If you live in a neighborhood that is governed by homeowners association (HOA) rules, or are considering buying into such a neighborhood, then I’ve got a book recommendation for you.

The recently published Bad HOA: The Homeowner’s Guide to Going to War and Reclaiming Your Power by Southern California-based attorney Luke Carlson can keep you from pulling your hair out (and the resulting premature baldness) if you wind up with a bad HOA board.

Carlson said he wrote Bad HOA “to provide homeowners the tools to deal with often frustrating and costly situations. Still, I believe in the HOA concept and have had many highly positive interactions with boards that work to benefit all of their homeowners.”

Who should consider buying in an HOA?

Carlson described the people for whom living in an HOA would be a good fit:

They prioritize property values and neighborhood stability, which are not always reliable characteristics of traditional homes/neighborhoods.

They want a group — almost like a government agency — that acts as an enforcement arm of the governing agreement all homeowners in the neighborhood sign. If homeowners have a problem, they can go to the board.

They appreciate having a safety net that is able to prevent/resolve conflicts, such as the neighbor who parks junk cars on their lawn, allows their home to fall apart or refuses to safely maintain vegetation — such as trees at risk of falling, creating risk of personal injury or property damage — that are common in traditional neighborhoods.

They want uniform rules about home colors and property modifications to prevent changes that could adversely impact neighbors or their property values. When everyone is required to have nicely maintained homes and yards, Carlson notes, the community is enhanced.

Who would not be well-suited to live in an HOA?

Carlson said he has found that residing in an HOA community is not appropriate for everyone. He described people who might not appreciate the restrictions:

They don’t want constraints on what they can paint the exterior of their home.

They intend to run a business out of their house. That’s permissible in non-HOA neighborhoods, but many associations have restrictions on operating a commercial venture from homes.

They see an HOA board as Big Brother, rather than a safety net. They don’t want anyone having a say over what they can do with their house.

“You’ve got to know yourself,” Carlson said. “Be honest and ask, ‘Can I be happy with these restrictions?'”

What do bad (and good) HOA board members do?

Bad HOA lets readers know what bad HOA board members look like:

• They disregard state laws governing a board member’s activity and the HOA’s governing documents.

• They attempt to personally benefit from their decisions.

• They ignore their fiduciary obligations and set rules that amplify their power in the community or benefit them financially.

Carlson also lists the attributes of a great HOA board member:

• They take their obligations to the community seriously.

• They understand and follow governing documents.

• They acquire a good grasp or their state’s HOA laws, and when in doubt, they consult the association’s lawyer for help.

When things go wrong, keep emotions out of it

If you encounter a conflict with your HOA board, Carlson offers the same advice that most lawyers hear in law school about biting your tongue: “If issues wind up becoming litigated, HOA attorneys just love it when they can present a judge or arbitrator a homeowner’s letter that screams anger and profanity.

“Always remember that whatever you put in writing to the HOA board will be read by others. So, address the issues in a logical, reasonable manner, being mindful of your emotions. Keep it clinical, factual and on point. This will serve you well.”

Homeowners have power

Bad HOA shines a spotlight on the nightmares that often occur with poorly run HOAs and offers suggestions on how to deal with them.

There has been so much media coverage about HOAs that have gone really bad,” he said. “I wanted to help homeowners and potential buyers realize that if this happens, you are not condemned to being a victim of that reality. You have tremendous power.”

Bad HOA, which is accessible and so well written, is the only resource I have found that offers step-by-step instructions that empower frustrated homeowners who may have thought, “I’ve got no power at all.”

On the contrary, they do not have to tolerate the actions of a bad board or board member. They can push back against unfairness, and Bad HOA outlines how to do that successfully.

We need more attorneys like Carlson. You won’t see him in television commercials, boasting about how much money he has gotten for victims of auto accidents.

Instead, he and his team devote their education and experience to helping, a goal that many of us had when entering law school, before dollar signs got in the way.

Dennis Beaver Practices law in Bakersfield and welcomes comments and questions from readers,
which may be faxed to (661) 323-7993,
or e-mailed to Lagombeaver1 – at – Gmail.com.

The post Dealing With a Bad HOA Board? This Book Could Be Your Battle Plan appeared first on Dennis Beaver.

December 15, 2025  • By Dennis Beaver

The children of Morgan Clayton, founder of Tel-Tec Security Systems in Bakersfield, California, share how their father’s wisdom, life experience and caring nature have turned their family business into a locally respected powerhouse.

