Homeowner resource

Put it in writing

Almost everything you are entitled to as an owner starts with a written request. Verbal requests do not start any clock, cannot be proven later, and are the single most common reason an owner's rights quietly go unenforced.

Why writing changes things

Putting a request in writing does three things a phone call cannot:

It starts a statutory clock. Civil Code § 5210 gives the Association 10 business days for current-year records and 30 days for older records and minutes. The clock runs from receipt, not from the day you mail it — which is exactly why certified mail with return receipt matters: the receipt is your proof of the date that clock actually started.
It creates the record. If the Association misses a deadline or refuses, Civil Code § 5235 lets a court award your costs and fees and assess up to $500 for each separate written request denied. That penalty attaches per request — which only works if the request exists on paper.
Sometimes silence becomes a yes. Under our own Bylaws Art. VI § 3 , an owner who notifies the Association in writing of a proposed modification is entitled to an answer within 30 days — and "failure to do so within the stipulated time shall mean that there is no objection."

Where to send it

Jamacha Greens Homeowners Association
Board of Directors
c/o Pernicano Realty and Management, Inc.
2851 Camino Del Rio So., Ste. 230
San Diego, CA 92108
619-543-9400

This is the managing agent's office, which is the address the Association's own architectural form directs owners to use. Address the letter to the Board of Directors in care of the management company, so there is no question that the Board received it.

Keep a copy of everything you send, and note the date. If you email as well, send it to management and ask for written acknowledgement.

Make it yours

Fill this in once and every letter below fills in with it. Nothing is sent anywhere or saved — it happens in your browser.

The letters

Anything still in {{BRACKETS}} is for you to complete before sending.

General records request

Ask for any association record — ledgers, contracts, invoices, minutes, reserve studies.

Basis: Civil Code §§ 5200, 5205, 5210
Their deadline: 10 business days for current-year records; 30 days for the prior two fiscal years and for minutes.

{{NAME}}
{{ADDRESS}}

{{DATE}}

Jamacha Greens Homeowners Association
c/o Pernicano Realty and Management, Inc.
2851 Camino Del Rio So., Ste. 230
San Diego, CA 92108

Re: Written request to inspect and copy association records — Civil Code § 5200

To the Board of Directors:

I am an owner of record at {{ADDRESS}}. Under Civil Code § 5200 I request to inspect and receive copies of the following association records:

1. {{RECORDS}}

Please provide these records in electronic format where available, delivered to the email address below, which is my preferred method of delivery under Civil Code § 5205.

I am aware that Civil Code § 5210 requires the Association to produce records for the current fiscal year within 10 business days, and records for the prior two fiscal years within 30 calendar days. Board meeting minutes are due within 30 days.

If the Association believes any portion of these records is exempt from disclosure under Civil Code § 5215, please produce the balance and identify specifically what is being withheld and the statutory basis for withholding it.

If you require any clarification, please contact me in writing rather than treating this request as incomplete.

Sincerely,

{{NAME}}
{{EMAIL}}
{{PHONE}}

Reserve loan documentation

Ask for the board's documentation of the $209,538.20 borrowed from reserves, and the repayment plan the law requires.

Basis: Civil Code §§ 5200, 5515, 5300
Their deadline: 10 business days for current-year records; 30 days for minutes.

{{NAME}}
{{ADDRESS}}

{{DATE}}

Jamacha Greens Homeowners Association
c/o Pernicano Realty and Management, Inc.
2851 Camino Del Rio So., Ste. 230
San Diego, CA 92108

Re: Records request — transfer of reserve funds, Civil Code §§ 5200 and 5515

To the Board of Directors:

I am an owner of record at {{ADDRESS}}. The Association's Fund Balance Sheet as of December 31, 2025 reports a "Loan from Reserves" of $209,538.20 owed to the reserve fund by the operating fund.

Under Civil Code § 5200 I request copies of the following:

1. The minutes of the open meeting or meetings at which the Board authorized this transfer of reserve funds, including the reason for the transfer as required by Civil Code § 5515(a).

2. The written plan adopted by the Board to repay the reserve fund, and the date by which repayment is scheduled, as required by Civil Code § 5515(b).

3. Any Board action extending the repayment period beyond one year, together with the written finding supporting that extension under Civil Code § 5515(c).

4. The annual budget report distributed for the 2026 fiscal year under Civil Code § 5300, including the reserve funding plan and the disclosure of outstanding loans required by § 5300(b)(8).

5. The most recent reserve study, including the reserve funding plan adopted by the Board.

This is a request for information, not an allegation. Reserve borrowing is lawful when documented as the statute requires, and I would like to see that documentation.

Please provide these records electronically to the email address below.

Sincerely,

{{NAME}}
{{EMAIL}}
{{PHONE}}

Reconciling the reserve figures

Two association documents state different balances for the reserve fund at the same date. This asks for the records that settle it — including the bank statements that show where the cash actually is.

Basis: Civil Code §§ 5200, 5500, 5515
Their deadline: 10 business days — these are current fiscal year records.

