A new California law that caps homeowners association fines and limits fees prevented a Ventura County resident from facing what she said would have been up to $1,000 per day in penalties over interior renovations and an electric-vehicle charger, according to the homeowner and local news reports.
Jinah Kim, 53, who bought a two-bedroom townhouse in Oak Park for about $600,000, said the Shadow Ridge Homeowners Association had threatened massive daily fines after she repaired an internal doorway and installed an EV charging outlet. The association’s warning letter cited unapproved alterations and warned of daily fines if the issues were not corrected.
Kim told the Daily Mail that the doorway work addressed unsafe and noncompliant construction left by a previous owner, who had hidden water pipes behind drywall and failed to re-route them. The makeshift wall created an 18-inch obstruction above the door that required Kim to duck when moving between rooms. She said a contractor rerouted the pipes and raised the doorway in November to meet building-safety standards; when the HOA’s general manager saw the completed work through an open garage door, the association sent a warning.
A letter from the HOA’s attorney dated June 27, reviewed by the Daily Mail, stated the alterations were made without board approval and said the association would restore the drywall and plumbing to their original condition at Kim’s expense. The letter also cited the EV charger as an unapproved installation and warned that, if the issues were not resolved by July 10, 2025, the board could treat them as continuing violations and impose fines “of up to $500 per day, per violation, in accordance with the Association’s published fine schedule.” That language raised the prospect of combined fines that would total $1,000 per day for two alleged violations.
Kim said she also faced complaints and fines over a patio rug and a past incident in which her rescue dog briefly escaped its leash. She said $200 was automatically withdrawn from her bank account for fines without prior notice from the association.
The situation changed after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 130, which took effect July 1. AB 130 caps HOA fines at $100 per infraction, bars associations from charging interest or late fees on violations when homeowners correct alleged problems before a hearing, and includes measures intended to speed housing projects by relaxing some environmental review rules. The bill was pitched by supporters as relief for homeowners who say some associations have become overreaching enforcement bodies.
Kim said she has not heard from the Shadow Ridge HOA since the law went into effect and that her dispute will be considered at an executive session and general meeting of the association on Aug. 19. She told reporters she hoped to be reimbursed for the fines but did not plan to continue fighting the HOA.
The Shadow Ridge community is located in Oak Park, about 35 miles west of downtown Los Angeles. Kim said Shadow Ridge residents pay monthly dues of about $570, which she said help fund an association manager whose compensation she described as approaching $200,000.
Legal observers offered differing views on AB 130. Dyanne Peters, an attorney who practices HOA law, told the Los Angeles Times that fines are a tool to discourage disruptive behavior and said the new rules limit associations’ ability to govern their communities. "It's frustrating because these new rules are handcuffing homeowners associations," Peters said.
Luke Carlson, an attorney who represents homeowners in HOA disputes, called the legislation "long overdue" in remarks reported by the Times, saying the measure signaled state lawmakers were responding to homeowners who felt mistreated by aggressive associations.
California has more homeowners associations than any other state; Florida ranks second. Supporters of the bill have argued that some associations have moved beyond maintenance and community standards into punitive enforcement that can have severe financial consequences for homeowners.
Kim, who said she serves on the board of another HOA for a different property she owns, described the Shadow Ridge enforcement as unusually strict and vowed to consider lobbying for additional reforms to curb what she characterized as excessive HOA power. The Daily Mail reported that it contacted the Shadow Ridge HOA for comment but had not received a response.