Common Interest Development (aka Homeowner Associations)
CC&Rs describe the rights and obligations of the homeowners’ association and of each owner. CC&Rs are recorded with the county recorder of the county where the property is located, and automatically bind anyone who becomes an owner of the property after the CC&Rs are recorded. CC&Rs vary widely in content and length, but usually cover some of the following topics:
- The boundaries of the common area and of each unit or lot;
- The legal description of the property;
- The allocation of association operating costs among the owners
- The mechanism for collecting owner payments;
- Allocation of owner voting rights;
- Any restrictions on alienation of units; and
- The rights and protection of mortgage lenders.
Meetings and Decisions
An owner’s voting power is determined by the governing documents. In most homeowner associations, each owner has one vote of equal weight regardless of his/her ownership or assessment percentage, or the value or size of his/her unit or lot. If voting power is not specified in the governing documents, the law presumes that each unit or lot is entitled to cast one vote, with all the votes being weighed equally.
Secret ballot voting may be used in the Board’s discretion if the vote is particularly sensitive. In Oregon, it may also be used when at least 10% of the owners petition for secrecy procedures before the ballots are mailed out.