Community Association Legal Services

Depend on DeSantis Condo Law for community association legal services in Santa Monica, CA. Contact us for the following services:

Homeowners’ Associations and Condominiums

Provide guidance in updating Association CC&Rs, Bylaws, and Operating Rules to comply with the new Davis-Stirling Act (effective January 1, 2014, and frequently amended thereafter).
Advise Associations on disputes with owners and others.
Assist Associations with bringing Association records into compliance with the Corporations Code and the Civil Code’s Davis-Stirling Act.
Assist Boards of Directors in interpreting governing documents and state laws.

Assist Owners in independently interpreting their Association’s governing documents.
Advise Owners on their rights and potential liabilities.
Advise Owners who have issues or disputes with their Board of Directors.

Review condominium documents and advise potential condominium buyers of possible issues.
Review HOA corporate records, budgets, reserve studies, and other disclosures.

Review condominium documents, HOA corporate records, budgets, and reserve studies.
Recommend seller disclosures to reduce liability exposure.

Provide legal support services and CA Bureau of Real Estate processing for developers of new and conversion condominium projects.
Prepare original CC&Rs, Bylaws, and Governing Documents for new construction and conversion projects.

Paul DeSantis is an expert in Santa Monica’s unique Tenant Ownership Rights Charter Amendment (TORCA) condominium conversion law.
As co-author of the law and its chief proponent, Paul prepared the legal documents and assisted in the conversion of over 200 buildings from apartments to condominiums. In every case, this was done in cooperation with both the tenants and the owners.
Many TORCA HOAs rely on DeSantis Condo Law to update their TORCA CC&Rs and Bylaws. Special care is necessary to bring these outdated documents into compliance with new state requirements without violating the City of Santa Monica’s strict TORCA mandates.
Our staff includes Rick Mills, a past long-term City of Santa Monica planner who processed many of these TORCA projects for the city. Rick provides valuable expertise in handling special matters related to TORCA conversions and other condominium projects.

Evaluate real property title issues, including flawed legal descriptions, vesting issues, and title chains, and provide findings and recommendations as appropriate.