Notwithstanding the presumption of enforceability, there are plenty of reasons why an individual covenant or restriction might be unenforceable. The reasons most commonly cited by courts are: Procedurally flawed enactment; substantive invalidity; violation of rights of homeowners, or inconsistent, arbitrary, or capricious enforcement. Any one of these flaws can render a covenant effectively void. One flawed covenant won’t necessarily invalidate the rest of a community’s declaration—and sometimes courts will interpret a questionable covenant in a manner that permits enforcement—but, for the most part, a covenant that fails any of these criteria will be unenforceable.
Read MoreFreedom of speech is perhaps the most cherished and most important protection provided by the United States Constitution. The delegates to the Constitutional Convention viewed citizens’ right to speak their minds without fear of government retribution as so important that “freedom of speech” is enshrined in the very First Amendment of the Constitution. Indeed, many Convention delegates refused to ratify the Constitution absent an unqualified guaranty that the new government would be forbidden from “abridging the freedom of speech.”
Read MoreAlthough a Homeowners Association has the authority to rule a community in accordance with its governing documents, its scope of authority is limited under federal and state laws. For instance, an Association cannot adopt, or enforce a rule that prohibits owners from displaying the United States flag on their property, because the owners have the right to do so, under the law.
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