A mix of housing including townhomes, apartments and single family homes in North Salt Lake are pictured on Monday, July 15, 2024. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch)
Utahns now have a new resource to help resolve homeowners’ association disputes, with the newly-created Office of the Homeowners’ Association Ombudsman.
Officially launched on Monday under the direction of the Utah Department of Commerce, the office is a result of a bill — HB217 — passed by the Utah Legislature earlier this year to regulate homeowners’ associations, or HOAs.
Now, the Office of the Homeowners’ Association Ombudsman will review requests from either HOAs or their residents, then issue an opinion — however, the office will only deal with questions surrounding state law, not specific rules enforced by individual HOAs.
“The focus here is not to try and weigh in on whether your garbage cans come in on time or what color your house is,” said bill sponsor Rep. Neil Walter, R-St. George, during the legislative session.
Instead, Walter said, it could target things like financial disclosures, laws pertaining to political yard signs or other matters related to Utah code.
In addition to advising HOAs and its members, the office will also maintain a registry of all Utah HOAs, and offer educational resources and training sessions for residents and HOAs.
“Our office is here to make a tangible difference by offering practical, accessible services like impartial advisory opinions on questions of state law and valuable educational resources,” said Erin Rider, who will lead the office, in a statement. “We are dedicated to helping residents and associations navigate issues and build stronger relationships.”
All HOAs must register with the office or face disciplinary action from the state that may include not being able to enforce liens against homeowners.
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