settlement agreement which incorporated the 1979 CC&Rs, t]]></description>
     <pubDate>Mon, 16 May 2011 10:30:48 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/j0LSKU</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Ventura Property Manager convicted of Embezzlement from HOA</title>
     <description><![CDATA[District Attorney Gregory D. Totten announced today that Daphne Ann Brenon (DOB 3/30/56), of Westlake Village, was sentenced to serve four years, eight months in state prison, and fined $915,650 for her role in an embezzlement from the Spanish Hills Homeowners Association]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sat, 14 May 2011 16:40:32 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/iPigQT</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>HOA ADVISER: Handling internal vandalism</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Q. What can we do to discourage vandalism by children living within our community association?]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sat, 14 May 2011 11:29:47 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.dailybreeze.com/business/ci_18057946</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Brad Watson: My HOA needs some advice</title>
     <description><![CDATA[I am a new board member at my community, and we are self-managed, meaning we do not have an outside management company. I am concerned that we are not meeting regularly enough, and that we do not have a clear understanding of our responsibilities. Our entire board is pretty new. Is there a resource for us to learn what is required of us?]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 13 May 2011 11:06:40 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.the-signal.com/section/25/article/44885/</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Homeowner’s Association in Westwood Grabs Attention of City Officials</title>
     <description><![CDATA[The Westwood South of Santa Monica Homeowner’s Association (WSSM) welcomed a number of significant local officials Wednesday to its annual meeting.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 12 May 2011 20:33:19 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://centurycity.patch.com/articles/homeowners-association-in-westwood-grabs-attention-of-city-officials</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Garbage shuffle</title>
     <description><![CDATA[The Department of Public Health has scheduled a May 13 hearing to review allegations that Recology subsidiary Sunset Scavenger overbilled for trash collection at a condominium building for years, resulting in $84,544 in excess charges]]></description>
     <pubDate>Wed, 11 May 2011 09:08:41 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.sfbayguardian.com/2011/05/10/garbage-shuffle</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>HOA could spend up to $300,000 on lawsuit investigation</title>
     <description><![CDATA[The largest homeowners association in Laguna Woods Village on Tuesday approved adding another $75,000 to the budget it set aside to investigate whether to get involved in a lawsuit against property manager Professional Community Management.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Tue, 10 May 2011 21:08:12 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/iigbnj</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Laguna Woods seniors call for smoke-free buildings</title>
     <description><![CDATA[A dozen seniors have asked the largest homeowners association in Laguna Woods Village to approve a policy that will allow residents to make their buildings smoke-free.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Tue, 10 May 2011 19:34:00 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/mhCLFP</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>One Of The First Leafs To Hit The Ground</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Donna’s other problem with charging her car rises from the fact she lives in a condo. She has to convince her homeowners’ association to install a dedicated electrical circuit in the parking garage so she can use her charging station. She says that could cost her $7,000.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Tue, 10 May 2011 10:27:40 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/l6GSbh</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Cancer victim's parents hope for community garden</title>
     <description><![CDATA[As he stands on the open plateaus above Aliso Canyon, Joe Sachen can picture neighbors working in a community garden, hikers getting ready for a day on the trails and families learning how to cook healthy meals.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Mon, 09 May 2011 10:02:07 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://on.msnbc.com/lQIe1Z</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Villa Riviera in Long Beach to receive L.A. Conservancy award</title>
     <description><![CDATA[After a two-year restoration that included a forensic analysis of paint color and research into the curious stone creatures perched along the roofline, the 16-story Villa Riviera condominium building in Long Beach will be honored Thursday with a preservation award from the Los Angeles Conservancy.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sat, 07 May 2011 09:14:28 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://lat.ms/mLllCh</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title><![CDATA[San Francisco condo buyer wants out after S&M disclosure]]></title>
     <description><![CDATA[A San Francisco man who paid $621,000 for a condo to share with his 10-year old son is fighting to rescind the deal after learning the other unit in the two-unit building is home to a sadomasochism enthusiast who engages in loud “leather sex.”]]></description>
     <pubDate>Tue, 03 May 2011 10:30:45 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/blog/2011/05/condo-buyer-wants-out-after-sm.html</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>HOA: Grandma setting a "bad example"</title>
     <description><![CDATA[A Tierrasanta homeowner association is defending its effort to stop a 70-year-old member from spending time in her garage.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Tue, 03 May 2011 10:22:37 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.fox5sandiego.com/news/kswb-grandma-garage-fine,0,5078535.story</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>'We haven't given up on it yet': Antioch, residents show resilience in beleaguer</title>
     <description><![CDATA[The homeowners association for the 328-unit Contra Loma Estates subdivision recently installed six security cameras and has a private security company. Greisen said six more cameras will be installed over the next two years]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sun, 01 May 2011 18:29:57 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/jI42FO</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Former Palo Alto neighborhood group manager strikes plea deal in embezzlement ca</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Kimball Allen, the former administrative manager of the Greenmeadow Community Association, pleaded no contest to embezzling more than $60,000 from the South Palo Alto neighborhood group, prosecutors said Friday.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sat, 30 Apr 2011 08:21:42 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/ltLAIK</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>HOA ADVISER: Is management company exempt from contractor's license?</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Q. Are property management companies that provide maintenance services directly to homeowner association's exempt from having a contractor's license?]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 29 Apr 2011 19:47:35 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.dailybreeze.com/business/ci_17959264</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>City to Remove Barricades, Yellow Tags on Carson Street Homes</title>
     <description><![CDATA[The hillside is owned by the neighborhood’s Home Owners Association, which has dealt with years of litigation over the hill and is likely unable to take on the costs associated with stopping the slide.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 29 Apr 2011 10:41:02 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/maAvPC</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Dr. HOA: When you might need HOA permission</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Dr. HOA, A few weeks ago, I planted some grass and a few small trees in my front yard. Now, I’ve received a violation notice from my HOA for not submitting an architectural application prior to installing new grass and a few small trees in my front yard.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 29 Apr 2011 10:25:49 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://topicInfoLink</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Pooling resources to deal with potential disaster</title>
     <description><![CDATA[That debate has raged at the San Antonio Road condominium complex The Greenhouse for the past 16 years. The 15-building complex is home to 12 of the 130 multi-family buildings in Palo Alto with a so-called "soft-story" construction]]></description>
     <pubDate>Wed, 27 Apr 2011 09:39:19 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/fiz9eV</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Another mystery beneath the Hollywood sign</title>
     <description><![CDATA[The road signs benefited homeowners on the street that dead-ends at the locked fire road that leads to Mt. Lee and the Hollywood sign. Unfortunately, the signs funneled sightseers and tour buses onto other nearby streets. Then the signs mysteriously disappeared.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Wed, 27 Apr 2011 09:25:52 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://lat.ms/hsuUgR</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Early Morning Palm Springs Fire Causes $10,000 In Damage</title>
     <description><![CDATA[fire believed to have started with a jury-rigged electrical line at a homeless camp in downtown Palm Springs caused about $10,000 damage to neighboring buildings today, according to the Palm Springs Fire Department]]></description>
     <pubDate>Wed, 27 Apr 2011 08:56:29 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.kesq.com/news/27679701/detail.html</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>4 Money Misconceptions About Condominiums</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Homebuyers opt for a condo over a single-family home for a number of reasons. A condominium can provide a less-expensive entry into the housing market, and is also a low-maintenance downsizing option for seniors.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Tue, 26 Apr 2011 13:57:56 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2011/04/26/investopedia51974.DTL</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Firefighters Investigating Weekend Condo Fire</title>
     <description><![CDATA[The North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District is investigating a fire at the Dollar Hill Condominiums.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Mon, 25 Apr 2011 14:02:30 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.ktvn.com/story/14508836/firefighters-investigating-weekend-condo-fire</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Fire Reported At Lake Murray Terrace Complex On Navajo Road</title>
     <description><![CDATA[The fire started outside a ground floor condominium and ran up to the second floor of the Lake Murray Terrace complex in the 8700 block of Navajo Road, according to a San Diego Fire-Rescue Department dispatcher. The blaze was confined to the building's exterior]]></description>
