House & Home: May 20, 2023

CONTENTS

HOA Homefront Reader Questions: Already an active legislative year for HOAs (Part 1 of 2)...............................4

Plumber: Restaurant-inspired fixtures for busy home chef ........................................6

Santa Barbara County Sales ........................................................................8 In the Home: Starting your own garden — however big or small ..................................10 On Gardening: See-through phenomenon allows creation of dazzling flowerbeds...........12

AROUND TOWN

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Already an Active Legislative Year For HOAs

(Part 1 of 2)

By Kelly G. Richardson, Esq. CCAL

After a few quiet years in Sacramento regarding HOAs, California’s legislature is quite active this year with at least 8 bills proposing to affect HOAs in 2024. Four are helpful and four are not. Today’s column will address the first four that are helpful, and the other four will follow next week.

A perennial problem for HOAs is a lack of membership participation preventing board elections. Many associations have elections canceled year after year due to the failure to have the minimum number of members participating (“quorum”). A recurring and incorrect urban legend is that an obscure Corporations Code statute allowed HOAs to reduce their quorum to a lower number if the first attempt failed. Some HOAs try to amend their bylaws to establish a lower quorum, but even that amendment vote requires a minimum quorum to pass.

Assembly Bill 1458, authored by Assemblyperson Ta of Westminster, would make a simple but important change, allowing HOAs to use a quorum of 20% for the next attempted election if the first board election meeting failed for insufficient participation. This reduction in quorum only would apply to board elections and no other membership vote decisions.

Assembly Bill 648 would, if passed, allow HOAs to have purely virtual or telephonic meetings without having a physical location announced for those not wishing to participate virtually or telephonically. The bill, authored by Assemblyperson Valencia of Anaheim, would require that any board votes must be by roll call vote and clear instructions for participation be provided. Only board meetings could be purely virtual or telephonic. This expands the present law, which allows purely virtual board

or membership meetings only when a declared emergency makes a physical meeting unsafe or impossible.

California law allows a property owner to execute a “revocable transfer on death deed” to allow someone to transfer a residence upon death without a trust or probate proceeding. Stock cooperatives were excluded from this law because their members have shares of stock, not deeds. Assembly Bill 288, authored by Assemblyperson Maienschein of North San Diego County, adopts California Law Revision Commission recommendations. The bill would allow owners of stock cooperative homes to also execute revocable transfer on death “deeds” to transfer that share of stock (and therefore the home) to someone without a trust or probate proceeding.

Civil Code 5551, enacted in 2020, requires all HOAs to have visual inspections of exterior elevated elements within the HOA’s maintenance or repair responsibility. The inspection must be by a licensed structural engineer or architect, and the first inspection must occur by the end of 2024. Assembly Bill 1101, authored by Assemblyperson Flora of the San Joaquin Valley, would add a third allowable inspector as an option, a Branch 3 registered pest control company. “Branch 3” licenses are regarding destruction of wood by pests or organisms and require 100 training hours training (80 which is field work) and a test to obtain, per California Regulations Title 16 Section 1937. This would make Civil Code 5551 inspections easier and less expensive for HOAs to obtain.

June 2, 2023 is the deadline for bills to pass their initial house of origin, so there is time to contact your representative and voice your opinions. Visit www. leginfo.legislature.ca.gov to read the bills.

Can we get our money back after fully paying special assessment?

By Gary M. Singer

Question:

We were specially assessed for a project for our condominium. We paid almost the entire assessment at his point, but we need to sell our unit and move due to an opportunity. The board postponed the project for at least a year if not more. Are we entitled to get our money back when we sell before the project even begins?

– Donna

Answer:

When a community association needs extra money for a specific project, such as replacing a roof or making unexpected repairs, it can “specially assess” the unit owners to get the necessary funds. Like regular assessments the association collects to maintain the community, special assessments must be paid to avoid collection or foreclosure.

Special assessments have special rules. The money can be used only for the specific purpose for which it was passed. If there are surplus funds after the project is completed, the funds are transferred to the common account and can either be returned to the unit owners or held and credited to future assessments.

Unfortunately, delays happen for a variety of reasons. You and your neighbors must continue paying the special assessment despite the delay. The money you paid has been credited to your unit and will pass to whoever you sell your apartment to.

You can still, in effect, get the money back, but from your buyer, not your association.

Having the special assessment paid off will make your home more attractive to prospective buyers. Because the assessment is paid off, the new owner will not need to make monthly payments, and people buy the most new home they can afford.

