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<ns0:ActionText>INTRODUCED</ns0:ActionText>
<ns0:ActionDate>2026-02-02</ns0:ActionDate>
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<ns0:SessionYear>2025</ns0:SessionYear>
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<ns0:AuthorText authorType="LEAD_AUTHOR">Introduced by Assembly Member Ward</ns0:AuthorText>
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<ns0:Name>Ward</ns0:Name>
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<ns0:Title> An act to add Section 4737 to the Civil Code, relating to common interest developments. </ns0:Title>
<ns0:RelatingClause>common interest developments</ns0:RelatingClause>
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<ns0:Subject>Common interest developments: cooling systems.</ns0:Subject>
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<html:p>Existing law, the Davis-Stirling Common Interest Development Act, governs the formation and operation of common interest developments, and requires a common interest development to be managed by an association, as specified. Existing law includes provisions that limit the authority of an association or the governing documents, as defined, to regulate the use of a member’s separate interest, as defined.</html:p>
<html:p>Existing law, the Mobilehome Residency Law, governs tenancies in mobilehome parks and includes provisions that are applicable to those who have an ownership interest in a subdivision, cooperative, or condominium for mobilehomes, or a resident-owned mobilehome park, as specified. Existing law makes any covenant, restriction, or condition contained in any rental agreement or other instrument affecting the tenancy of a homeowner or resident that
effectively prohibits or restricts the installation, upgrade, replacement, or use of a cooling system in a mobilehome void and unenforceable. Existing law provides that a “cooling system” includes a portable air-conditioning unit, a window air-conditioning unit, a swamp cooler or any evaporative cooler, a cooling fan system, a heat pump, or any other technology that reasonably creates an internal temperature cooling benefit, and meets applicable health and safety standards and requirements imposed by law.</html:p>
<html:p>This bill would, under the Davis-Stirling Common Interest Development Act, make any provision of the governing documents, architectural guidelines, or policies void and unenforceable if the provision prohibits or restricts the installation, upgrade, replacement, or use of a cooling system. The bill would also make any covenant, restriction, or condition contained in any, among other specified agreements, deed that effectively prohibits or restricts the
installation, upgrade, replacement, or use of a cooling system, void and unenforceable. The bill would make it unlawful for an association to prohibit or restrict a member from installing, upgrading, replacing, or using a cooling system in the member’s separate interest, or to take other specified actions in connection with the installation, upgrade, replacement, or use of a cooling system, subject to specified exceptions.</html:p>
<html:p>This bill would make an association that willfully violates these provisions liable to the member for actual damages occasioned thereby, and for a civil penalty paid to the member in an amount not to exceed $2,000.</html:p>
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<ns0:Preamble>The people of the State of California do enact as follows:</ns0:Preamble>
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<ns0:Num>SECTION 1.</ns0:Num>
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Section 4737 is added to the
<ns0:DocName>Civil Code</ns0:DocName>
, to read:
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<ns0:Num>4737.</ns0:Num>
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(a)
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Notwithstanding any other law, any provision of the governing documents, architectural guidelines, or policies shall be void and unenforceable if the provision prohibits or restricts the installation, upgrade, replacement, or use of a cooling system.
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(b)
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Any covenant, restriction, or condition contained in any deed, contract, security instrument, or other instrument affecting the transfer or sale of, or any interest in, real property, that effectively prohibits or restricts the installation, upgrade, replacement, or use of a cooling system is void and unenforceable.
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(c)
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(1)
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Subject to paragraph (2), an association shall not prohibit or restrict a member from
installing, upgrading, replacing, or using a cooling system in the member’s separate interest. The association shall not do any of the following:
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(A)
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Charge any fee to a member in connection with the installation, upgrade, replacement, or use of a cooling system.
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(B)
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Require a member to use a specific cooling system, type of cooling system, or cooling system contractor or product.
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(C)
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Claim to receive any rebate, credit, or commission in connection with a member’s installation, upgrade, replacement, or use of a cooling system.
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(D)
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Require a member to remove a cooling system or prevent the replacement or upgrade of an existing cooling system.
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(2)
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Paragraph (1) shall not apply if the
association establishes either of the following:
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(A)
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The installation, upgrade, replacement, or use of the cooling system would violate federal, state, or local law.
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(B)
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A permit from a designated permitting authority is required for the installation, upgrade, replacement, or use of the cooling system, and that permit is not granted.
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(d)
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For purposes of this section, “cooling system” may include, but is not limited to, a portable air-conditioning unit, a window air-conditioning unit, a swamp cooler or any evaporative cooler, a cooling fan system, a heat pump, or any other technology that reasonably creates an internal temperature cooling benefit. A cooling system shall meet applicable health and safety standards and requirements imposed by law.
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(e)
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An
association that willfully violates this section shall be liable to the member for actual damages occasioned thereby, and shall pay a civil penalty to the member in an amount not to exceed two thousand dollars ($2,000).
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