Bill > HB837

This bill establishes an ombudsman's office for homeowner associations within the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs to address and resolve disputes between homeowners and their associations. The ombudsman will be a lawyer with real estate and homeowner association experience, appointed by the director with gubernatorial approval. Key provisions include creating a special fund for the office, requiring board members of condominium, cooperative, and planned community associations to complete mandatory educational classes, and establishing a comprehensive dispute resolution process. The ombudsman will have broad powers, including investigating complaints, conducting hearings, issuing advisory opinions, and even removing board members who commit misconduct. The bill replaces existing mediation and arbitration procedures with a new dispute intervention process, aims to provide more transparency and accountability in homeowner associations, and includes provisions for education, document access, and protection against retaliation. The ombudsman's office will be funded through assessments collected from homeowner associations and will be required to submit annual reports to the legislature detailing its activities and recommendations for improving homeowner association regulations.

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https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=HB&billnumber=837&year=2026