The handyman snag
QUESTION: Is it possible for our homeowners’ association to hold its annual election by mail?
ANSWER: Unless your bylaws prohibit your association from holding its election by mail, you may do so.
QUESTION: When a homeowners’ association is required to obtain legal advice in order to respond to a member of the association, can it charge the member for the attorney’s fees?
ANSWER: No. A homeowners’ association is entitled to recover its attorney’s fees from a member only when it prevails in a court proceeding or arbitration, usually in connection with the enforcement of the governing documents of the association.
QUESTION: Are handymen required to have a contractor’s license?
ANSWER: It depends. Work on a project for which the combined value of labor, materials and all other items on one or more contracts are less than $500, does not require a contractor’s license. However, work which is part of a larger project, whether undertaken by the same or different contractors, may not be divided into amounts less than $500 in an attempt to meet the $500 exemption. Also, unlicensed handymen must provide the purchaser with a written disclosure stating that they are unlicensed by the Contractors State License Board, or the $500 exemption does not apply.
QUESTION: What is the penalty for contracting without a license when one is required?
ANSWER: Contracting without a license is a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in county jail and/or a fine of up to $15,000. (Michael T. Chulak is the founder of Michael T. Chulak & Associates, a Law Corporation, based in Agoura Hills. Questions can be sent by e-mail to Answers are general in nature. An attorney should always be consulted when legal advice is needed. For more information visit these two Web sites: www.MTCLaw.com and www.HOAqanda.com. Chulak also schedules free legal seminars throughout Los Angeles and Ventura counties. To look for a legal seminar closest to you, visit www.LegalSeminars.net.)
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on July 26, 2006. Read the original PDF.