The following is a summary of legislation enacted and court decisions from this past year, and news and current events, which impact common interest developments.
ENACTED STATE LEGISLATION
AB 349 (Gonzalez) Property Use and Maintenance – Artificial Turf
Effective immediately as an urgency statute, AB 349 amends Civil Code Section 4735 to make any provision of a governing document or policy, including architectural or landscaping guidelines, void and unenforceable if it prohibits, or includes conditions that have the effect of prohibiting, the use of artificial turf or other synthetic surface resembling grass. AB 349 was enacted to reduce outdoor water use to help meet the Governor’s mandated 25-percent statewide water use reduction in a time of drought.
This bill also amends Civil Code Section 4735 to prohibit associations from requiring a member to remove or reverse water-efficient landscaping measures, installed in response to a declaration of a state of emergency, once the state of emergency due to drought is lifted.
AB 596 (Daly) Annual Budget Report – FHA/VA Certification
Beginning July 1, 2016, the annual budget report of a condominium project must include a separate statement describing the status of certification by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and the federal Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
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