Jamacha Greens Homeowners Association
c/o Pernicano Realty and Management, Inc.
2851 Camino Del Rio So., Ste. 230
San Diego, CA 92108

Re: Records request — reserve fund reconciliation, Civil Code § 5200

To the Board of Directors:

I am an owner of record at {{ADDRESS}}. Two documents the Association has provided state different balances for the replacement reserve fund as of December 31, 2025:

- The Independent Accountant's Review Report prepared by Stephen DeMaine, CPA reports Contract Liabilities (advanced assessment for Replacement Fund) of $639,654.
- The Association's Fund Balance Sheet for the same date reports total Reserves of $539,654.12, comprising $330,115.92 of cash in the reserve account and $209,538.20 recorded as owed to the reserve fund by the operating fund.

Separately, the Notes to the reviewed financial statements state that the accumulated replacement funds "are held in separate accounts and are generally not available for operating purposes."

I am not suggesting anything improper. Reclassification between funds is a normal accounting judgment, and interfund borrowing is lawful when documented. I would simply like to understand the Association's finances, and rather than ask the Board to interpret its own records, I am requesting the records themselves.

Under Civil Code § 5200 I request copies of the following:

1. Statements from each financial institution for every operating and reserve account held by the Association for the month ended December 31, 2025, and for the most recent month available. Civil Code § 5500(a) requires the Board to review these monthly, so they are in the Association's possession.

2. The general ledger and trial balance for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025.

3. Any adjusting or reclassifying journal entries proposed by the independent accountant in connection with the December 31, 2025 financial statements.

4. Any management representation letter or management letter exchanged with the independent accountant for that engagement.

5. The minutes of the open meeting at which the Board authorized any transfer of reserve funds to the operating fund, and the written plan to repay it, as Civil Code § 5515 requires.

6. The final reserve study on which the FY2026 Annual Budget Report was based, together with the date it was conducted.

These are records for the current fiscal year, so Civil Code § 5210 provides for production within 10 business days. Please deliver them electronically to the email address below, which is my preferred method of delivery under Civil Code § 5205.

If the Board believes any item is exempt under Civil Code § 5215, please produce the balance and identify what is withheld and on what basis.

Sincerely,

Internal Dispute Resolution demand

Force a meet-and-confer over a fine, a violation notice, a denied application, or an unanswered request. The Association must attend and cannot charge you.

Basis: Civil Code §§ 5900, 5910, 5915
Their deadline: The Association must participate. A signed written resolution is judicially enforceable.

{{NAME}}
{{ADDRESS}}

{{DATE}}

Jamacha Greens Homeowners Association
c/o Pernicano Realty and Management, Inc.
2851 Camino Del Rio So., Ste. 230
San Diego, CA 92108

Re: Request for Internal Dispute Resolution — Civil Code § 5900 et seq.

To the Board of Directors:

I am an owner of record at {{ADDRESS}}. I am invoking the Association's Internal Dispute Resolution procedure under Civil Code § 5900 et seq. with respect to the following dispute:

{{DISPUTE}}

The resolution I am seeking is:

{{RESOLUTION}}

Under Civil Code § 5910(b) the Association is required to participate in this process, and under § 5910(d) the Association may not charge me a fee for doing so. I understand that under § 5910(c) I am entitled to be assisted by an attorney or another person at my own expense.

Please designate a member of the Board to meet and confer with me, and propose two or three dates within the next thirty days. I am willing to meet by telephone or video conference if that is more convenient.

If we reach a resolution, I understand that under Civil Code § 5915(c) a written agreement signed by both parties is binding and judicially enforceable.

Sincerely,

{{NAME}}
{{EMAIL}}
{{PHONE}}

Payment under protest

Pay a disputed fine or assessment without giving up the right to contest it — and without exposing your title to a lien.

Basis: Civil Code § 5658
Their deadline: Send with the payment. The protest must be in writing at the time of payment.

{{NAME}}
{{ADDRESS}}

{{DATE}}

Jamacha Greens Homeowners Association
c/o Pernicano Realty and Management, Inc.
2851 Camino Del Rio So., Ste. 230
San Diego, CA 92108

Re: Payment under protest — Civil Code § 5658

To the Board of Directors:

I am an owner of record at {{ADDRESS}}. Enclosed is payment in the amount of {{AMOUNT}} for the charge described as {{CHARGE}}.

**This payment is made under protest pursuant to Civil Code § 5658.**

I dispute this charge for the following reasons:

{{REASONS}}

By paying under protest I am preserving my right to contest the validity of this charge, including in small claims court, while ensuring the Association has no basis to treat my account as delinquent, to impose collection costs, or to record a lien.

Please note that under the Association's own Rules for Elections and Voting, § 2.1.2(a), payment under protest preserves my eligibility to be nominated to the Board.

I request written confirmation that this payment has been applied and that my account is current.

Sincerely,

{{NAME}}
{{EMAIL}}
{{PHONE}}

Election calendar and board seat terms

Find out when the next election is, when nominations close, and which seats are up. Everything about running depends on these dates.

Basis: Civil Code §§ 5200, 5105
Their deadline: 10 business days for current-year records; 30 days for minutes.