Mortgage lenders determine how much a borrower can afford by matching their income to the monthly cost of the new home. If the monthly assessment is less, the buyer should be able to buy more.

Because of this, you should be able to sell your home for more money than one of your neighbors who did not pay off the assessment could, effectively getting the money back

Kelly G. Richardson, Esq. is a Fellow of the College of Community Association Lawyers andPartnerof Richardson Ober DeNichilo LLP, a law firm known

community association advice.

Gary M. Singer is a Florida attorney and board-certified as an expert in real estate law by the Florida Bar. He practices real estate, business litigation and contract law from his office in Sunrise, Fla. He is the chairman of the Real Estate Section of the Broward County Bar Association and is a co-host of the weekly radio show Legal News and Review. He frequently consults on general real estate matters and trends in Florida with various companies across the nation. Follow him on Twitter @GarySingerLaw. Distributed by Tribune

Plumber:

Restaurant-inspired fixtures for busy home chef

By Ed Del Grande

Question:

Hi Ed: I have a big extended family and I love to feed them my meals at holiday gatherings. I cook so much we plan a custom kitchen remodel and I’m looking for plumbing fixture suggestions for filling and washing very large pots, any ideas?

– Tina

Answer:

Since you are planning a kitchen remodel, the good news is you should have a clean slate to work with. With that said, I do have some suggestions geared towards filling and washing large pots.

For pot filling, instead of filling a pot with water at the kitchen sink and then moving it to the stove, you can have a pot filler faucet installed at the stove area. Wall- or deck-mounted pot fillers are tall cold water faucet spouts that swing out over the pot so it can be easily filled on the stovetop.

Next, for washing large pots, I do have two types of faucets to suggest. Since you do cook like a semipro chef, I recommend a semipro kitchen faucet. Semipro kitchen faucets operate and look like faucets you might find in a restaurant kitchen. They are tall, flexible gooseneck-style faucets with a spring for support to help fill and wash larger pots and pans.

If you’re looking for another style, the second faucet idea I have is a wall-mounted bridge-style kitchen faucet. This is a high-arch faucet that mounts up on the wall over the sink, giving you extra clearance for larger items.

Final tip: If you’re looking to fill and wash large pots in your new residential kitchen, you can cook up some nice ideas by simply visiting a local commercial kitchen.

Master Contractor/Plumber Ed Del Grande is known internationally as the author of the book “Ed Del Grande’s House Call,” the host of TV and Internet shows, and a LEED green associate. Visit eddelgrande.com. Always consult local contractors and codes. Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Semipro kitchen faucets operate and look like faucets you might find in a restaurant kitchen. They are tall, flexible gooseneck-style faucets with a spring for support to help fill and wash larger pots and pans. Photos courtesy Kohler/TNS

4040 Marina Drive | Ocean View Estate

5 Bed/6.5 Bath | 5,502 Total Approx SF

Listed at $9,475,000

Seamless indoor/outdoor living at this breezy ocean view estate in Hope Ranch. Mediterranean resort-style home boasts picturesque ocean views that will have you feeling miles away from the stresses of the world, yet minutes to town. For a life of luxury and entertaining, the backyard gracefully frames the home, and is accented by a glistening pool and cabana. Charming 1 bedroom guest house is ideal for entertaining family and friends. Luxurious oasis, where elegant landscaping and large grassy yards are waiting for you.

Santa Barbara County Sales

This is a partial list of all recorded residential sales in Santa Barbara County from May 8 thru May 12, 2023. While these recordings are public record, the News-Press receives this information from an outside source. This list does not represent all sales that occurred over this time period. Consult your REALTOR® for further information regarding home sales in your area of interest.

Santa Barbara County Sales

Starting your own garden –however big or small

By Kaitlyn Keegan

With prices at the grocery store still high, many people are turning to a more sustainable source of food: gardens.

Whether you own your home or rent an apartment, there is a way for you to begin growing vegetables.Homeowners have a few options including starting a backyard garden in a plot or raised bed, creating large planters or growing indoors. If you’re in an apartment, you may grow on a balcony or start your plants inside in the best sun spots.

Here are some tips and tricks. Before you know it, you’ll have pots full of lettuce, tomatoes, zucchini and other tasty things to cook.

Inside growing

If you need to start your garden inside, consider working with your windowsills or on furniture placed near windows. Try and find the spots with the most amount of sun. Some benefits to gardening inside include less bugs, more access to harvest, easier time watering and more. The downfall? You might need to pick and choose which plants you really want due to space restrictions. Use the vertical space in your home

or apartment with things such as wall planters or hanging planters suspended from shelves or the ceiling to help add more space.