     <pubDate>Mon, 25 Apr 2011 10:15:58 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.10news.com/news/27654991/detail.html</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>River Heights votes against landscape tax; 3 other Redding subdivisions favor hi</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Property owners in a Redding subdivision rejected the city's request for more money to cover rising landscape maintenance costs.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sat, 23 Apr 2011 08:46:33 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.redding.com/news/2011/apr/22/river-heights-votes-against-landscape-tax/</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>HOA ADVISER: Eviction of tenant by board</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Q. Can the board of directors of our homeowners association evict the tenant of a member if the tenant is violating rules of the association?]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 22 Apr 2011 15:37:01 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.dailybreeze.com/business/ci_17908107</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Palm Desert workshop focused on safety, deterring crime</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Behavior modification by design. It's a weapon against crime that about 100 people learned to use during a free daylong training session Wednesday in Palm Desert]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 22 Apr 2011 12:01:10 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/eEvKNq</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Community fights cell tower installation</title>
     <description><![CDATA[A battle is brewing in one of the city’s oldest planned communities, as residents face off against telecom giant Verizon in an effort to stop the installation of a cell tower.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 22 Apr 2011 10:43:42 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://thecoastnews.com/view/full_story/12884369/article-Community-fights-cell-tower-installation?instance=coast_more_news</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>New HOA Law makes it Easier to Request a Notice on Each Sold or Foreclosed Prope</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Last year, Assemblymember Norma Torres (D-61) introduced AB 2016 to make it easier for a Homeowners Association (HOA) to record a single request for title information on all defaulted or sold properties within the association.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 22 Apr 2011 10:32:29 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://asmdc.org/members/a61/news-room/press-releases/item/2709-new-homeowners-association-law-makes-it-easier-to-request-a-notice-on-each-sold-or-foreclosed-property</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>No state aid expected for Hercules, San Pablo homeowners impacted by landslides</title>
     <description><![CDATA[The damage is not to public property. The unstable hillside in Hercules belongs to the Refugio Heights Homeowners Association; the mere possibility that it could slide onto a public street does not qualify it for aid, Alexander said.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Wed, 20 Apr 2011 09:45:48 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/dQLJ5N</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Hollywood's Famous Sign Elicits Few Hoorays From Its Neighbors</title>
     <description><![CDATA[The first sign of turmoil in the hilly neighborhood under the Hollywood sign came in the form of a smaller sign, whose message was so troubling somebody covered it with plastic bags.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Wed, 20 Apr 2011 09:38:36 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://on.wsj.com/eD3HXP</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>RANCHO BERNARDO: Residents upset about plan to stop city's free trash service</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Rancho Bernardo residents who have been getting free trash service are upset about a proposal that would require them to start hiring their own trash haulers July 1.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Mon, 18 Apr 2011 11:33:58 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/rancho-bernardo/article_1e54adca-59a7-5d95-b875-ca8a57ec16c2.html</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>2 Escape Fire in Chatsworth Townhouse</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Two people who left candles burning in their Chatsworth townhouse escaped injury Saturday when a fire broke out as they slept, a city fire official said.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sun, 17 Apr 2011 18:40:21 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://chatsworth.patch.com/articles/condo-fire-doused-in-23-minutes</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Neighbors divided over proposed Sufi religious center in unincorporated Walnut C</title>
     <description><![CDATA[president of the Saranap Homeowners Association, said his group has collected 700 signatures on a petition against the project. The sanctuary would occupy as much space as 50 Saranap homes, said Feddick, and doesn't belong in the neighborhood.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sat, 16 Apr 2011 12:55:50 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.insidebayarea.com/news/ci_17858933</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>HOA ADVISER: Finding an agent for service of process</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Q. Due to no fault of our association board, we have had several management companies over the last few years. As a result, there has been confusion over who is the agent for service of process. We want to avoid this problem in the future. Any suggestions?]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 15 Apr 2011 19:15:25 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.dailybreeze.com/business/ci_17855395</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Smoking ban to begin in Laguna Woods</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Smokers in residential areas will be forced indoors starting Saturday if they want to light up.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 15 Apr 2011 19:12:23 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.ocregister.com/news/city-296561-smoking-residents.html</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Former Palo Alto neighborhood association admin accused of embezzling $65K</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Kimball Allen said it was an accident the first couple of times he used the Greenmeadow Community Association credit card at San Francisco bars for personal expenses, according to police.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 15 Apr 2011 15:12:53 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/fB0jXb</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Hard-Pressed Homeowners Facing Another Financial Threat</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Last year, associations foreclosed on about 300 Bay Area homes — twice as many as five years ago, according to an analysis by New America Media, a nonprofit news organization.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 15 Apr 2011 10:05:28 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://nyti.ms/i8tTnj</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Outpost HOA Wants LAPD to Probe Crimes Caught on Video</title>
     <description><![CDATA[The Outpost Homeowners Association Board voted to ask the LAPD to cite commercial drivers for crimes recorded on time-stamped private security cameras and boost law enforcement in the neighborhood.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 14 Apr 2011 10:37:41 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://hollywood.patch.com/articles/outpost-hoa-wants-lapd-to-probe-crimes-caught-on-video</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Pasadena may snuff out condo smokers</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Anti-smoking rules could be extended to include prohibitions on lighting up in apartments, condominiums and townhomes.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 14 Apr 2011 10:19:17 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/ci_17705258</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>HOA that prohibited hoarding now talks smoking restrictions</title>
     <description><![CDATA[The largest homeowners association in Laguna Woods Village that recently prohibited residents from hoarding, will consider a policy that would limit where residents can smoke.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Tue, 12 Apr 2011 12:45:46 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://on.msnbc.com/h1wi7o</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Neighborhood unity breaks down over retaining wall liability</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Residents of a Corona neighborhood who once were united in seeking a way to pay for a retaining wall that collapsed in a thundering roar last December are turning against each other or their insurance companies.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Mon, 11 Apr 2011 10:07:53 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/ehkzS8</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Condo conversions stalled at San Francisco's Fairmont hotel</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Mayor Ed Lee’s plan to allow the Fairmont Hotel atop Nob Hill more time to convert 23 stories of hotel rooms into luxury condos has stalled along with talks between hotel workers and the owners]]></description>
     <pubDate>Mon, 11 Apr 2011 10:01:16 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/development/2011/04/condo-conversions-stalled-san-franciscos-fairmont-hotel</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Gang rape alarms residents of Calif. suburb</title>
     <description><![CDATA[The brutal attack in the carefully managed community blindsided Dan Rice, president of the Moreno Valley Ranch homeowners' association. He is frustrated that police haven't said if the accused teens were from the neighborhood or were outsiders and he worries that the board hasn't done enough to instill a sense of community in a place sold on the currency of the American dream.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sun, 10 Apr 2011 19:09:04 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.philly.com/philly/hp/news_update/20110410_ap_gangrapealarmsresidentsofcalifsuburb.html?c=r</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Potentially toxic fungus at troubled Fresno condo complex</title>
     <description><![CDATA[A condo complex already facing foreclosure is now dealing with potentially toxic fungus as well. Tuscany Villas is on Fruit just north of Herndon in Northwest Fresno.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sun, 10 Apr 2011 18:26:22 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/fkSImF</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title><![CDATA[Two-alarm condo fire at Oak Grove & Treat in the City of Concord]]></title>
     <description><![CDATA[ConFIRE is on scene at 825 Oak Grove Road, trying to extinguish a condo fire.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sun, 10 Apr 2011 18:25:17 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/incontracosta/detail?entry_id=86714</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Marin town gets tougher on smoking</title>
