California law gives every Sommers Bend homeowner the right to vote down operating rules our HOA board passes — but only if we act together, and only if we act fast.
This site exists so we can.
Three Things to Understand
We Have Real Legal Power
California Civil Code §4365 gives every Sommers Bend homeowner the right to vote down operating rules the HOA board passes — within 30 days of adoption. We do not have to live with rules we don't want.
Speed Is the Whole Game
The 30-day window is short. Without a network of neighbors already in place, it's impossible to gather signatures and turn out enough ballots in time. Joining now is what makes acting fast later possible.
Better Rules Get Written
The biggest win isn't reversing rules — it's the rules that never get passed because the board knows residents are organized. A community that can move fast writes its own future.
Takes thirty seconds. We'll only ever contact you about HOA matters that affect Sommers Bend residents.
Three Thresholds That Decide Everything
5% of the 1,186 homes in our HOA. The legal trigger to force a special vote.
25% of voting power. Without quorum, the vote is invalid.
Majority of returned ballots — at minimum, 149. Reversed rules can't be re-adopted for one year.
Sixty signatures is the easy part. The real work is making sure 297 of our neighbors return ballots when the time comes — and that 149 of them vote to reverse. That's why the network has to be built before we need it.
How a Rule Gets Reversed
The board adopts an operating rule.
The HOA board votes to adopt a new rule and must post general notice to all members within 15 days. Residents have thirty days from that post-adoption notice to act.
Civ. Code §4360 · CC&Rs §3.3.15Residents deliver a petition with 60 signatures.
Within the 30-day window, members representing at least 5% of the homes deliver a written petition to the Association requesting a special vote to reverse the rule.
Civ. Code §4365(a)–(b) · Bylaws §3.6A special vote is held within 35–90 days.
The Association mails secret ballots to every homeowner. Voting follows California's member election procedures.
Civ. Code §4365(b) · Civ. Code §5100 et seq.If 297+ ballots are returned and a majority vote "reverse," the rule falls.
Quorum requires 25% of voting power, which is 297 residents. The rule is reversed by a majority of returned ballots — at minimum, 149 "yes" votes. Both thresholds must be met.
Civ. Code §4365(d) · Civ. Code §4070 · Bylaws §3.9, §3.14The reversed rule cannot be re-adopted for one year.
State law prevents the board from passing the same rule again within twelve months of a successful reversal vote.
Civ. Code §4365(f)Issues We're Tracking
No active rule reversals at this time.
When the board adopts a rule we want to challenge, this is where you'll see it — along with the petition and what to do.
Our Purpose
Every organization with leadership needs accountability — that's the principle behind this site. HOA boards have a real role to play, and a collaborative approach is better than an adversarial one. But when residents feel they have no voice in the process, frustration turns into anger and resentment, and governance breaks down on both sides.
This site exists to give Sommers Bend residents the information and tools to engage proactively — to understand how our system works, monitor what's happening, and participate meaningfully in the decisions that shape our community. Informed, engaged residents make for better governance — for everyone. The tools to make that real are already written into California law, and this site is about knowing them and using them.
The signup list lives entirely with this network. Your name and address are used only to confirm you're a Sommers Bend resident and to contact you when an issue comes up that requires action. Nothing is sold, shared, or published.
This site is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Sommers Bend AA Planning Area Association, its Board of Directors, or Seabreeze Management Company. It is a private resident initiative protected under California Civil Code §4365(c), which affirms that organizing for member votes is a legitimate purpose related to the interests of association members.