creating desirable communities
The federal Fair Housing Act (FHA) applies to community associations as providers of housing.
Lerch Early attorneys are experienced in helping their associations navigate concerns like access to common elements, modifications to individual units, or exceptions to policies regarding issues such as assistance animals, and religious decorations.
Success Stories
Successful HOA Meetings
Challenge
Board members and homeowners of one of Lerch Early’s HOA clients were subjected to excessively long and argumentative board of directors and membership meetings.
Strategy
Lerch Early’s community association attorneys regularly provide training to board members on how to run effective meetings. In this case, we scheduled training for the board of directors on Robert’s Rules of Order. Board members learned the benefits of a well-run meeting, the differences between running large and small meetings, how to construct an agenda, voting methods, and what to include in meeting minutes. We then conducted a meeting using what they learned at the next board meeting.
Result
Using what they learned and saw demonstrated, the board was able to cut board meeting times significantly. For the subsequent membership meeting, the board chair distributed an agenda to the owners prior to the meeting and explained the procedures at the meeting’s outset. The annual meeting ran smoothly with a minimum of disruption. When a resident with a perpetual grievance raised a complaint, there was no second, so the meeting proceeded. After the meeting, several owners commented that it was the best meeting they had attended.
Insights

Cautionary Tales: The Federal Fair Housing Act
This article originally appeared in the April 2025 edition of Quorum. Learning from your mistakes is a valuable trait, but let’s be real: learning from other people’s mistakes is even better …

Corporate Transparency Act Reporting Requirements Back in Effect with March 21 Deadline For Most
The beneficial ownership information (BOI) reporting requirements under the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) are now back in effect due to a February 18 decision by the US District Court for …