     <description><![CDATA[The city council members of Larkspur all voted in support of the new ordinance, which will ban anyone who lives in a condo or apartment from lighting up.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sat, 09 Apr 2011 14:28:40 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/ontheblock/detail?entry_id=86674</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>HOA ADVISER: Is board liable when refusing to obtain reserve study?</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Q. Our board of directors refuses to obtain a reserve study for our homeowner association. Can board members be held legally liable for negligence?]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sat, 09 Apr 2011 14:11:06 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.dailybreeze.com/business/ci_17800313</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>HOA goes after woman's garage as 'community center'</title>
     <description><![CDATA[A Tierrasanta homeowners association is cracking down on a 70-year-old woman whose garage has become a neighborhood gathering place of sorts, with folding chairs, a television and ample Chargers paraphernalia.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sat, 09 Apr 2011 14:06:55 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/hErg9p</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Opponents tangle in fight over lake fishing</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Catch-and-release fishing is a popular activity on the private waterway, which is stocked with bigmouth bass. Only members of the Calabasas Park Homeowners Association are allowed to use the lake.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 07 Apr 2011 20:36:24 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.theacorn.com/news/2011-04-07/Front_Page/Opponents_tangle_in_fight_over_lake_fishing.html</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Water savings doesn’t equal lower bill</title>
     <description><![CDATA["The rates are based on a questionable study that unfairly penalizes medium-to-high water users while subsidizing low-to-medium water users," said Mike Seiler, president of the Bonita Highlands Homeowners’ Association, which has larger landscaped lots than some other parts of the district.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 07 Apr 2011 10:12:09 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/apr/06/water-savings-doesnt-equal-lower-bill/</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Calif. Insurance Agent Pleads Guilty for Grand Theft</title>
     <description><![CDATA[After receiving the payments, Luna placed coverage for both HOA’s with different insurance companies. However, Luna only submitted a portion of premiums to one insurance company and submitted no premium payments to the other insurance company. Both policies canceled for nonpayment of premium.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 07 Apr 2011 09:48:57 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/gN2jrH</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Seniors settle lawsuit against management company</title>
     <description><![CDATA[A homeowners association in the Laguna Woods Village retirement community has reached a settlement in its lawsuit against property manager Professional Community Management that claimed the company committed fraud and negligence by keeping a multi-million-dollar incentive plan a secret.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Wed, 06 Apr 2011 19:16:37 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://taxdollars.ocregister.com/2011/04/06/seniors-settle-lawsuit-against-management-company/79975/</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Simi sues two couples over sale of affordable housing unit</title>
     <description><![CDATA[According to a lawsuit the city filed against both couples in 2009, the De Leons sold the unit to the Bosworths knowing they didn't qualify as low-income buyers. Under the program, the maximum a four-person household can make annually is $68,950.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Wed, 06 Apr 2011 10:12:45 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.vcstar.com/news/2011/apr/05/simi-sues-two-couples-over-sale-of-affordable/</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Free trash pickups on private Rancho Bernardo streets to end</title>
     <description><![CDATA[To help close the city’s budget deficit, Mayor Jerry Sanders has decided to cancel hold harmless agreements in effect since Nov. 4, 1986 between the city and those living on private streets. He is allowed to do so without City Council approval,]]></description>
     <pubDate>Wed, 06 Apr 2011 09:56:30 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/gLaYFV</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Newport News neighborhoods decline in value</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Paula McPeak said she's not surprised to hear the Turnberry Two condominiums where she lives have sharply declined in value over the past year]]></description>
     <pubDate>Wed, 06 Apr 2011 09:39:46 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.wtkr.com/news/dp-nws-nn-neighborhood-assessments-20110406,0,4855550.story?track=rss</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Koi pond to cost community up to $79,000</title>
     <description><![CDATA[The Golden Rain Foundation community association in Laguna Woods Village approved spending more money - for a total cost of up to $79,200 - to rebuild a koi pond in front of Clubhouse 1.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Tue, 05 Apr 2011 16:45:57 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.ocregister.com/news/pond-295057-fountain-clubhouse.html?pic=4</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Lawsuit alleges conspiracy</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Colby also names the Marina City Club Condominium Owners Association, its president and former Los Angeles City Councilman Nate Holden, a board member and longtime condo owner. The complaint alleges the group "formed a conspiracy" with the county to put Colby out of business - claims both Holden and the City Club's attorney deny.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Mon, 04 Apr 2011 11:45:59 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.dailybreeze.com/news/ci_17766699</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>SVL residents must vote to keep association</title>
     <description><![CDATA[If residents aren’t proactive, Spring Valley Lake as they know it could cease to exist in four years.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sat, 02 Apr 2011 15:28:25 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.vvdailypress.com/news/residents-26868-spring-svl.html</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>HOA ADVISER: Selecting a new management company</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Q. Our condominium association board recently asked our HOA attorney for advice in selecting a new management company. The attorney recommended a firm that performed poorly and didn't know the law very well.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sat, 02 Apr 2011 11:40:21 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.dailybreeze.com/business/ci_17749776</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>City Charging for Trash Pickup Residents Don't Use</title>
     <description><![CDATA[NBC LA reported that the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) is billing some residents of apartments and condos for city trash pickup, even though those same residents pay private companies to pick up their garbage.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 01 Apr 2011 11:13:54 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/Trash-Fees-DWP-Overcharge-LA-Investigation-119023614.html</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Most units in Sacramento's upscale L Street Lofts project face foreclosure</title>
     <description><![CDATA[But in yet another reminder of how hard the recession devastated the local economy, the unsold portion of Kolokotronis' L Street Lofts – about three-quarters of the seven-story, 92-unit condominium development at 1818 L St. – is scheduled to be sold on the courthouse steps next month as part of a foreclosure auction.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Wed, 30 Mar 2011 10:31:38 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.sacbee.com/2011/03/30/v-print/3513313/most-units-in-sacramentos-upscale.html</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Palm Springs weighing turf buy-back plans to conserve water</title>
     <description><![CDATA[In the meantime, Palm Springs homeowners associations are already excited about the prospect of saving water and cash by converting lawns into drought-resistant landscaping.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Wed, 30 Mar 2011 10:25:53 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/ht0uk2</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Hercules considers emergency declaration over landslide</title>
     <description><![CDATA[With four bedrooms, three bathrooms and driveways wide enough to accommodate the largest of sport-utility vehicles, the luxury homes of Refugio Valley neighborhood also make fine channels for muddy runoff.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Tue, 29 Mar 2011 22:23:03 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/hP8Wn0</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Hamilton HOA Board Election Experiences Hiccups</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Results of the Hamilton homeowners association board election are up in the air after three neighborhoods failed this month to elect a local director to serve as their representative.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Tue, 29 Mar 2011 09:32:07 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://novato.patch.com/articles/hamilton-hoa-board-election-experiences-hiccups</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Palm Springs HOA Presidents Council set to talk turf today</title>
     <description><![CDATA[The Palm Springs Homeowners Association Presidents Council is scheduled to meet at 10 a.m. today at Seven Lakes Country Club, 4100 Seven Lakes Drive.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Tue, 29 Mar 2011 09:27:51 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.mydesert.com/article/20110329/NEWS01/103290327/1006/news01/section/columns26</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>East Village condo owners get $10M in water-leak case</title>
     <description><![CDATA[A San Diego developer has paid a $10 million settlement to owners of an East Village high-rise who say construction defects led to water leaks damaging wood floors and causing mold in walls, court documents show.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Mon, 28 Mar 2011 17:37:35 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/fX5oNb</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Hoarders need time to clean, trust</title>
     <description><![CDATA[He notes he's there to enforce the state fire code - not to help associations enforce their rules. His concern is community risk, not aesthetics or property values. Assessing safety issues, and hoarding, requires training.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 25 Mar 2011 17:12:35 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/gDrBbp</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>HOA ADVISER: Balcony barbeques worry condo board</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Q. One of the homeowners in our condominium is building barbeques on his covered balcony. The board is very concerned about the possibility of a fire. Do you have any recommendations?]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 25 Mar 2011 14:40:35 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.dailybreeze.com/business/ci_17699396</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Rossmoor Resident Group Demands Public Apology From Los Alamitos Council</title>