Over the years, I’ve worked with families who own businesses — represented, consulted, held nervous hands, kept family members from diving across the table at each other.

In the process, I’ve come to know just how difficult running a family-owned business can be.

Often, conflict arises when a son or daughter graduates from college with a business degree, their head filled with ideas from classes taught by professors who have never actually been in business. The kids want to go in directions the founders (Mom and Dad) see as financially dubious.

Managing these types of conflicts can yield results that are equivalent to a shot of vitamin B-12 if — and it is a big if — the parent/founder can bring to the table wisdom and respect of and by family, friends and customers.

That one person can unite family and employees, leading to a level of business success and accomplishment that can positively impact an entire community. I’ve seen it happen, including with the topic of today’s column.

Honored for decades of service

One of the most inspiring people I know reflects those qualities in his life and the family business he founded.

I was present in May 2025 when 69-year-old Morgan Clayton was awarded an honorary doctorate of Humane Letters by the president of California State University, Bakersfield, because of his decades of service to his community. (Editor’s note: Mr. Beaver was also awarded an honorary doctorate, but he’s too humble to mention that here.)

As chairman of the board of Tel-Tec Security Systems, which he founded in 1982 and which serves more than 20,000 customers in California’s Central Valley, Clayton is proof that thinking of others, including helping youths in need of direction, is of enormous value to a community — and reflects positively on a business.

I sat down with his three children — daughter Tasha and sons Kevin and Tyson, whom their father described as “being essential to our growth, who we are today” — and asked them to describe what their father does that has made this family-run enterprise so successful and respected.

“Morgan’s very DNA is rooted in finding positive solutions, sending a message that he cares,” Tasha said. (As a sign of respect in the workplace, the siblings refer to their dad by his first name.)

As I talked with these three siblings, it soon became obvious that their father’s attitude and life philosophy would benefit family-run businesses everywhere.

The words and philosophy Morgan Clayton lives by

With an endearing smile, Tyson added, “Everyone is his friend, and one of his famous quotes is, ‘People do business with people they know, like and trust.’ He lives by that — making decisions with this philosophy and referring to it all the time.”

Kevin noted, “He doesn’t accept ‘no’ as an answer and will do what others overlook or don’t want to do. He has always been a role model for our family and employees, with qualities that open the door to success, beginning with generosity, thinking of the less fortunate in our community and asking, ‘How can we address this situation? What can we do, as a company and in our individual capacities, to help?”

‘There are no obstacles — only opportunities’

I asked Tasha, “How does Morgan’s philosophy apply to finding solutions to obstacles or challenges that come up in your business?”

“I have often heard him say there is no such thing as ‘an obstacle,'” she said. “It is called ‘an opportunity.'”

Tyson observed that Morgan “doesn’t hear negativity; he doesn’t like it. He can’t stand it. Everyone knows — family, board members and every employee — that if you have a problem that needs his help in finding a resolution and you want to discuss it with him, you’ve got to be open-minded and look at the issue as an opportunity.

“If you can’t navigate in that direction, then do not waste his time. Morgan is always seeking a win-win solution and does what it takes to achieve that in an honest and ethical way.”

Curiosity plays a huge role: They track every customer they lose

Curiosity, I learned, runs deep among Tel-Tec’s management. They want to know how they are doing, especially when faced with a customer who leaves the company.

When informed that a customer is at risk of departing or has actually left Tel-Tec, the company begins a process to discover if it was due to an error on its part. Employees ask, “Can we make it right?”

“Everyone’s voice is important,” Tasha points out, adding, “We do not disregard. Rather, we bring issues to the table, and it is so comforting to know that our brand is affected by the vision people have of us.

“The best referrals come from our customers and from all of us understanding that our culture includes providing superior security services and giving back to the community.”

‘When you invest in us, you invest in your community’

As I learned from his children, Morgan Clayton didn’t just file corporate papers and open the doors of a security company. “He created a vehicle that provides needed security services and benefits to our community that cannot be measured in dollars alone,” Kevin said.

As one Tel-Tec worker told me, “We know how blessed we are to be part of all this.”

Dennis Beaver Practices law in Bakersfield and welcomes comments and questions from readers,
which may be faxed to (661) 323-7993,
or e-mailed to Lagombeaver1 – at – Gmail.com.

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