Submitted
“Make sure you closely review the HOA packet. You need to check both [the HOA and your local ordinances]—because the more restrictive [rules are] going to be applicable.” —Jim Gilbert, Gilbert Law PC
HOAs and the Home Business Owner-Operator, Entrepreneur, Remote Worker By Tom Field Especially with the expanding remote workforce (also a byproduct of the pandemic); how do we manage potential restrictions from property owners associations? “This is how I make my living!” “You can’t prevent me from making a living!” That’s the rally call of more and more individuals who work from home, who happen to live in a community governed by a property owners association, more commonly called a homeowners association (HOA). Residents love or hate HOAs. But with the number of remote and virtual and at-home workers increasing, the conflicts are also increasing. One side reminds everyone that “rules are rules” and it is simply protecting
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its investors, stakeholders, and members— including their wishes, expectations, and legally-established directives. The other side sees a lot of ridiculous enforcements and applications and says a person’s right to work should not be infringed (some citing the sequestering from COVID-19 as an unavoidable exception and special circumstance). But notwithstanding a global pandemic; if you’re going to conduct business at home, you need to be aware of HOAs that might interfere with your practice. This is particularly true of business owners and entrepreneurs; but it can also impact employees,