     <description><![CDATA[The Rossmoor Predator Management Team is a volunteer group comprised of Rossmoor residents concerned with the threat of coyotes in the community. They map coyote sightings and mount search efforts for missing pets]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 25 Mar 2011 11:12:13 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/e60QER</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>California blurs homeowner association terms</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Q. I enjoy reading your column, but I must disagree with your pet peeve regarding condominiums versus homeowner associations (HOAs).]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 25 Mar 2011 10:02:41 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/dSfirk</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>California 'maternity tourists' center in townhouse assn, shut down</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Authorities have closed three upscale townhouses operating as a maternity center for Chinese mothers paying thousands of dollars to give birth in the United States so the children would automatically gain citizenship.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 24 Mar 2011 20:40:09 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://on.msnbc.com/eNONsB</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Mobile-home residents sue over $200,000 fees for land buy</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Afraid a buyer would close the park, a majority of the 126 residents voted to negotiate with the owner to try to buy the land, meaning they would own the ground beneath their mobile homes.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 24 Mar 2011 12:04:22 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://on.msnbc.com/ew00JR</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Assn gets costs, even though it voluntarily dismissed action</title>
     <description><![CDATA[A homeowners association brought this action against a resident, seeking injunctive relief requiring him to comply with certain provisions of the declaration of covenants, conditions, and restrictions (CC&R's). The association obtained a temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction, and then dismissed the case voluntarily.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Wed, 23 Mar 2011 09:43:24 -0500</pubDate>
     <link><![CDATA[http://www.leagle.com/xmlResult.aspx?xmldoc=In%20CACO%2020110322021.xml&docbase=CSLWAR3-2007-CURR]]></link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Residents, city at odds over road ownership</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Residents who live along Selrocco Drive, a small road in eastern Calimesa that leads to a gated community, argued that the city is responsible for road repairs, while the city maintains that the road belongs to the Oak Hills Estates subdivision.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Wed, 23 Mar 2011 09:37:09 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/gG5Yaa</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Squawking Cockatoo Saves Owner from Fire But Dies</title>
     <description><![CDATA[A Rancho Bernardo family's goffin cockatoo died Tuesday after his squawking alerted them to a fire from which they were able to escape.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Tue, 22 Mar 2011 19:54:07 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://ranchobernardo.patch.com/articles/residential-fire-on-17000-block-of-bernardo-center-drive</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Manager steals $70K from neighborhood group</title>
     <description><![CDATA[The former manager of a south Palo Alto neighborhood association has admitted to embezzling tens of thousands of dollars from the group before leaving his position in late January to found a new gym.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Tue, 22 Mar 2011 15:24:13 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/h4rkMl</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Large Tree Damages Condo Unit</title>
     <description><![CDATA[The weekend rain caused a 100-foot eucalyptus tree to fall onto a condominium complex in Santa Barbara, Sunday night.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Tue, 22 Mar 2011 10:48:34 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.keyt.com/news/local/Large-Tree-Damages-Condo-Unit--118402719.html?skipthumb=Y</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Legislation Aims to Cap Document Fee Charges at Condominium Sales</title>
     <description><![CDATA[In California, when a person purchases a unit, such as a condominium, in a common interest development, state law requires that he or she be provided with an extensive list of documents. That list includes things such as governing documents, operating rules, restrictions on occupancy and use, the amount of special and regular assessments, and any current special assessments or penalties levied against the unit to be transferred.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Tue, 22 Mar 2011 09:14:53 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/h3oRbn</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>HOA ADVISER: When the rules say only 1 pet will do</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Q. I have two dogs as pets and the CC&Rs of my association allow only one. Is there anything I can do short of moving?]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 18 Mar 2011 18:15:29 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.dailybreeze.com/business/ci_17642670</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Brad Watson: Associations may place liens, foreclose on homes</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Dr. HOA,  I just received a pre-lien notice from my association, which states that if I don’t bring my account current, I will not only have a lien placed on my home, but the association may foreclose on my home. Is that even legal, or is it simply a threat to get me to pay?]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 18 Mar 2011 11:06:20 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.the-signal.com/section/25/article/42019/</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Man arrested for taking power from laundry-room socket</title>
     <description><![CDATA[A man who was living in a vacant Canyon Country  condominium was arrested for theft of utilities after deputies discovered that an extension cord inside the condo was connected to an electrical socket inside a laundry room]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 17 Mar 2011 11:42:56 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.the-signal.com/section/36/article/41971/</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Downtown's Historic El Cortez Resolves All Lawsuits</title>
     <description><![CDATA[The long five year legal battle with the developer of the El Cortez is finally over. The HOA prevailed with a nice settlement in hand. The HOA can move forward with some of the deferred maintenance, improvements and ending the rumors surrounding the venerable property.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Wed, 16 Mar 2011 15:16:47 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/hKJH6S</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Glendora homeowners association cuts down palm trees - from Palm Drive</title>
     <description><![CDATA[The trees that towered above the main thoroughfare to the gated community had outgrown their welcome, creating a rift between neighbors who okayed their removal and those who wanted them saved. Workers cut the trees down Monday.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Tue, 15 Mar 2011 10:52:01 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.sgvtribune.com/news/ci_17612027</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Fairmont In Trouble, Mayor Tries to Give Them Extension for Condo Conversion</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Mayor Ed Lee is rallying some support for the developers, who got stymied last fall by the Planning Commission who weren't satisfied with their Environmental Impact Report, or something]]></description>
     <pubDate>Mon, 14 Mar 2011 19:03:04 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://sfist.com/2011/03/14/fairmont_hotel_in_trouble_mayor_tri.php</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>HOA ADVISER: Emergency funding for roof replacement</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Q. We live in a three story condominium complex that is over 20 years old. The roof needs replacement, but the association doesn't have the funds to replace it. Our roofer tells us that patching will only slow the water down and that we must replace the roof. This has been confirmed with a second opinion.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 11 Mar 2011 20:57:30 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.dailybreeze.com/business/ci_17590864</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>San Lorenzo Votes Again on Recall</title>
     <description><![CDATA[The results of the recall election of a board member of the San Lorenzo Village Homes Association will be in next week, following a botched election earlier this year.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 10 Mar 2011 19:00:04 -0500</pubDate>
     <link><![CDATA[http://news.ebpublishing.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=876:san-lorenzo-votes-again-on-recall-&catid=50:san-leandro-news&Itemid=131]]></link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Fire in Los Alamos started behind clothes dryer</title>
     <description><![CDATA[The fire left eleven people homeless. Firefighters got the call just after 9:30 this morning. They rushed over to the Cottonwood Glen Complex on Wickenden Street in Los Alamos. They spent the next hour fighting intense flames.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 10 Mar 2011 10:44:16 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://on.msnbc.com/gTex5O</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>And What Has Your HOA Done for You?</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Outgoing liaison to the Community Associations of Rancho offers some thoughts and a chance to comment on what's happened in your community.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Wed, 09 Mar 2011 22:29:32 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://ranchosantamargarita.patch.com/articles/and-what-has-your-hoa-done-for-you</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>San Rafael mobile home park residents apparently escape eviction</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Numerous residents of a San Rafael mobile home park have apparently escaped eviction after correcting violations state officials found last year.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Wed, 09 Mar 2011 21:01:41 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.marinij.com/marinnews/ci_17576190</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Residents told not to fear hoarding inspections</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Laguna Woods Village's largest homeowners association sought to assure residents the HOA is not going to unduly "break into their houses" to inspect for hoarding and excessive clutter under a policy approved Tuesday.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Tue, 08 Mar 2011 16:39:06 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.ocregister.com/news/hoarding-291249-policy-hoa.html?pic=2</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>San Bruno tragedy prompts ‘Be Ready’ campaign</title>
