Consumers
HOMEOWNER ASSOCIATION / NON-PROFIT MUTUAL BENEFIT CORPORATIONS
The Attorney General has authority under Corporations Code section 8216 to intervene, in appropriate situations, on behalf of members of a non-profit mutual benefit corporation (such as a homeowners association) who are denied certain specified rights. These rights include, for example, failure to:
- Provide a member access to books and records of the corporation
- Hold regular meetings of members
- Provide annual financial reports to members
- Provide a list of names and address of members
Other complaints may involve civil disputes in which the Attorney General has no statutory authority to intervene. You may wish to contact a private attorney if your complaint involves the following:
- Dispute over services or maintenance
- Request for an interpretation or legal advice on association rules
- Billing dispute or monetary claim you may have against the corporation
- Disputes between members and the governing body involving the capacity, competence, propriety, or wisdom of Governing Board decisions
After reviewing a complaint, and if appropriate, the Attorney General may send a "Notice of Complaint" letter with a copy of the submitted complaint to the corporation. We request that the corporation responds to both our office and the complainant within 30 days.
Many times our "Notice of Complaint" will be sufficient to prompt a response from the board of directors. However, you may wish to discuss your problem with your own private attorney.
To file a complaint by regular mail or email, use the complaint form available on this website.
Additional information also is available from the California Department of Real Estate.