Summarize this article in one sentence.
If you are in a dispute with your HOA can be because the HOA is taking action against you or because you are taking action against the HOA. If the HOA is taking action against you, it is typically in order to collect past dues and fines. If you are taking action against your HOA it is usually in order to ask a court to require the HOA to perform the responsibilities it is obliged to perform under the rules. For example, to approve your reasonable request for improvements to your home. If your board does not provide you with a specific section of the rules that you are breaking, you will need to find it. Sometimes, the rules do not say what the HOA's Board members think they say. Look for general or ambiguous language. (Or, for that matter, completely absent or omitted language.) In some cases, different sections in the HOA documents internally conflict, i.e. say opposite things regarding the same issue. In general, keep copies of emails, letters, bills, and warnings from the HOA. If you have a conversation with anyone acting as a representative of the HOA, be sure to write down your understanding of the conversation in the form of a confirmation letter, and mail a copy of that letter to the HOA. This gives the HOA an opportunity to correct anything you might have misheard. If the HOA does not correct your understanding, as set forth in your letter, the statements in your letter could serve as strong evidence of what was actually said. If the HOA has routinely violated or ignored the rules in the past, while presently seeking to enforce a rule against you arbitrarily, you will be able to document that the HOA is not treating you fairly and reasonably. This is showing how the HOA has dealt with your similar issue in the past. As a member, if you were granted an exception to the HOA Rules, be sure to document that exception in writing, specifying precisely what was granted, who granted it, when, and for what time period. Some such exceptions might need to be recorded with your county recorder's office in the same way as your property deed. To avoid keeping heaps of paper, simply scan these documents and keep electronic copies, ensuring that you have adequate file backups in case of a computer malfunction, burglary, or catastrophic loss. This includes incorporating your state's current HOA governing statutes. If not, your HOA Rules may be found to be unenforceable by the court. For instance, a number of states have enacted laws governing flags and solar panels placed upon structures and the Federal Communications Commission governs the placement of antennas and satellite dishes.
Determine the nature of your action or conflict. Review the HOA rules. Document your actions. Make sure your HOA has updated and amended their rules recently.