Dispute guides
When something is already in motion, you want a sequence, not a definition. This hub is the index of the six public dispute-flow pages: you got a violation letter, how to fight a fine, how an HOA hearing works, how to request records, unpaid dues and liens, and the board will not respond. Those slugs are page-map keys. They are not the parallel files under research/processes/, which Web should not ingest.
Each flow is general information. The first 48 hours after a notice, the hearing, and collections are where state statutes diverge hardest. Florida uses an independent committee and a 14-day notice before a Chapter 720 fine. Texas will not foreclose for fines only. Washington WUCIOA requires two preforeclosure notices and a minimum past-due amount before a foreclosure action. Your documents can add steps. They cannot always subtract a statutory floor.
Use the matching topic hub (violations, hearings, records, liens) for the surrounding FAQs, and the state page for the overlay. Do not skip a hearing you were offered. Do not treat a guide as a demand letter or as permission to stop paying assessments. If foreclosure or fair housing is in play, that is when a licensed lawyer in your state belongs in the room.
This is general information from an AI helper, not legal advice. Confirm it against your documents and your state's law. If a deadline or hearing is coming up, talk to a licensed lawyer.
- How an HOA hearing works — How HOA hearings typically work, when you must request one versus when it is automatic, how to prepare, and Florida's independent fining committee as a labeled example — not the national rule.
- How to fight an HOA fine — Typical steps, timeline ranges, and labeled state rules for how an HOA takes a complaint to a posted fine — including notice, cure, hearing, and when a fine can (and cannot) become a lien.
- How to request HOA records — How to write an HOA records request, what to attach, and labeled statutory response windows in California, Florida, Texas, Virginia, Arizona, and Nevada — not a national deadline.
- I got a violation letter — Date the notice, find the cure or hearing-request clock, and do not treat Florida, California, Texas, or Virginia numbers as national. General information, not legal advice.
- The board will not respond — When each HOA dispute path is typical — internal appeal, ADR, a state ombudsman, small claims, or a lawyer — with labeled FL, CA, VA, NV, and AZ examples. Not 'you should sue.'
- Unpaid dues, late fees, and liens — Typical path from a late assessment to a demand, a recorded lien, and foreclosure, with a pay-under-protest theme and labeled CA, FL, TX, and AZ rules. Not a national timeline.
- Board elections — California mandates secret ballots, independent inspectors, and a 30-day notice clock. Florida HOA elections follow the governing documents plus section 720.306 (proxies allowed). Do not mix Florida condo election rules into an HOA.
- Board fiduciary duty — HOA directors owe a duty of care and a duty of loyalty. Business judgment protects informed, good-faith, loyal decisions — not conflicts, recklessness, or acting without authority. California Corp. Code 7231 and Florida 720.303 / 617.0830 labeled.
- Buyer due diligence — Before you buy into an HOA, get the CC&Rs, bylaws, rules, budget, reserve study, minutes, violation history, special assessments, litigation, insurance dec pages, and an estoppel or resale certificate. Delivery rules are state-specific.
- FHA and VA condo approval — FHA uses Handbook 4000.1 and Forms HUD-9991/9992; VA requires project-level acceptance in WebLGY and does not spot-approve units. Occupancy, reserves, insurance, and litigation are the screens buyers hit.
- Hiring and firing management — The board, not the owners, usually hires and fires the manager. California 5375/5380 and Florida 718.111/720.3033 set disclosure, trust-account, license, and kickback rules. Typical auto-renewal and termination-fee clauses are labeled as typical.
- Master policy vs HO-6 — The association master policy and your HO-6 split a condo loss. Bare walls vs walls-in is declaration-and-policy language, not a national guarantee. Florida condos have a statutory split; other states usually do not.
- Open meetings — HOAs are generally not public agencies. California, Florida, and Texas still give members statutory rights to attend board meetings, with listed executive-session exceptions and notice clocks.
- Removing a board member — Florida owners may recall a director with or without cause by a majority of total voting interests. California removal is a secret-ballot election under Civil Code 5100 plus Corp. Code 7222. Nevada requires 35 percent of all voting members and a majority of votes cast.
- Rental caps and investment buyers — Rental caps usually live in the recorded declaration. California, Florida, and North Carolina each limit or channel those caps differently. Do not treat FL or NC examples as the national rule.
- Seller resale package — The association prepares the resale or estoppel package; the seller usually orders it. California, Florida, Texas, and Virginia set different fee caps and delivery clocks. Label every example as that state.