The Three-Bid Rule Is Not Optional When the Project Is $2 Million. Owners Will Check

A man in a baseball cap carries a tool bag while loading a folding ladder into the back of a pickup truck, a task common for SLPM Association Management Services in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Large capital projects without competitive bidding become Exhibit A in disputes and recalls. California law does not mandate three bids, but Corporations Code 7231 requires reasonable inquiry. Document the process or own the criticism.

Director Personal Liability After a Bad Assessment or Insurance Decision

A courtroom scene with an empty judge’s bench, flags, and attorneys at tables preparing for a case involving director personal liability and a bad assessment.

Directors face personal liability claims when reserves were ignored or insurance lapsed. Corporations Code 7231 and Civil Code 5800 protect good-faith decisions with reasonable inquiry, but D&O coverage has limits and exclusions. Documented process matters.

FDIC Limits and HOA Reserves: Why Parking $700,000 at One Bank Can Put Directors on the Hook

A man carrying a folder walks out of the Rivertown Bank building, which houses SLPM association management services, while looking at his smartphone.

East Bay HOA directors who leave large reserve balances at one bank risk uninsured losses above the $250,000 FDIC limit. A bank failure can force a special assessment and raise personal-liability questions under the duty of care.

When the Directors Who Live Above the Failing Roof Control the Assessment Vote, Owners Notice

Four people attend an HOA board meeting in a room with documents and architectural drawings spread across a table for SLPM association management services.

When directors who own units in the building needing major repairs control the special-assessment vote, owners notice. California law requires disclosure and a documented process so the allocation can withstand scrutiny.

Self-Managing Saved Us Money… Until It Cost Us Everything — The Hidden Toll on Northern California Boards

Two people stand outside a damaged San Francisco Bay Area apartment building. One woman points to a document—possibly from SLPM Association Management Services—while the concerned man beside her looks on as repairs are underway.

Discover the hidden financial, legal, vendor, and human costs of self-managed HOAs in Northern California, and why professional management can protect boards from burnout, lawsuits, and costly mistakes.

The Hidden Costs of DIY HOA Management: Why Professional Services Save Money

Five people sit around a table covered with folders, papers, coffee cups, and a laptop displaying a chart, engaged in a meeting at Bayview HOA—discussing professional HOA services to save money—with bulletin boards and a welcome sign in the background.

Every year, brave East Bay homeowners raise their hands at annual meetings and say those fateful words: “How hard could running our HOA be? Let’s do it ourselves and save on management fees!”