This is a very busy time of the year if you have supportfrom other members of your HOA or Condo Association that could be used to improve State laws that affect members of these Associations. The Legislatures in WA and Oregon ususally begin drafting bills in the Fall at this time of the year, a few months before the cutoff date when members of the Legislature cannot submit additional new legislative measures for consideration. That does not mean that the legislative measures cannot be amended...But, if you have Senators or House Representatives who may support your proposal, it would be a good time to contact them about sponsoring your proposal or an amendment to an existint proposal .
During this past year, I read many comments from people who are alarmed that their property rights, protected by the U.S. Constitution, are not protected as members of HOAs and Condo Associations. However, based on a little research of a number existing State Laws that govern HOAs and Condo Associations, you may find that only a few sentences in an existing State law could be added that will stop an abusive Board from violating your rights. In other words it should not be necessary to file a civil lawsuit that could cost thousands of dollars when a few sentences could make it impossible for Boards to circumvent a State law or governing documents that may have to many loopholes.
One of the easiest ways for members to get the attention and respect from a Board is to gain more control over the Budget and Disbursements from Reserve Funds. For example, in WA an HOA's members can reject the Board's proposed budget; but it takes a vote from the owners of 51 percent of the lots in the HOA. This requirement seems unreasonable to me because if the members cannot satisfy this requirement, the Board's budget is adopted. However, consider how much better members' would be treated if the Board also needed a vote of the owners of 51 percent of the lots in an HOA. In Oregon, I believe that the Board adopts the Budget,which means that members have to either replace a Board of live with the consequences of the Board's budget.