Phantom Opposition in Media on Colorado Construction Defects Bill

Colorado SB 15-177, construction defects reform, is aimed at reducing the number of law suits entered into by HOAs and to define, improve upon, and reduce the cost of dispute resolution.  This particularly impacts HOA home owners as it requires the approval of home owners prior to the HOA spending its' funds on litigation.  Too often HOA Boards at the encouragement of their lawyer enter into costly litigation without the knowledge or approval of home owners.  The consequences can be burdensome special assessments and increases in HOA dues to pay for the litigation and replenish reserve funds.

 

The Colorado HOA Forum, representing home owner interests, supports this legislation as currently proposed.  The Bill is opposed by the Community Association Institute (CAI) with a membership comprised mostly of property managers and HOA and trial lawyers. 

 

Lakewood, CO and most recently Lone Tree, CO have enacted local ordinances similar to the proposed SB 15-177.

 

We have monitored press releases on both the Lakewood and Lone Tree efforts.  The press (Denver Post, Denver Business Journal, and TV news) has again mentioned that opposition to the subject Bill is strong among HOA organizations and HOA home owners.  We challenged the media to identify just one HOA organization (members being HOAs) and/or one HOA home owner's organization (mostly home owners as members).  TO DATE NEITHER COULD IDENTIFY ONE!  THERE IS NO HOA OR HOA HOME OWNER's ORGANIZATION IN THE STATE TO OUR KNOWLEDGE OR THE MEDIA'S EXCEPT THE COLORADO HOA FORUM, NONE, LET ALONE ANY WHO OPPOSE SB 15-177.

 

This happens time and again with HOA issues: those representing the home owner's opinion being organizations and trial lawyers that are a hindrance to and block any HOA legislative reform such as the CAI.

 

This misrepresentation of who represents HOA home owners exemplifies why our issues for legislative reform and SB 15-177 have such controversy and difficulties in gaining support:  the opposition identified basically doesn't exist and/or misrepresents itself as supportive of home owners.

 

Below is a link to the latest article from the Denver Business Journal that suggests opposition from phantom organizations such as home owner groups and HOA entities:

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/blog/real_deals/2015/02/lone-tree-to-take-up-construction-defects.html

 

We ask the press to once again get it right and verify who represents home owners and those who reject legislative reform that promotes home owner's rights and good governance.