HOA Software for California Boards

California HOAs are governed by the Davis-Stirling Common Interest Development Act. The Good HOA helps CA self-managed boards meet open-meeting, reserve-study, and disclosure expectations without the overhead of a full-service management contract.

What California HOA boards need to comply with

Davis-Stirling Common Interest Development Act (Cal. Civ. Code §4000 et seq.). Davis-Stirling prescribes open-meeting rules, reserve study cadence, election procedures, and the annual policy statement. Civil Code §5300 spells out the annual budget package every CA board must mail or deliver.

Have a reserve study with a diligent visual inspection at least once every three years, and review it every year.
Distribute the annual budget report and annual policy statement within statutory windows.
Hold board meetings in open session with proper notice and minutes; executive sessions require statutory grounds.
Follow Civil Code §5100 election procedures, including secret ballot and an independent inspector.

What Davis-Stirling Common Interest Development Act covers

Open Meeting Act (§4900–§4955)

Board meetings are open to members, with notice at least four days in advance (two days for an executive session). Executive session is limited to specific topics such as litigation, contracts, member discipline, personnel, and assessment payment plans, and the general subject is noted in the next open-meeting minutes.

Annual budget report and policy statement (§5300, §5310)

Every year, 30 to 90 days before the fiscal year ends, the association distributes an annual budget report — pro forma budget, reserve summary, and funding plan — and an annual policy statement covering items like the assessment collection policy and the schedule of monetary penalties.

Reserve studies (§5550, §5560)

At least once every three years the board has a reserve study prepared that includes a diligent visual inspection of the major components the association maintains. The board reviews the study every year and adopts a reserve funding plan.

Elections (§5100–§5145)

Director elections and other member votes follow written election rules, an independent inspector of elections, and secret ballots. Recent amendments allow electronic secret-ballot voting where the association adopts a rule permitting it.

Discipline and fines (§5850, §5855)

Monetary penalties follow a schedule the association has adopted and distributed. Before imposing one, the board gives the member at least 10 days’ written notice of a hearing, and sends its written decision within 15 days after it.

This is general information, not legal advice. Self-managed boards should review the statute and their governing documents with counsel before making compliance decisions.

How The Good HOA helps California boards

A budget builder and Reports exports for the annual budget report package.
Fine schedules the board approves before they apply, so penalties match the adopted schedule.
Violation records that keep the hearing notice, photos, and written decision in one file.
Polls and elections with append-only, tamper-evident records.
Meetings with agendas, a record of when and how notice went out, and minutes kept with the meeting.