Community Insider Spring 2020 | Page 31

Fortunately, the bill also created Civil Code Section 5986 which voids any provision in developer-created CC&Rs that requires a vote of the membership to initiate construction defect litigation. The bill’s language also prohibits restrictions on the board’s right to obtain legal counsel or incur expenses in pursuing construction defect claims. The practical effect of that language is to disallow developers from creating unnecessary hurdles for an association to pursue construction defect claims. Garrett Wait is a senior associate at Kriger Law Firm, assisting clients in general counsel and litigation matters. While the bill does not require the first inspection to occur for another five years, associations should prepare to complete the required inspections well in advance. Naturally, this will need to be a new line item in the association’s budget. Boards and managers should dedicate some time in 2020 to understanding the anticipated cost of the visual inspections so that they can better prepare for potential necessary assessment increases. If the inspector determines that any exterior elevated element poses an immediate threat to safety, the inspector must provide a copy of his or her report to the local code enforcement agency, and the association must immediately prevent access to the exterior elevated element until completing the necessary repairs and having the repairs inspected and approved by the local enforcement agency. SPECIALIZING IN COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION INSURANCE Master Policies | Earthquake | Directors and Officers Fidelity | Workers’ Compensation Patrick Prendiville, CIRMS www.HOAville.com | (619) 649-8069 [email protected] | License #0E02075 /cai.sd /in/caisandiego WWW.CAI-SD.ORG | 31