Our Mission
This resource was created not only to fight the relentless stonewalling often experienced by Arizona homeowners attempting to access records, but also to combat a troubling pattern we have seen firsthand: where HOA attorneys and management companies appear to operate primarily in ways that serve their own financial interests rather than the community’s. This practice often persists even when homeowners are legally entitled to documents, sometimes requiring the use of subpoenas to compel production. This website aims to shine a spotlight on these practices and foster better HOA governance by providing transparency into the adjudication process.
Empowering Homeowners
Our primary goal is to empower homeowners by providing a free, open-source platform where you can review precisely how Administrative Law Judges (ALJs) are ruling on these disputes before the Arizona Department of Real Estate/Office of Administrative Hearings (ADRE/OAH). HOA attorneys may try to misrepresent what records you are entitled to or what the law states. By reviewing actual ALJ decisions, you gain the knowledge needed to challenge those misrepresentations effectively.
Legal Precedents and Resources
This resource provides precedents and context related to key conflicts in HOA disputes. This includes addressing statutory requirements like A.R.S. § 33-1811, which mandates that a board member must declare a conflict of interest in an open meeting before taking any contract, decision, or other action for compensation that benefits them or a close family member. If such disclosures are absent, the resulting actions may be deemed void and unenforceable.
Furthermore, the site documents legal arguments illustrating that HOA attorneys often abuse privilege claims to deny access to general ledgers and total legal payments. This allows you to see the basis for arguing that basic payment facts—including the payee, date, and total amount of disbursements—are typically considered non-privileged financial data and must be disclosed to members as books of account.
Finally, the information highlights legal decisions rejecting procedural hurdles created by HOAs to block or delay access, confirming that such tactics violate A.R.S. § 33-1805(A) which promotes rapid, low-cost disclosure.
How to Use This Resource
By accessing these rulings, you can cite them for your own case as deemed necessary, understand more about how ADRE/OAH law works, and know that you are not crazy in your requests for basic governance documents. Open sourcing these records and decisions promotes better HOA governance overall, helping boards and management companies see clear judicial guidance so they can avoid receiving or acting on bad legal advice from their own attorneys.
ADRE & OAH Complaint Pathways
Navigating disputes often means choosing between the Department of Real Estate’s complaint process, the HOA petition track administered through ADRE and heard at the Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH), or—when the dispute involves the conduct of an Administrative Law Judge—raising concerns directly with OAH leadership. The official resources below explain which office handles what, how to submit paperwork, and where to turn when ADRE is not the right venue.
When ADRE Investigates
The Department reviews complaints tied to licensed activity and violations of Arizona real estate law.
- Failure to disclose material facts or breaches of fiduciary duty.
- Property management violations, trust account issues, or unlicensed activity.
- Illegal subdivisions or other violations of Title 32 within ADRE jurisdiction.
Download the ADRE Complaint Form and submit it through the ADRE Message Center.
When ADRE Cannot Act
Many HOA frustrations fall outside the Department’s license-enforcement authority and must be routed elsewhere.
- Landlord/tenant disputes → contact your city, county, or the Arizona Attorney General.
- Construction issues → Arizona Registrar of Contractors.
- Home inspections → State Board of Technical Registration.
- Spam, phishing, or unwanted calls → Federal Trade Commission.
- Ethics-only concerns → Arizona Association of REALTORS®.
- Purely private contract disputes with no statute or licensing issue → consult a real estate attorney or pursue civil remedies.
Use the HOA Dispute Process (next column) when you are alleging violations of statutes or governing documents; the routine licensing complaint channel will not address those claims.
HOA Dispute Process Essentials
The HOA Dispute Process (A.R.S. Title 32, Chapter 20, Article 11) offers a civil-court alternative for owners and associations.
- Only a homeowner or the association may file; renters and management companies are not eligible.
- Complete the Petition Request form and upload it via the ADRE Message Center.
- Filing fees become nonrefundable once OAH schedules a hearing or the parties agree to mediation.
- Mediation is optional but encouraged; continuances and rehearings can extend the timeline.
- Administrative Law Judges can order relief for violations of A.R.S. Title 33 and for breaches of your community’s CC&Rs or bylaws when proven.
Review the official HOA Dispute Information page for FAQs, timelines, and statute references.
Important Disclaimer
This website should not be used as legal advice. This platform is a community accountability project that documents patterns of misconduct in HOA management and the legal vendors involved, and it handles shared materials using the confidential-source practices common to investigative outlets. If you have case filings or tips you wish to share, please email our secure tip address at tips@yourazhoaattorney.com. Consistent with those source-protection standards, all emails sent to this address will be deleted and not saved or stored after initial review.