     <description><![CDATA[The San Mateo United Homeowners Association is taking the lead on the campaign and is partnering with both the San Mateo police and fire departments to promote it.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Tue, 08 Mar 2011 10:55:41 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/dX6umI</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Local Realtors told HOA compliance is all about disclosure</title>
     <description><![CDATA[More than 130 members of the Silicon Valley Association of Realtors gathered at a meeting last week in Los Gatos and listened as Jacquie Berry, owner of Community Association Data Source, emphasized the greatest mistake any seller can make is an incomplete disclosure.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Tue, 08 Mar 2011 10:48:11 -0500</pubDate>
     <link><![CDATA[http://www.mercurynews.com/saratoga/ci_17560143?source=rss&nclick_check=1]]></link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Hoarders will be forced to remove clutter</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Residents in Laguna Woods Village suspected of having excessive clutter in their homes will be compelled to allow inspections for hoarding and to remove the clutter under a policy expected to receive final approval Tuesday.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Mon, 07 Mar 2011 20:22:16 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/gGW5fp</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>San Diego: Move To Stop Free Trash Pickup Faces Opposition</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Sanders wants to end trash pickup agreements with 102 homeowner associations and property managers that limit the city's liability for accidents on private roads.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Mon, 07 Mar 2011 14:39:46 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/eJLEZA</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>San Lorenzo recall election gets more expensive</title>
     <description><![CDATA[After one false start, the San Lorenzo Village Homes Association recall election again is under way -- this time with an even larger price tag.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Mon, 07 Mar 2011 09:52:37 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/dXXSIZ</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Oceana residents angry over green waste fee</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Some Oceana residents are riled over a Waste Management plan to begin charging them to dispose of grass clippings and other yard waste --- a service they said they don't need and don't want.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sun, 06 Mar 2011 17:44:33 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/oceanside/article_4f47106c-6af1-551e-8b94-0a6e5d3bac8a.html</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Filming ban stirs up L.A. neighborhood</title>
     <description><![CDATA[When the Los Feliz Estates homeowners association began barring owners from renting out their homes for shoots, the policy change provoked a reaction in the exclusive enclave.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sat, 05 Mar 2011 16:13:12 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://lat.ms/fxCbUq</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>No jail time for fire starters</title>
     <description><![CDATA[The men accused of starting the Old West Ranch fire will not spend time in prison.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sat, 05 Mar 2011 11:08:07 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/hJhfEQ</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>HOA ADVISER: Can fines be waived?</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Q. What is your opinion about waiving fines imposed on a member of our association on the grounds that he is no longer violating our CC&Rs?]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 04 Mar 2011 14:00:20 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.dailybreeze.com/business/ci_17537725</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Bees Were Looking for a Home in Sierra Madre</title>
     <description><![CDATA[A member of the Sierra Madre Villas Homeowner's Association, who happened to be at home, promised the officers that he would attend to the matter immediately]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 04 Mar 2011 13:59:31 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://sierramadre.patch.com/articles/bees-were-looking-for-home-in-sierra-madre</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Condo boom spurs surge in defect lawsuits</title>
     <description><![CDATA[The 66-unit condominium building at 101 Crescent Way near Candlestick Park was completed in 2003, an early entry in the condo craze that added 10,000 housing units to the San Francisco skyline before collapsing three years ago.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 04 Mar 2011 10:36:22 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/gqCOW3</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Elderly woman badly burned in Monterey Park condo fire</title>
     <description><![CDATA[An elderly suffered severe burns and smoke inhalation, but managed to escape her burning condominium early Sunday, officials said]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 03 Mar 2011 20:26:15 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/news/ci_17526550</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>NRA Helps California Homeowners Convince HOA to Drop Gun Ban Plan</title>
     <description><![CDATA[The Greenstone Country community, located in El Dorado County California near Placerville, has historically allowed some sport shooting.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 03 Mar 2011 19:55:01 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/hvp0w9</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Autistic man with 37 restraining orders sues H.B</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Rogers is a high-functioning autistic man who made headlines last year after his neighbors in the Huntington Beach Gables filed 37 restraining orders against him saying he harassed them. One neighbor described Rogers as a "holy reign of terror".]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 03 Mar 2011 15:06:16 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://on.msnbc.com/dKDFq5</link>
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    <item>
     <title>Trash Talk at City Hall</title>
     <description><![CDATA[On March 2, the Natural Resource and Culture Committee discussed Mayor Sanders's decision to end trash collection for 4620 private businesses as well as 14,200 residences located on private roads, including 20 gated communities and five mobile-home parks.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 03 Mar 2011 14:15:20 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/gPLZvH</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>HOA directors take home awards</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Two directors from Laguna Woods Village homeowners associations received Community Association Institute awards from the Orange County Regional Chapter on Friday.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Mon, 28 Feb 2011 20:51:47 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.ocregister.com/news/community-290157-county-orange.html</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Homeowners at The Ranch vow to continue legal fight against developer JTS</title>
     <description><![CDATA[In court documents, JTS has argued it never promised to give the 400 acres to the homeowners association. As proof, the company cites purchase agreements signed by the original homeowners that included no such guarantees]]></description>
     <pubDate>Mon, 28 Feb 2011 10:58:05 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/dKEbcA</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Anti-SLAPP appeal-COUNTRY SIDE VILLAS HOMEOWNERS ASSN. v. IVIE</title>
     <description><![CDATA[COUNTRY SIDE VILLAS HOMEOWNERS ASSN. v. IVIE Court of Appeals of California, Sixth District]]></description>
     <pubDate>Mon, 28 Feb 2011 10:29:58 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/fr1GcB</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>What Should You Ask About HOA Restrictions?</title>
     <description><![CDATA[We are commonly asked what are the top HOA restrictions that can come up when buying a condominium in the Sacramento market. Here are a few of our top ones that come up:]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sun, 27 Feb 2011 21:29:19 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://blog.sacramentocondos.com/2011/02/27/what-should-you-ask-about-hoa-restrictions/</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>HOA ADVISER: Fine member for failing to pay prior fine?</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Q. Can the board of my condominium association levy a fine on a member of our association for failure to pay a prior fine?]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 25 Feb 2011 14:53:29 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.dailybreeze.com/business/ci_17481331</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Court proceedings rekindle hope, frustration in West Fire aftermath</title>
     <description><![CDATA[The ensuing blaze destroyed 23 homes and 41 outbuildings in the rural area, fire officials reported. Another eight homes and six outbuildings were damaged. More than 1,600 acres were burned.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 24 Feb 2011 21:44:08 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/hR3ldT</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Battle heating up over pit bull rescue in Old West Ranch</title>
     <description><![CDATA[An effort by a reality TV show star to establish an animal shelter in Old West Ranch has come up against opposition from the OWR Property Owners Association.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Wed, 23 Feb 2011 15:27:48 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.tehachapinews.com/content/battle-heating-over-pit-bull-rescue-old-west-ranch/33558</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>This news feed is brought to you by Community Associations Network</title>
     <description><![CDATA[CAN provides national and state RSS news feeds for condo and HOA information]]></description>
     <pubDate>Tue, 22 Feb 2011 15:46:37 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/hEAEPm</link>
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    <item>
     <title>Downtown condo owners hope the worst is over</title>
     <description><![CDATA[San Diego downtown residents have had to put up with a lot in the past seven years. Plunging condominium values. A rise in the number of homeless, particularly in the East Village. The slow pace to add key amenities, such as fire stations and parks.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sat, 19 Feb 2011 13:41:36 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/feb/18/downtown-condos/</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Homeowners are the association</title>
