Cost for records

Started by JaneS13 • 7 replies • 749 views

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JaneS13 (California)
Posts: 37

Posted:

Hi everyone.

I was under the impression that in California, the association can charge for copying and mailing requested records from owners.

Can property management companies charge for costs to retrieve storage boxes, costs for administrative research, and copying and mailing costs?

Thanks

MelissaP1 (Alabama)
Posts: 13,836

Posted:

I am sure can recover the postage and copy costs. The price should be along the lines of what UPS or Kinko's charges for copies. As for doing the research and gathering the documents, seems odd an MC would do some of that. IF they do, then don't see why they can't charge for that work to. A fixed fee for administrative. This would be an MC charge.

Members have the right to VIEW HOA records. They have the option of making their own copies and/or doing their own research. All of that would be on them and supervised.

Former HOA President

JaneS13 (California)
Posts: 37

Posted:

Thanks, Melissa. Waiting to see if managment will agree to that. Seems excessive for two one page documents to cost $60 excluding copying and mailing.

DonaldF5 (Arizona)
Posts: 5

Posted:

Thanks for sharing.

KerryL1 (California)
Posts: 14,550

Posted:

There are differences among states, jane. In CA, HOAs (c via mgmt or the board) may charge owners for copies of records that owners are permitted to inspect. And we may inspect a lot.

But the HOA only must provide the current year and the two previous years of most records. There's no requirement to go digging in cartons for old records and compiling them by type of document. There are exceptions like open meeting minutes which must be provided forever.

For more, visit davis-stirling.com (Records Inspection or Inspection of records), a site compiled by HOA legal firm in CA. I believe you'll see the HOA can charge a reasonable fee. $60 for two pages is not reasonable UNLESS they actually did dig through cartons to find them. When owners here want copies, they usually are amiable online and easily found so they send them via email and charge nothing.

JaneS13 (California)
Posts: 37

Posted:

Thank Kerry, based on what you mentioned from A/S, I did not realize that the documents (vendor reports) I wanted from 2012 and 2015, cannot be given.

I don’t understand why the manager did not tell me those documents were not allowed for me to have in the first place, instead of email exchanges that led me to believe that they were available, quoting me those charges while complaining about getting the documents and also telling me that the vendor purges their files when I asked about getting pdfs from them.

KerryL1 (California)
Posts: 14,550

Posted:

Could be, jane, that your PM isn't aware of the inspection of records statutes.

JaneS13 (California)
Posts: 37

Posted:

Kerry, you could be right about that. Didn’t think it was possible with PM having decades of experience.

I appreciate you taking the time to help me with this. Thank you.

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