Not legal advice

HOA Weekly has one job: help you understand the law that governs community associations. There is a second job we can never do: tell you what to do about your specific situation. This page explains the difference, why it matters, and how to get the most out of what we publish.

What we are

HOA Weekly is a news and reference publication. We read state statutes, court rulings, and agency guidance. We explain them in plain English and link to the original sources so you can check our work.

We are journalists and researchers. We are not lawyers, and we are not your lawyers.

What "not legal advice" means

Legal advice is a professional opinion about your specific situation, given by a licensed attorney who knows your facts. Everything on this site is general information. It describes how the law works for everyone. It cannot say how the law applies to you.

Reading this site does not create an attorney-client relationship. That relationship comes with real protections. Your attorney owes you confidentiality and loyalty. Your attorney is licensed in your state, carries malpractice insurance, and answers to a state bar if the advice is wrong. A publication offers none of those protections.

We say this plainly so you know exactly what you are getting from us: careful, sourced explanation. Nothing more, and nothing less.

Why general information cannot replace advice

Laws change. State legislatures amend HOA statutes every year. A page that was accurate when we reviewed it can be out of date by the time you read it. Our reference pages show a "Last reviewed" date, and we update on a schedule. Even so, the law can move faster than any publication.

Court rulings change what laws mean. The words of a statute can stay the same while a new court decision changes how those words are read. What was a safe assumption last year may not be one today.

Your documents can change the answer. Your association's declaration, bylaws, and rules can add requirements the statute never mentions, or waive protections the statute allows. We have never read your documents. An attorney advising you will.

Small facts change outcomes. A missed deadline, the wording of a notice, or one sentence in a letter can decide a dispute. A general article cannot account for details like that. An attorney sitting across from you can.

We can be wrong. We verify citations and link to primary sources, and human editors review every page. We still make mistakes, because everyone does. When we learn of an error we correct it. But a correction after the fact will not help you if you already acted on the error. Advice you can rely on has to come from someone who knows your facts and is professionally accountable for the answer.

When to talk to an attorney

Get advice from a licensed attorney in your state before you act whenever real money or real rights are on the line. For example:

• Your association has threatened a lien or foreclosure, or you are behind on assessments
• You have been sued, or you are considering suing
• You plan to fight a fine or a violation notice rather than pay it
• You are about to sign, amend, or enforce governing documents or contracts
• You believe you have faced discrimination or retaliation

A simple test: if the decision would hurt to get wrong, get advice first.

How to use this site well

Readers get the most value from HOA Weekly by using it to prepare, not to decide. Read the pages for your state. Note the statute citations. Write down your questions. Then bring all of it to your attorney.

An informed client asks better questions and spends less money on the basics. Use us to get smarter before the meeting, not instead of the meeting.

How to find an attorney

Every state bar association runs a lawyer referral service. Search for your state's name plus "bar association lawyer referral." Many referral services offer a first consultation at a reduced fee. Look for attorneys who work in community association or real estate law.

A note for subscribers

A paid subscription buys access to our reporting and reference pages. It does not buy legal advice, and it does not make us your attorneys. That is true for every tier.

If you write to us about your specific situation, we may point you to a page we have published. We will not tell you what to do. That is not us being unhelpful. It is us being honest about what a publication can responsibly offer.

If you find an error

Tell us. Write to editor@hoaweekly.com. We verify every correction request against primary sources and update the page. Our process is described in our editorial standards.

The short version

We built HOA Weekly because this corner of the law is hard to follow and people deserve a clear explanation of it. Understanding the rules is one job. Applying them to your life is another. We do the first job as well as we can. For the second, put a licensed attorney in your corner.