     <description><![CDATA[I remember when I first bought a home in a development that had a homeowners association. I was a little leery of the possible restrictions, having grown up where our neighbors didn’t mind if we shot rabbits and squirrels on our front lawn.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sat, 19 Feb 2011 12:49:00 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/gTViWB</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Fire agency to install smoke alarms for at-risk groups</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Some residents in Laguna Woods Village will have the chance to get smoke alarms installed in their homes for free when the Orange County Fire Authority launches a new community-outreach program in a few weeks.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 18 Feb 2011 19:29:05 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.ocregister.com/news/smoke-288925-alarms-ocfa.html</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Developer gives up claims to condo project stalled by bank failure</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Los Angeles developer Sonny Astani has given up his legal battle to retain ownership of a never-completed $260-million condominium project in downtown Los Angeles]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 18 Feb 2011 19:19:47 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-0219-astani-condos-20110219,0,7622816.story</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>HOA ADVISER: Is it legal to offer a raffle gift?</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Q. To maximize our chances of obtaining a quorum, is it legally permissible for our condominium association to enter the names of all voters in a raffle for some type of gift?]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 18 Feb 2011 12:37:51 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/e7y09n</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Woodhaven HOA closes on golf course purchase</title>
     <description><![CDATA[The Woodhaven Country Club Homeowners Association closed on its $2.5 million purchase of the golf course within its community Tuesday]]></description>
     <pubDate>Wed, 16 Feb 2011 10:28:51 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.mydesert.com/article/20110216/NEWS01/102160316/1006/news01/Woodhaven-HOA-closes-golf-course-purchase</link>
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    <item>
     <title>Laguna Woods smoking ban back for approval Wednesday</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Smoking on open patios and balconies will be prohibited for the 18,500 apartment and condominium residents in Laguna Woods if the City Council on Wednesday gives final approval to an amendment to the city's smoking ordinance.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Tue, 15 Feb 2011 14:22:10 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.ocregister.com/news/city-288387-smoking-ordinance.html</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Condo fire in San Diego</title>
     <description><![CDATA[A noontime condominium fire in San Diego on Sunday was quickly quashed before it spread to other units.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sun, 13 Feb 2011 21:31:37 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/feb/13/apartment-fire-mission-gorge/</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>City of South Gate Faces $60 Million Payment Obligation</title>
     <description><![CDATA[As part of the purchase transaction, South Gate Gateway paid the City an additional $4 million to require the City to repurchase the property, if South Gate Gateway did not receive all necessary entitlements and permits from the City to develop the project prior to April 2009.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 11 Feb 2011 17:54:39 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://california.realestaterama.com/2011/02/11/city-of-south-gate-faces-60-million-payment-obligation-ID0954.html</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>HOA ADVISER: Difficulty in refinancing a stock co-op</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Q. We have a membership in a stock co-op and are having great difficulty in refinancing our apartment. Are Banks and Savings and Loan Associations permitted to make loans on co-ops?]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 11 Feb 2011 17:45:01 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.dailybreeze.com/business/ci_17362996</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Nothings Been Done!</title>
     <description><![CDATA[An eighty five year old senior called KUSI's Michael Turko when he got trapped in his own condo. Turko says a broken elevator is to blame, and it's been broken since late last year.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 11 Feb 2011 14:00:38 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/ighhxD</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Country clubs struggling in tough economy</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Normally, talk around golf clubhouses in the desert centers on birdies, bogey, hooks and slices.These days the talk seems to be more about defaults, bankruptcies, foreclosures and seizures.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 11 Feb 2011 09:52:02 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/hFQLdm</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Families Saved by Sprinkler at Ignacio Condo Fire</title>
     <description><![CDATA[An exterior fire sprinkler is being credited by fire officials with saving sleeping families from an early morning fire in Ignacio on Friday.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sat, 05 Feb 2011 11:31:03 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/dRt38c</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Poaching Problem?</title>
     <description><![CDATA[... is reportedly responsible for the deaths of around 20 deer in the Santa Ynez gated community of Rancho Ynecita over the last two months.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sat, 05 Feb 2011 11:07:01 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/fBg1NK</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Hoarding policy returns for final vote</title>
     <description><![CDATA[The United Mutual board is expected to give a final vote on a policy Tuesday that would compel residents suspected of having excessive clutter in their homes to allow the HOA to inspect their homes for hoarding and to remove the clutter.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sat, 05 Feb 2011 10:51:32 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/fXVO9y</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Landscape Clearing by HOA along PCH Halted by City</title>
     <description><![CDATA[the city halted work contracted by the Niguel Shores Homeowners Association to trim bushes and trees along PCH. The work was intended to clean up the overgrowth the HOA]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 03 Feb 2011 21:41:34 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/e6kc7C</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>City gets $200K in storm-damage settlement</title>
     <description><![CDATA[The Reserve Glendale Community Assn. contended that mud flowing from a city-owned fire access road during the storms resulted in damage to land owned by the association, destroying drainage devices and irrigation systems, further destabilizing the slope, according to the original complaint]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 03 Feb 2011 21:33:15 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/eiYffm</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>HOA ADVISER: Delinquency in the payment of monthly assesments</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Q. Is there ever a time when it is appropriate for the board of directors of a homeowners association to inform the membership of a serious delinquency in the payment of monthly assessments?]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 03 Feb 2011 17:43:57 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/hzPtfk</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Larson v. Las Posas Hills HOA (attorney fees)</title>
     <description><![CDATA[The property owners appeal that portion of the judgment awarding $49,650 in attorney fees to the intervener.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Wed, 02 Feb 2011 13:18:35 -0500</pubDate>
     <link><![CDATA[http://www.leagle.com/xmlResult.aspx?xmldoc=In%20CACO%2020110201007.xml&docbase=CSLWAR3-2007-CURR]]></link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Waterford HOA board recalled over composition roof</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Waterford residents have recalled their homeowners association board for allowing a dimensional composition roof in the otherwise tile and shake-shingled upscale El Dorado Hills neighborhood]]></description>
     <pubDate>Tue, 01 Feb 2011 22:27:10 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/h9Ok1J</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>New Mechanic's Lien Procedures in California Effective January 1, 2011</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Effective January 1, 2011, California law imposes new requirements and notice procedures for contractors who are serving and recording mechanic’s liens. California Civil Code § 3084(a)(6)-(7) now mandates that a valid mechanic’s lien must contain the following information in addition to what the law currently prescribes:]]></description>
     <pubDate>Tue, 01 Feb 2011 19:56:09 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.hoalawblog.com/2011/02/new_mechanics_lien_procedures_1.html</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Woodhaven Country Club HOA votes to purchase its course for $2.5M</title>
     <description><![CDATA[The Woodhaven Country Club Homeowners Association could take ownership of the golf course at its heart today, after voting in favor of paying $2.5 million for it Friday.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Tue, 01 Feb 2011 13:14:25 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/gXQzQi</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Car fire destroys garage, threatens San Jose duplex</title>
     <description><![CDATA[A car fire at a west San Jose duplex Sunday destroyed the garage, but was doused just as the flames lapped up the exterior walls and broke a second-story living room.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sun, 30 Jan 2011 18:01:31 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_17244538?nclick_check=1</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title><![CDATA[Condo & HOA news provided by Community Associations Network]]></title>
     <description><![CDATA[This news feed is provided by the Community Associations Network linking to the latest condo & HOA news, articles and blogs, all available on our home page and through this RSS feed]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sat, 29 Jan 2011 15:50:26 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/hEAEPm</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Diablo Grande residents debate water rates</title>
     <description><![CDATA[It costs $92 to provide a month’s water to a typical household in Diablo Grande, nearly 80 percent more than the average resident now pays, according to a group of homeowners in the developing community.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 28 Jan 2011 12:15:11 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/gwxooz</link>
    </item>
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     <title>Dana Point objects to clearing of 30-year-old trees</title>
     <description><![CDATA[The Niguel Shores homeowners association cut down 10- to 12-foot trees on this quarter-block stretch of a slope along Pacific Coast Highway near Selva Road in Dana Point, saying the trees had become difficult to maintain and were causing a view problem for residents]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 28 Jan 2011 11:58:28 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/f7Pwe8</link>
