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Dan Tiernan, COONov 5, 20141 min read

Word of the Week: Rules and Regulations

The word this week is Rules and Regulations. Although Rules and Regulations are not a formal part of the Governing Documents, they are still very important in that they define restrictions for owners that are mandatory, not voluntary.

Rules and Regulations for Community AssociationsSome associations do NOT publish a consolidated list of rules and regulations. Instead, they rely on management and owners to understand the rules and regulations that are embedded in the governing documents. It is not uncommon to find the following kinds of rules in a Declaration of Condominium: cannot paint your door, no pets (service animals and emotional support animals are another story) and lease restrictions.

For many associations, the governing documents provide the board of directors the right to establish additional rules and regulations as long as they are reasonable and do not conflict with the governing documents.

If compliance and standards are a high priority issue in your community, you may want to make sure that your rules are clearly defined and communicated to the owners and residents. Although ignorance of the rules is not a valid excuse, the best way to prevent violations is to make sure everyone is informed.

Ultimately, you may decide that you need a Fining Committee. If so, read here.

Here is a great article from a legal perspective on this topic.

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