Halk, oetinger, and brown, pllc

Association Governance

Halk, Oetinger, and Brown represents community associations in initial formation, election and voting issues, amendment of articles of incorporation, amendment of bylaws, amendment of CC&Rs, interpretation of governing documents, opinion letters, assessment issues, transfers and acquisitions of property, and other corporate issues.

Representing Planned Communities and Condominiums

General Association Governance

To help our community association clients budget more effectively for legal expenses, our firm has created a comprehensive approach that groups most legal services into a fixed monthly fee. This innovative model not only offers financial predictability but also nurtures a strong collaborative relationship between our clients and our legal team.

In our extensive experience, one of the primary obstacles to effective legal counsel is the anxiety clients feel about being billed for every phone call or email exchange. By alleviating this concern, we encourage community association clients to reach out to us more frequently. We genuinely prefer our clients to contact us whenever they have questions or concerns. Engaging an attorney early in the process—when issues are still manageable—can help avoid the escalation of larger, more complex problems later on.

This proactive approach ultimately reduces the workload for the community association's manager, the Board, and our firm over time. By addressing potential legal challenges early, we can streamline the resolution process and minimize stress for all parties involved.

For this reason, Halk, Oetinger, and Brown proudly became the first firm in the state to introduce the Legal Retainer Plan, often referred to as the "$50 Plan." This initiative underscores our commitment to enhancing communication with clients and effectively managing the legal issues that associations encounter. By offering this service, we aim to empower community associations to concentrate on their core missions while we adeptly handle their legal needs.

For $50 per month, the plan offers an Association:

Unlimited telephone time and emails each month between any member of our Firm and one representative of the Board of Directors and the association manager regarding general operations.

Two Executive Board of Directors meetings per year by video.

This includes our services as Statutory Agent for the association. Assistance with filing of the corporate annual reports. An annual summary of relevant legislation and case law.

Review of monthly Board meeting minutes.

Also, review of the management agreement before renewal, and a verbal report to the designated association representative.