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    <item>
     <title>Recall Election Aims To Oust HOA Board</title>
     <description><![CDATA[ A political controversy has prompted a recall election in an upscale El Dorado Hills neighborhood]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 28 Jan 2011 11:48:59 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/giqOle</link>
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     <title>San Francisco condo conversion battle heats up</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Winning the condo conversion lottery in San Francisco is becoming harder than picking a long-shot horse at Golden Gate Fields.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 28 Jan 2011 11:30:46 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/gsB9tQ</link>
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    <item>
     <title>Lizard on the loose returned to owners</title>
     <description><![CDATA[His family claimed him Wednesday afternoon, but only after Riverside County Animal Services inspected and approved his residence in Riverside as reptile-friendly.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 27 Jan 2011 10:09:04 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.pe.com/localnews/stories/PE_News_Local_D_exotic27.167c3c2.html</link>
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    <item>
     <title>Policy change would cost Taste of Ladera</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Community events in Ladera Ranch will be confined to the Town Green, can only be for one day, and have to be cosponsored by the community corporation that coordinates activities in Ladera, following a recent policy change.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Wed, 26 Jan 2011 22:13:52 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.ocregister.com/news/larcs-285807-ladera-community.html</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Community association holds town hall on land use</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Residents in Laguna Woods Village will get a chance to hear from consultants on Feb. 2 about possible ways for the community to use its nine parcels of land.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Wed, 26 Jan 2011 16:54:09 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.ocregister.com/news/center-285734-community-land.html</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Arbitration requirement not enforceable</title>
     <description><![CDATA[In Villa Vicenza Homeowners Ass'n v Nobel Court Dev, LLC, No D054550 (4th Dist. Jan 11, 2011, the Fourth District of the California Court of Appeal held that a provision in a declaration of covenants, conditions and restrictions (CC&R's) that required a homeowners association (HOA) and homeowners to arbitrate claims against the developer are not enforceable]]></description>
     <pubDate>Wed, 26 Jan 2011 15:17:24 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/gH6TDQ</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>San Lorenzo Village Homes Association halts recall election</title>
     <description><![CDATA[ It took the San Lorenzo Village Homes Association 65 years before it had its first recall election. It may take it another 65 years to finish it]]></description>
     <pubDate>Wed, 26 Jan 2011 10:10:29 -0500</pubDate>
     <link> http://bit.ly/dK2G5D</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>5-foot Monitor lizard found wandering Calif. condos</title>
     <description><![CDATA[The 5-foot Monitor lizard wandering around a condo complex in the city of Riverside was way bigger than animal control officer Jenny Selter could have imagined]]></description>
     <pubDate>Wed, 26 Jan 2011 09:32:30 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/hXVj4m</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Bury My Heart at Wounded Drumstick</title>
     <description><![CDATA[ it really necessary to exterminate a flock of indigenous wild turkeys in the Crow Canyon CC gated community, for doing what comes (and goes) naturally to the birds? Has Manifest Destiny really come to this?]]></description>
     <pubDate>Tue, 25 Jan 2011 19:34:37 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/giIjrF</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Cheviot Hills Homeowners Preemptively Declare Victory Obstructing Expo Bike Path</title>
     <description><![CDATA[A recent article in the newsletter for the Cheviot Hills Homeowners Association provides an amazing example of how two people’s viewpoints, and rhetoric, can present two different stories]]></description>
     <pubDate>Tue, 25 Jan 2011 18:09:53 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://la.streetsblog.org/2011/01/25/cheviot-hills-homeowners-declare-victory-obstructing-expo-bike-path/</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Coyotes 1, Trapper 0</title>
     <description><![CDATA[After 10 days, the coyotes traps placed in Rossmoor will be removed today without having caught a single animal, according to the Rossmoor Predator Management Team, a citizen committee aimed at reducing coyote attacks.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Tue, 25 Jan 2011 10:37:25 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/gWc7Ks</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>In Corona, collapsed retaining walls cause residents stress</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Earth movement also took out walls owned by the homeowners association. Stabile, the association president, said the organization couldn't get insurance for the walls, which he said could cost $500,000 to $1 million to repair.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Mon, 24 Jan 2011 03:18:52 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/ekfJgj</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Walnut Creek leaders address neighborhood's crime fears</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Worried by recent burglaries near their eastern Walnut Creek homes, residents plan to reinvigorate their Neighborhood Watch effort, hold a police-hosted community meeting and get to know the watch commander who oversees their area.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sun, 23 Jan 2011 03:42:06 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/hgoctz</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Shooting victim gets help from Sacramento condo residents</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Wade was among five people who were wounded. It was a severe blow for a family already contending with job loss and illness. Wade, 46, had lost his job as head of security for the Woodside condominium community, where he had worked for more than 17 years.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sun, 23 Jan 2011 03:32:31 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/ibMbRE</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>San Clemente condo complex consumed by fire</title>
     <description><![CDATA[A fast-moving fire tore through a condominium complex in San Clemente Friday and was under investigation.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sat, 22 Jan 2011 10:30:59 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/ggGEeH</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>HOA ADVISER: Roof still leaks, but no funds available to replace it</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Q. We live in a condominium complex that is over 20 years old. The roof needs replacement, but the association does not have the funds to replace it.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 21 Jan 2011 11:52:51 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.dailybreeze.com/business/ci_17155960</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Delinquent Condo Dues Force Out First-timers</title>
     <description><![CDATA["Unfortunately," says John Dutra of Summit Funding, "It’s a double-edged sword. While there’s a definite increase in applications, it’s becoming more difficult to get financing on the very properties first-time buyers typically migrate towards."]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 20 Jan 2011 21:59:05 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/h4k4cN</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Officials and residents find internet useful during crisis</title>
     <description><![CDATA[King uploaded the photos to Facebook and gave updates throughout the day. "It was crazy how fast the pictures moved," he said. Others reposted the photos to their pages and forwarded them to friends. He said his photos have been printed in several newspapers, including the Highland Community News, and a few television news organizations have asked to use them.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 20 Jan 2011 20:15:51 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.highlandnews.net/articles/2011/01/20/news/this_weeks_news/doc4d38b1853a2dd480851438.txt</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Board member threatens to challenge San Lorenzo recall</title>
     <description><![CDATA[The recall election of a homeowners association board member likely will be challenged -- no matter the result. That's according to Brenda Carr, the board member at the root of the recall.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 20 Jan 2011 12:48:51 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/f8749z</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Fire strikes condo garage in NE Fresno</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Fire caused about $51,000 in damage to a condominium's garage this morning in northeast Fresno.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Wed, 19 Jan 2011 18:00:40 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.fresnobee.com/2011/01/19/2238381/fire-strikes-condo-garage-in-ne.html</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Ordinance would keep smokers, their smoke indoors</title>
     <description><![CDATA[LAGUNA WOODS - Apartment and condominium residents here would be prohibited from smoking on open patios and balconies and, when smoking inside their homes, would be required to keep all windows and doors "completely closed," according to an ordinance being considered]]></description>
     <pubDate>Wed, 19 Jan 2011 11:54:11 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/f7IDaJ</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>HOA's hoarding policy gets mixed reviews</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Many readers and residents said a Laguna Woods Village homeowners association is overstepping its boundaries with a policy that would compel residents suspected of having excessive clutter in their homes to allow the HOA to inspect their homes for hoarding and to remove the clutter.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Wed, 19 Jan 2011 11:52:48 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://on.msnbc.com/fkTYYz</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Waterford HOA shakeup: New roof spurs recall</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Waterford Village Homeowners Association board members face a recall following their approval of composition roof in the otherwise tile and shake shingled El Dorado Hills neighborhood.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Tue, 18 Jan 2011 15:52:08 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/eV3P8g</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>HOA wants to inspect hoarders' homes</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Residents in Laguna Woods Village's largest homeowners association who are suspected of having excessive clutter in their homes could be compelled to allow the HOA to inspect their homes for hoarding and to remove the clutter under a new policy.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Tue, 18 Jan 2011 10:53:38 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://on.msnbc.com/f6JF5l</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Plans to shoot country club turkeys upsetting some Danville residents</title>