{{NAME}}
{{ADDRESS}}

{{DATE}}

Jamacha Greens Homeowners Association
c/o Pernicano Realty and Management, Inc.
2851 Camino Del Rio So., Ste. 230
San Diego, CA 92108

Re: Records request — election records and director terms, Civil Code § 5200

To the Board of Directors:

I am an owner of record at {{ADDRESS}}. Under Civil Code § 5200 I request copies of the following:

1. The minutes of all Board and membership meetings held from November 1, 2025 to the present, including the annual meeting scheduled for December 3, 2025.

2. All Association Election Materials as defined in Civil Code § 5200(a)(10) for any election or acclamation seating conducted since November 1, 2025, including the candidate registration list and the voter list.

3. A statement of the current Board of Directors showing, for each of the five seats, the name of the director, the date the term began, and the date the term expires.

4. The date of the next annual meeting, the deadline for submitting candidate nominations, and a copy of the Candidate Nomination Form referenced in Election Rules § 2.2.5.

5. The name of the independent third party retained as Inspector of Elections, and confirmation that the Inspector is not under contract to the Association for other compensable services, as Election Rules § 4.1 requires.

I note that under Election Rules § 2.2.1 the Association must give general notice of the nomination procedure and deadline at least thirty days before that deadline.

Sincerely,

{{NAME}}
{{EMAIL}}
{{PHONE}}

Emergency assessment findings

Ask for the written resolution Civil Code § 5610(c) requires before an emergency special assessment, for the insurance assessments of 2023 and 2025.

Basis: Civil Code §§ 5610, 5605, 5200, 5615
Their deadline: 10 business days for current-year records; 30 days for minutes.

{{NAME}}
{{ADDRESS}}

{{DATE}}

Jamacha Greens Homeowners Association
c/o Pernicano Realty and Management, Inc.
2851 Camino Del Rio So., Ste. 230
San Diego, CA 92108

Re: Records request — emergency assessment findings, Civil Code §§ 5610 and 5200

To the Board of Directors:

I am an owner of record at {{ADDRESS}}. The Association's notice dated September 25, 2023 states that "an emergency special assessment has been put in place for the annual HOA master policy insurance coverage," in the amount of $104,907.13, or $546.39 per unit. A further special assessment for insurance premiums, totalling $63,313.92, followed on February 13, 2025 — that one expressly imposed under Civil Code § 5605(b), and so not in question here.

Where a board imposes an assessment above the limits in Civil Code § 5605(b) on the basis of § 5610(c), the statute requires that "the board shall pass a resolution containing written findings as to the necessity of the extraordinary expense involved and why the expense was not or could not have been reasonably foreseen in the budgeting process," and that "the resolution shall be distributed to the members with the notice of assessment."

Under Civil Code § 5200 I request copies of the following:

1. The resolution and written findings adopted under Civil Code § 5610(c) for the emergency special assessment noticed on September 25, 2023, and the record of its distribution to the members.

2. The minutes of the open meeting at which that resolution was adopted.

3. The insurance premium invoices or binders for the policy years in question, together with the corresponding budgeted amounts, so that the extraordinary portion of each expense can be identified.

This is a request for information, not an allegation. An unforeseeable increase in an insurance premium can properly support an emergency assessment. What I am asking to see is the record that the statute requires to be made and shared, which I have not received.

Please provide these records electronically to the email address below.

Sincerely,

{{NAME}}
{{EMAIL}}
{{PHONE}}

Architectural requests

Architectural requests have their own form and their own deadline, and the deadline is unusually favourable to owners: under Bylaws Art. VI § 3 the Association must answer a written notification within 30 days, and "failure to do so within the stipulated time shall mean that there is no objection."

Use the architectural request builder — it captures every field the Association's own form asks for and prints a clean, dated document to mail.

Mailing it without going to the post office

For anything that matters, send it certified with return receipt. The receipt is what proves the date, and the date is what makes a deadline enforceable.

LetterStream will print and mail a document for you, which is the least painful way to send certified mail. An account is free with no minimum and no monthly fee.

Copy a letter above, or download it, and save it as a PDF or Word file.
Create a free account at letterstream.com and upload the document.
Enter the Association's address exactly as shown above, and your own as the return address.
Choose Certified Mail with Electronic Return Receipt. As of August 2026 their published pricing starts around $11.54 per letter for that option, $8.63 for certified without the receipt, and $1.27 for plain first class.
Review the online proof, submit, and keep the tracking number.

When the electronic return receipt arrives, save it. That is your proof of the date the Association received the request, and every deadline on this page runs from it.

If they miss the deadline

Do not let it drop. A missed deadline is not a dead end — it is the beginning of a much stronger position.

Send a second, specific written request noting the date of the first and the deadline that passed. Each separate written request that is wrongly denied can carry its own penalty under Civil Code § 5235 .
Invoke Internal Dispute Resolution using the letter above. The Association must participate and cannot charge you.
Small claims court is available for records enforcement under Civil Code § 5235 , and the statute directs the court to award a prevailing member costs and reasonable attorney's fees.