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ELECTIONS AND
MANAGER ETHICS
 QUESTION: Our general manager recently posted on Facebook his endorsement of two candidates for the board of directors. Is that morally or ethically wrong? Is it illegal under Davis-Stirling? -Bob K.
ANSWER: Endorsing a candidate is not illegal under the Davis-Stirling Act. The only ethics requirement in the Act is for a manager or management company to disclose, in writing, any potential conflicts of interest when presenting a bid for managing the community. (Civ. Code § 5375.5)
I checked Community Associations Institute's (CAI) model Code of Ethics for managers. It does not address election endorsements. I also reviewed the California Association of Community Managers' (CACM) Code of Professional Ethics. It does not address election endorsements by managers.
Even though endorsing candidates is not covered by either professional organization or by the Davis-Stirling Act, a manager's endorsement of board member candidates would likely raise eyebrows in the community. The risk the manager takes is that the candidates he did not endorse win the election and rally support among fellow directors to remove him.
PARKING AND CHARGING
A CYBERTRUCK
 QUESTION: A townhome owner bought a Cybertruck that does not fit in his garage and he does not have a driveway. He is charging his truck with a cord from the street across the sidewalk to his house. He covers it with a mat but it is still a potential trip hazard. What can we do? -Nancy M.
ANSWER: Cybertrucks are so large that many garages cannot accommodate them. The trucks also have a problem with condominium parking structures. Because of their size and wide turning radius, they have trouble maneuvering through garages and want special accommodations. Boards are not obligated to give Cybertruck owners special treatment. Owners may be required to park their trucks offsite or trade them in for something smaller. When buying a vehicle, owners need to take into account where they live and whether their garage can accommodate it.
As for charging the truck, no owner should be running a cord across a sidewalk, with or without a mat covering it. If the sidewalk is common area, the board can forbid the owner from creating a trip hazard and fine him each time he runs a cord over the sidewalk.
WEBSITE AI SEARCHES
AND LANGUAGE TRANSLATION
 In our last newsletter, we announced the addition of Google's artificial intelligence (AI) to our website, which can be accessed in the lower right of the page. If you ask it a question, it immediately gives you an answer with links to its source. Following my announcement, so many readers logged onto our website that it knocked it offline for 15 minutes. To accommodate future surges, we doubled the website's capacity to handle heavy traffic.
 The other feature we added is a language translation feature. Click on a language and the entire website is converted into that language. The drop down menu is located on the top menu bar. It accommodates Arabic, Armenian, Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, Persian, Spanish, and Vietnamese. It's a great feature that received positive feedback.
WEBINAR - NEW REQUIREMENTS
LANDSCAPE TURF IRRIGATION
 California Assembly Bill 1572 is reshaping turf irrigation requirements for California's homeowner associations.
Join Laurie Poole and Gabe Ponce from Precision Landscape Solutions as they dig into what the legislation means, explore key implementation considerations, and share practical strategies to help your community navigate the new requirements with confidence.
The webinar will be held on Tuesday, August 25, 2026. You can register for the webinar here.
SHANA LATHROP
JOINS ADAMS|STIRLING
 We are pleased to announce that Shana Lathrop joined our firm. Shana graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a Wharton School Entrepreneurship specialization. This was followed by a law degree from the University of San Diego School of Law.
Prior to joining ADAMS|STIRLING, Shana served as a corporate and securities attorney with extensive experience in representing companies in business deals as well as internal corporate law and governance. Shana also brings to the table experience with homeowner associations, including transactional, governance, operational matters, and drafting and revising governing documents.
In addition to her legal career, Shana founded a nonprofit organization focused on advancing the humane interests of animals including rescue and adoption activities, abused and/or neglected animal advocacy, animal rehabilitation, and animal care and training.
Shana joins our Northern California team of lawyers. Contact us for more information.
VALA ZARRABIAN
JOINS ADAMS|STIRLING
 As previously announced, attorney Vala Zarrabian joined our firm. Vala is a graduate of Southwestern Law School, which was followed by certification in mediation training. Prior to law school, Vala earned a Bachelor of Arts in Business Management Economics from U.C. Santa Cruz.
Before joining our ADAMS|STIRLING, Vala developed a background in real estate investment and operations, where she managed, leased, and oversaw commercial properties. Her experience, combined with her work supporting litigation matters, provides Vala with a practical understanding of the challenges faced by property owners and boards of directors. In addition, she is on the board of directors of her own highrise condominium association.
Vala joins our Southern California team of lawyers. Contact us for more information.
HIRING LITIGATION
ATTORNEY
 We are seeking an experienced litigation attorney. If you are interested or know someone who may be a good candidate, please contact Adrian Adams by email or by phone at (800) 464-2817.
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DISCLAIMER. Our newsletter provides commentary, not legal advice. Boards needing legal advice should have an attorney review the facts and law for their particular situation. We serve as corporate counsel to California associations.
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