Sacramento County, CA HOA Rules: CC&R Enforcement (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing law
- Civil Code § 5855, not county code
- Notice period
- At least 10 days before the meeting
- Cure right
- Member may cure before the meeting
- Decision notice
- Board must notify in writing within 14 days
- Defect remedy
- Non-compliant discipline is not effective
- Last amended
- Stats. 2025, Ch. 22 (AB 130), eff. June 30, 2025
Summary
California law, not county code, sets the rulebook for HOA CC&R enforcement in Sacramento County: Civil Code Section 5855 requires the board to give a member 10 days' written notice before any meeting to impose discipline or a damage charge, spell out the violation, and offer a chance to cure before acting.
(a) When the board is to meet to consider or impose discipline upon a member, or to impose a monetary charge as a means of reimbursing the association for costs incurred by the association in the repair of damage to the common area and facilities caused by a member or the member's guest or tenant, the board shall notify the member in writing, by either personal delivery or individual delivery pursuant to Section 4040, at least 10 days prior to the meeting. (b) The notification shall contain, at a minimum, the date, time, and place of the meeting, the nature of the alleged violation for which a member may be disciplined or the nature of the damage to the common area and facilities for which a monetary charge may be imposed, and a statement that the member has a right to attend and may address the board at the meeting. The board shall meet in executive session if requested by the member. (c) A member shall have the opportunity to cure the violation prior to the meeting. ... (g) A disciplinary action or the imposition of a monetary charge for damage to the common area shall not be effective against a member unless the board fulfills the requirements of this section.
Full Breakdown
Sacramento County's Board of Supervisors has no ordinance governing how a homeowners association enforces its own CC&Rs against a member: that relationship runs on the Davis-Stirling Common Interest Development Act, not the county code, because the county's zoning and nuisance chapters only reach violations reported to county code enforcement, not an association's internal rule violations. Civil Code Section 5855, most recently amended by AB 130 effective June 30, 2025, is the controlling text. Before a board can impose discipline on a member or charge a member for damage to common area facilities, it must deliver written notice, by personal delivery or Section 4040 individual delivery, at least 10 days before the meeting where the board will act.
That notice has to state the date, time and place of the meeting, describe the alleged violation or the damage at issue, and tell the member they can attend and speak; if the member asks, the board must hold the meeting in executive session rather than in front of the whole membership. Subsection (c) gives the member a real out: the board cannot impose discipline if the member cures the violation before the meeting, or, where curing takes longer than the notice period allows, if the member commits in writing to fix it.
If the board and member cannot agree at the meeting, subsection (d) sends the dispute to the internal dispute resolution procedure at Section 5910 rather than straight to a fine. Where the two sides do agree, subsection (e) requires a signed written resolution that becomes binding and judicially enforceable. After a meeting where the board does act, subsection (f) requires written notice of the board's decision within 14 days. Subsection (g) is the enforcement teeth for the member: if the board skips any of these steps, the discipline or monetary charge is not effective against the member at all, giving a homeowner a clean procedural defense.
Violations & Fines
There is no county citation or fine tied to this rule because it governs association boards, not the county. A member disciplined without the required 10-day notice, without the cure opportunity, or without a post-decision written explanation within 14 days can treat the board's action as void under subsection (g) and refuse to pay the charge or comply with the discipline until the board redoes the process correctly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Sacramento County enforce my HOA's CC&Rs?
How much notice must my HOA board give before disciplining me?
Can I stop a fine by fixing the violation first?
What happens if my HOA board skips the notice requirement?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sacramento County
California rules heatmap·Compare Sacramento County to another location·View the California hoa rules overview
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