Cohousing-L Mailing List: Incorporation

[DLinde (DLinde]

Rob wrote:
>It would sure be a great asset if there was some sort of central 
>cohousing document repository where groups could send their legal (and 
>other documents and plans) and forming groups could order copies from.  
>Perhaps that is a task one of the consulting companies such as the 
>Cohousing Company could take on?  . . .
>Maybe this is something useful which could be organized at the Boulder 
>Conference this fall.

Currently there is no central repository for incorporation documents.  
The CoHousing Company (510-549-9980) only has a few (for Emeryville, Muir
Commons, maybe one or two others).  Bruce Coldham, the founder of the
Northeast CoHousing 
Quarterly (now a supplement to Cohousing-J) also has a few model 
documents available for a nominal fee (413-549-3616).
I am planning to make a concerted effort over the next several months to 
obtain as many legal documents as possible to provide raw material for 
our upcoming report(s) on legal and financing issues.  
Sometimes groups are a bit wary about giving out their documents, and 
this is understandable in light of 1) the hassle of sending them out and 
2) the perceived danger that somebody will simply copy legalese without 
really understanding the ramifications.  It seems appropriate for The 
CoHousing Network to build a repository of documents -- packaged in a way 
that alleviates concerns that groups (and their lawyers) may have about 
making them public.
In general, at the conference in Boulder this fall (Oct. 13-16), we will
brainstorm about future directions for The CoHousing Network including
projects such as a document repository.  Up to now we have been somewhat
cautious in our development, trying to make sure that we can put out a decent
quarterly journal without burning ourselves out.  I have learned that it's
not possible to do every wonderful thing we have ever dreamed about doing,
but that doesn't mean we'll stop dreaming.
By the way, the conference is $60/person ($50 for members of TCN.  To
register, send a check to the Rocky Mountain CoHousing Association, 1705 14th
St., #317, Boulder CO  80302.
--Don Lindemann (DLINDE [at] AOL.COM)