AB 130: A Hard-Fought Victory For California Homeowners—and The Beginning Of The End For BAD HOAs

When we launched our reform campaign against abusive homeowners associations (HOAs), some said we were tilting at windmills. They underestimated us—and, more importantly, they underestimated you: the homeowners who were sick and tired of being steam-rolled in your own communities.
Now, Sacramento is listening.

With the passage of AB 130, California has taken its first real step toward restoring balance between homeowners and the HOA boards that were never meant to rule as unchecked fiefdoms.

This law—capping HOA fines at $100 per violation (except in clear health and safety cases)—strikes at the very heart of the abusive tactics we've been fighting against for years.

Make no mistake: this is your victory. And yes, it's ours too.

At LS Carlson Law, we've spent years fighting in the trenches for homeowners who were tired of petty fines, arbitrary enforcement, and a system that too often rewarded tyranny over fairness. With Bad HOA and our growing reform movement, we've been relentless in shining a light on this problem—AB 130 shows that light reached Sacramento.

🏡 Why AB 130 Matters

For too long, HOAs wielded fines like a cudgel, hitting homeowners with $500, $1,000, or even higher penalties for minor infractions—often with little transparency and no meaningful opportunity to resolve the issue.

AB 130 changes that:
✅ Limits excessive fines to $100, except in health/safety cases.
✅ Restores fairness by giving homeowners more time and clarity to address issues.
✅ Ends financial intimidation by rogue boards and overzealous management companies.

This is bipartisan reform at its finest. It doesn't matter if you're red, blue, or somewhere in between—no Californian wants to feel like a prisoner in their own home.

🚨 The HOA Industry Is Scared—and That's a Good Thing

Predictably, the HOA lobby is already wringing its hands. They warn this law will undermine "governance" and "lead to chaos." Translation? They're terrified they can no longer bully homeowners into submission with exorbitant fines.

But let's be clear: AB 130 doesn't handcuff good HOAs. It handcuffs bad ones.

✊ We Fought Back. We Won. Now We Fight Harder.

This isn't about one law. This is about a movement. It's about homeowners reclaiming their power—neighborhood by neighborhood, state by state.

To every homeowner who's ever felt powerless against their HOA: this is your moment.

And if you're still fighting a bad HOA, you're not alone.

LS Carlson Law is here to help you take your power back.