     <description><![CDATA[The country club's homeowners association has been given a state permit that will allow the shooting of the birds to control the population. It is a tactic state officials say is needed,]]></description>
     <pubDate>Mon, 17 Jan 2011 11:23:20 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/e2MdSt</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Flooding seen as avoidable</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Residents in a neighborhood flooded by late December storms say the damage could have been avoided if City Hall would have listened to their suggestions.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sun, 16 Jan 2011 14:04:40 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.mercurynews.com/california/ci_17109688?nclick_check=1</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>San Lorenzo recall election having issues</title>
     <description><![CDATA[A handful of issues are plaguing the first-ever election to recall a director on the local homes association board.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Sat, 15 Jan 2011 15:19:39 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/fTIkp4</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>HOA ADVISER: Are associations allowed to invest in a mutual fund?</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Q. Our homeowner association recently lost money on its mutual fund account. Is a board of directors allowed to invest association funds in a mutual fund?]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 14 Jan 2011 11:42:23 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.dailybreeze.com/business/ci_17094369</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Arcadia divided over removal of oak, sycamore grove</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Three tree-sitters are freed as activists say a homeowners association in Arcadia failed to support the fight against clearing the area to make way for sediment dredged from a dam.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 14 Jan 2011 11:25:54 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://lat.ms/eHApB5</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Coyote trapper could be in Rossmoor Friday</title>
     <description><![CDATA[County officials expect to finalize on Thursday a contract with the local homeowners association and a trapper could be in Rossmoor by Friday, said Rick Francis, chief of staff for Orange County Supervisor John Moorlach.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 13 Jan 2011 19:20:03 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.ocregister.com/news/-284020--.html</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Neighbor's detective work helps save man she just met</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Moments after meeting Morgan, Nancy Speer, who manages the HOA, watched him suddenly fall back and hit his head on the pool deck near the meeting area.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Wed, 12 Jan 2011 11:00:29 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/gQQG7j</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Sunset Beach group fights annexation to Huntington Beach</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Markovitz says he’s worried that being part of Huntington Beach will change sleepy Sunset Beach. But Mike VanVoorhis, who’s the president of the Sunset Beach Community Association, says the “Mayberry” feel won't ever go away]]></description>
     <pubDate>Tue, 11 Jan 2011 21:46:02 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.scpr.org/news/2011/01/11/sunset-beach-annexation-011111/</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Ruptured Gas Line Forces Evacuations In Scripps Ranch</title>
     <description><![CDATA[A city work crew accidentally broke a natural-gas line while digging in a Scripps Ranch neighborhood Tuesday, forcing precautionary evacuations of about 15 people from nearby residences and a business.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Tue, 11 Jan 2011 19:32:41 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.10news.com/news/26451899/detail.html</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Turns out a nuisance can be in the eye of the neighborhood</title>
     <description><![CDATA[It is one of four abandoned homes among 211 homes in the Oakmont Park subdivision, which has a homeowners' association whose board of directors is charged with assuring that owners maintain their property.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Tue, 11 Jan 2011 11:09:04 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/eXP8kK</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>HOA ADVISER: Can a condo owner file a lawsuit?</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Q. We live in a large townhome community, which has extensive common areas. There are numerous construction defects associated with the common areas.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 07 Jan 2011 16:10:48 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.dailybreeze.com/business/ci_17032997</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>PB Homeowners Sue City Over Drain Problem</title>
     <description><![CDATA[A winter rainstorm has sparked a legal fight between some Pacific Beach homeowners and the city of San Diego.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 07 Jan 2011 11:28:12 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.10news.com/news/26395668/detail.html</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Newport Coast Squatters Featured in OC Weekly Get Arrested</title>
     <description><![CDATA[The Duncans, who took over the Newport Coast property in mid-September and refused to leave, had used Kelly Scott Johnson, a Newport Beach lawyer, to threaten a lawsuit against homeowners'-association officials because they declined to grant the couple gate entrance and exit privileges.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 06 Jan 2011 16:21:08 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/fGLg3w</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Water Main Break Causes Flooding In Santa Cruz</title>
     <description><![CDATA[ A water main break in front of a Santa Cruz condominium complex caused flooding along Soquel Avenue on Thursday]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 06 Jan 2011 16:18:11 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/eH7wgP</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Village Northridge HOA v. State Farm reversed by CA Supreme Ct.</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Case remanded to Appeals Court and decided in State Farm's favor]]></description>
     <pubDate>Thu, 06 Jan 2011 15:27:52 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/eRa7b2</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>County to remove diseased pine trees on Clubhouse Road</title>
     <description><![CDATA[One new homeowner at Clubhouse Estates asked the board to delay the removal so that a private contractor could take down the trees, which he said would cost half of the approximately $18,000 the county will be charging the homeowners association. The trees are on private property.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Tue, 04 Jan 2011 21:53:28 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.santamariatimes.com/news/local/article_4902fc12-1847-11e0-a14e-001cc4c002e0.html</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>GRF board says no to $50,000 gift from Associa</title>
     <description><![CDATA[The Golden Rain Foundation voted Tuesday to reject an up to $50,000 donation from Associa, the company that has purchased the parent company of Laguna Woods Village property manager Professional Community Management.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Tue, 04 Jan 2011 21:44:35 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/ePhtm4</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Fire Injures Nine People</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Ventura fire crews are trying to figure out what sparked a fire that injured nine people including four children]]></description>
     <pubDate>Tue, 04 Jan 2011 21:36:24 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://topicInfoLink</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>HOA ADVISER: How is homeowners association regulated?</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Q. The condominium above ours has a defective shower pan that leaks into our home. Our management company insists that we must deal directly with the person above us and will offer no assistance. Their position is that the association has no power to act.  Are they correct, or should they take action to force the owner with the leaking pan to repair it?]]></description>
     <pubDate>Mon, 03 Jan 2011 17:41:34 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.dailybreeze.com/business/ci_16980723</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Lawsuit gives Sunset Beach a reprieve in annexation battle</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Residents of the coastal enclave, angry about new taxes that will be imposed when they become part of Huntington Beach, file suit to scuttle the annexation approved last month.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Mon, 03 Jan 2011 09:20:51 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://lat.ms/g8d7bU</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Falling trees in Vandenberg Village worry residents</title>
     <description><![CDATA[Dead and dying trees, wet ground and windy weather are making for hazardous conditions that have some Vandenberg Village residents on edge]]></description>
     <pubDate>Fri, 31 Dec 2010 13:21:57 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://bit.ly/gqGu0m</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Collection firm defends threats of foreclosure</title>
     <description><![CDATA[A company charged with collecting late homeowners association dues -threatening foreclosure in the process -has defended its practices.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Wed, 29 Dec 2010 16:12:32 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://topicInfoLink</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>City Yellow-Tags Home After Storms</title>
     <description><![CDATA[The home is in the Colony Hill subdivision, whose homeowners association has been fighting the city in court for the past three years over a broken water main they claim has unstabilized the area.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Tue, 28 Dec 2010 10:21:59 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.nbcsandiego.com/weather/stories/City-Yellow-Tags-Homes-After-Storms-112514039.html</link>
    </item>
    <item>
     <title>Laguna Woods Village HOAs get reimbursement from water district</title>
     <description><![CDATA[El Toro Water District will refund two Laguna Woods Village homeowners associations for fees the HOA incurred as a result of exceeding their allotted water budgets in September 2009.]]></description>
     <pubDate>Mon, 27 Dec 2010 21:16:57 -0500</pubDate>
     <link>http://www.ocregister.com/news/water-281799-rate-district.html</link>
    </item>
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