Start small

If this is your first time creating a garden, start small. Don’t take on a giant garden plot for your first adventure. Local hardware stores sell self-watering planters that will hold a few plants. They’re great for beginners who aren’t ready to commit to a huge part of their yard yet. Some varieties of vegetables do fine in larger planters and don’t need a ton of space. These are great for having around your patio.

Make raised beds

If you have the space in your yard, a raised bed is a great method for starting a garden. Local stores sell blocks that help create corners and you can use planks of wood to make the bed any size you want. Raised beds help keep the plants contained, animals out, and make it more manageable. If you make it a taller bed, it’s easier on your back as well. Just note the taller beds have a more limited lifespan due to how long the wood will hold.

Check the labels

Seed or plant labels will help you determine if it’s a vegetable that will thrive in your garden. Different varieties of lettuce or tomatoes might require different levels of sunlight and water. They also might like to be planted in different times of the year. Some vegetables love the fall and winter while others need the early spring sun and water.

Grow your own seedlings or find a swap

Before you plant seeds outside, most of them need to be a bit more mature to withstand the elements. Consider starting your seedlings in a sunny windowsill or in your basement under grow lights. If you don’t have the time or patience for that, look for seedling swaps online in your community group. Many times people who grow seedlings don’t have enough space in their garden for everything so they will give or trade seedings with other gardeners. The other way is to purchase already mature, but young plants from your local nursery and get started with those.

Whether you own your home or rent an apartment, there is a way for you to begin growing vegetables.

Photo courtesy Dreamstime/TNS

To view this weekend’s Open Home Guide and all other Real Estate for sale or rent go to: newspress.com – click on RESPONSES – click on OPEN HOMES

HOPE RANCH

4/2.5

LA CUMBRE

4022 Primavera Road A

2/2

10-1$995,000

Enjoy this stylish, centrally-located, turn-key condo that lives like a single family home!

Zia Group | eXp Realty of California, Inc.

Jonathan Gilkeson805-335-4749# 01898328

GARAGE SALE

WEAR YOUR MASKS AND BE CAREFUL!

BEFORE YOUR SALE

WHAT SHOULD YOU NOT SELL?

To view this weekend’s Open Home Guide and all other Real Estate for sale or rent go to: newspress.com – click on RESPONSES – click on OPEN HOMES

investment opportunity to own two houses on one lot, providing endless possibilities.

EUCALYPTUS HILL AREA

871 Deerpath

4/3.5

2-4$4,595,000

There are four bedrooms in the main residence highlighted by a romantic master suite with a walk-in closet & luxurious bathroom. Additionally, there is a separate guest cottage complete with a spacious kitchen & mini-great room.

Coldwell Banker

Ferenc Hodosy805 452-7516# 01012341

single level serene Hope Ranch estate with tennis court, pool, spa; move-in ready for summer entertainment.

WHAT SELLS BEST?

ADVERTISING

GATHERING ITEMS

SIGNS

WHAT SELLS BEST?

The Consumer Protection

MESA

1919 El Camino De La Luz

3/2

2-4$4,325,000

Incredible ocean/island views. Cool and fresh ocean breeze. The tranquil sound of waves crashing on the shore. Enjoy the charming single-level residence or build your dream home! Detached 2-car garage.

Mike Richardson, Realtors

Kyle Richardson805-680-3131# 01902531

OUT OF AREA

826 Damask Ct, Sta.M.

4/3.5

11-1$725,000

Discover the ultimate in luxury living with this stunning modern home in Santa Maria’s coveted neighborhood. This property features an open floor plan, gourmet kitchen, and a beautifully landscaped backyard.

Big Block Realty

Ursula Santana805-455-9025# 01965452

OUT OF AREA

196 Pomo St, Ventura

3/2

2-4$575,000

Welcome to 196 Pomo Street! This corner home offers immense potential to create your dream space. Enjoy the serene mountain views from various angles. Located near downtown and beautiful beaches.

Big Block Realty Ursula Santana805-455-9025# 01965452

See-through phenomenon allows creation of dazzling flowerbeds

Truffula Pink gomphrena creates a dynamic see-through cloud of hot pink blooms towering above Luscious Marmalade lantana, Supertunia Bordeaux petunias and Savannah grass.

By Norman Winter

There is a “see-through” phenomenon going on in the world of flowers and it is nothing short of thrilling. This is happening thanks in large part to the mass production of Meteor Showers verbena and to some extent Truffula Pink gomphrena.

