Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Calif attorney recommendation?

[Carol Agate (carolagate]

Sharon-

They are non-profits, but because they are for the benefit of the  
owners they are not the same as non-profits for the public good. (Even  
though that might be arguable in the case of cohousing :-))

I haven't looked into the bylaws yet. My first priority is to take  
care of the incorporation. A local community college has free legal  
consultations for non-profits, and I have an appointment next week. I  
hope to get some guidance from their lawyer.

Carol


On May 21, 2008, at 11:30 AM, Sharon Villines wrote:

> On May 21, 2008, at 12:35 PM, Carol Agate wrote:
>
> > condominium developments in CA are mutual benefit corporations.
>
> Are these non-profits? And many state websites are very complete and
> clearly written. When I was researching laws on Reserve Studies, i was
> particularly impressed with California's laws.
>
> Have you looked at any books for the bylaws? I would think the
> provisions in the landlord/rental section would be helpful in giving
> you things to think about regarding community rules and things you
> will probably have problems with.
>
> In many ways I feel like we are landlords. We  have to deal with the
> problems of our neighbors as if they were renters. Except they aren't
> and we can't throw them out. If we had known that few cohousers are
> created in our own self image, I think we would have written some
> passages a bit less ambiguously. Another problem is discussing the
> same topic in two or three places in the Bylaws. When we argue about
> what the Bylaws say, it is usually because one person is reading a
> different passage than the other.
>
> For articles on landlord/tenant relations and laws:
>
> http://www.nolo.com/articleByCat.cfm/catId/5944A0DA-71B3-49EA-BF5D300558FB66A9
>
> Sharon
> ----
> Sharon Villines
> Takoma Village Cohousing,Washington DC
> http://www.takomavillage.org
>
>
>
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