Some of us have dabbled in the “see-through” world with giant alliums and reveled in the possibilities with agapanthus if we lived in a zone that could grow them. But now with these two plants from Proven Winners we can design gardens with the thought of a thrilling season long performance.

You may be thinking what is “see through”? Meteor Showers generically speaking has often been called verbena on a stick. Some say, it bears the flowers on stilts while other say it naked. It is precisely this 30-inch plus habit that provides you the ability to create a cloud of blooms that seem to be floating in air above your other flowers.

Photos courtesy Norman Winter/TNS

Meteor Showers verbena creates a floating cloud of blue flowers above these showy Viking begonias.

For instance, right now in Columbus, Ga., I can take you to beds where these lilac blue blooms are floating above fiery orange Luscious Marmalade lantanas. In another bed, they are magically blooming above Calliope Red geraniums bordered with Diamond Snow euphorbias. The look is red, white and blue all the way. There are similar beds with SunPatiens and if you could only see the Meteor Shower blossoms floating above the blazing hot new Viking begonias.

Son James has been creating these beds in commercial properties across our area. Sometimes he will line the Meteor Shower plants up formally like toy soldiers but his joy is to plant the beds where the verbenas have a random look as if Mother Nature was doing a roadside or meadow type planting.

Meteor Showers is known botanically as Verbena bonariensis and is a stunning fairly-new cultivar. Before Meteor Showers the generic form was really a pass-along kind of plant with a love-hate relationship. We loved it for its beauty and unique stature which often was quite tall, but held our breath when it came to re-seeding. Then a couple of dwarf varieties hit the market and are still somewhat available but have never reached a widespread popularity or availability.

Meteor Showers is different, it has little reseeding and is now massed produced. Proven Winners calls it lilac in color which is certainly appropriate but it is not hard to see blue shades throughout the day as I mentioned above. It is treasured by bees, butterflies and hummingbirds and blooms all summer and has the ability to be perennial in zones 7 and warmer. It has award winner written all over it.

Truffula Pink gomphrena is known botanically as Gomphrena pulchella it also gives an incredible see-though look with its hot pink blossoms. The plant gets wider than Meteor Showers with more lower leaves. It can work however in the same type application but will require a little more planning and thought in the design versus the almost carefree randomness allowed by Meteor Showers. It too will reach almost 30 inches with a spread to 26 inches. It has won 41 awards across the country and is a pollinator magnet too.

Both of these plants will make you look like a garden pro if you provide fertile well drain soil with plenty of sun. The fun part will be designing you bed of color in layers the bottom flowers and then your magical cloud floating above whether they be the lilac blue of Meteor Showers verbena or the hot pink of Truffula Pink gomphrena. No one says you can’t do both!

Norman Winter, horticulturist, garden speaker and author of, “Tough-as-Nails Flowers for the South” and “Captivating Combinations: Color and Style in the Garden.” Follow him on Facebook @NormanWinterTheGardenGuy.

©2020 Norman Winter Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Meteor Showers verbena towers above Luscious Marmalade lantana and golden coleus, creating a bed with see-though flowers but also one with triadic harmony of color.

Yard Sale Tips

BEFORE YOUR SALE

Prepare to start early. Collectors and antique dealers like to show up early in the morning.

Obtain a permit if required

Clean up your space. People like clean and neat places.

Gather lots of shopping bags. Gathering Items

Test any electrical items to make sure they work.

Collect your items and sort it by type. (clothing, toys, tools, etc.)

Take time to clean or repair your items.

Wash all the clothes so they smell fresh.

WHAT SELLS BEST?

Tools: Guys love it all, any kind.

Baby items of all kinds, especially clothing.

What Should You Not Sell?

Unused prescription drugs or medications.

Halogen floor lamps.

Old baby cribs or playpens, incomplete child safety seats.

ADVERTISING

Tell your friends, family or coworkers about your sale. Word travels. Place a classified ad in the Santa Barbara NEWS-PRESS!! Remember to check the publication’s deadline.

In your ad, give lots of details. Include the address, day(s), time of your sale. List major items such as “Lots of kids clothes.”

SIGNS

Check your local ordinances. List your address and sale date on all signs. Post your signs at main intersections, street corners and at the end of your driveway.

Use same colors and writing on your signs as people recognize them at a glance. to take them down.

The consumer Protection Agency offers a complete list of dangerous items to avoid selling at yard sales. Visit www.cpec.gov