HOA HELL

Michael Kushner
  • 5.0 (6)
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HOA Hell with Michael Kushner is your inside guide to surviving—and winning—against California’s most abusive and overreaching HOAs. Leveraging almost 30 years of experience fighting for HOA members, Michael Kushner gives California homeowners real tools to fight back against abusive boards, outrageous rules, and everyday HOA nonsense. If your HOA is making your life a living Hell, then this podcast is for you. 

  1. 2D AGO

    KFI’s Bill Handel Endorses HOA Attorney Michael Kushner

    Is your HOA targeting you, imposing illegal fines, or abusing its power? Nationally syndicated radio host Bill Handel (KFI AM 640, “Handel on the Law”) has a direct message for California homeowners: YOU DON’T HAVE TO FIGHT ALONE.  In this unpaid personal endorsement, Radio Hall of Fame inductee Bill Handel endorses Michael Kushner, the pioneering homeowners-side HOA attorney he has trusted personally and professionally for over 20 years. As the author of the Amazon bestseller HOA HELL and host of the hit podcast of the same name, Kushner is widely regarded as California’s premier advocate for homeowners in disputes with their bad HOAs.  Why Bill Handel trusts Michael Kushner:  ✅ Kushner is the Definitive Authority. As the pioneer in homeowner-side HOA law in California and as the author of the Amazon bestseller HOA HELL, Kushner literally wrote the book on beating bad HOAs in California. ✅ Unwavering Advocacy. Kushner’s HOA’s practice is dedicated exclusively to representing homeowners living in HOA HELL.  ✅ A Trusted Endorsement. Handel doesn’t just put his name behind anyone. He trusts Kushner to handle the toughest HOA cases and to hold bad HOAs accountable.  ✅ Decades of Collaboration. Handel has relied on Kushner for over 20 years, not only as his personal attorney, but also as his on-air go-to HOA expert.   If your HOA is targeting you, imposing unlawful fines, or abusing its power, contact Michael Kushner’s law firm, MBK Chapman, at (949) 666-3036 or visit https://HOAHELL.com.   🔔 Subscribe for more powerful legal tools to hold your bad HOA accountable.  🎧 Listen to Kushner’s full-length HOA HELL podcasts on YouTube @hoahellpodcastofficial, or wherever you listen to your podcasts.  🌐 📞Want to talk to Michael Kushner or the attorneys at his law firm, MBK Chapman? Contact us at https://mbkchapman.com or go to https://HOAHELL.com. Mention the HOA HELL podcast for a discounted consultation.  Disclaimer:   The content of this podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is created by listening to this podcast, submitting a question, or receiving a response. Always consult with a licensed attorney regarding your specific legal situation. MBK Chapman and Michael Kushner disclaim any liability for actions taken or not taken based on the information provided in this podcast.    About:   Michael Kushner is the attorney who pioneered this niche area of the law—representing homeowners in disputes with their HOAs—in California. He created and taught the systems now used by the biggest law firms in the state focused on HOA litigation. Through his firm, MBK Chapman, and now through HOA HELL, Kushner continues to give homeowners practical legal tools to fight back.  #HOAhell #billhandel #handelonthelaw #kfi #am640 #HOAnews #HOAlawyer #HOAattorney  🔥 HOA Hell California’s #1 HOA attorney shares real legal tools to help homeowners fight back—and win. 👉 Got an HOA nightmare? Submit your question at HOAHELLpodcast@mbkchapman.com. more about your rights as a homeowner: https://MBKChapman.com 📲 Follow us:  Instagram: @mbkchapmanpc YouTube: HOA Hell (https://www.youtube.com/@HOAHELLpodcastofficial)

    1 min

  2. 4D AGO

    AB 130 & California HOA Fines: What’s Happened Since the $100 Fine Law Took Effect

    California capped HOA fines at $100 under AB 130. But what’s actually happening now that the law has been in effect for nine months?  In this episode, California’s leading homeowner-side HOA attorney, Michael Kushner, explains what he predicted would happen after AB 130 took effect and how those predictions are now playing out in real HOA disputes, real consultations, and real enforcement cases throughout California HOAs.  🎯 What You’ll Learn: ✅ Why homeowners are asking if they can ignore HOA rules and just pay the fine. ✅ How some HOAs are responding when fines no longer have real deterrent value. ✅ How certain bad HOAs are pushing the limits of the law in ways you need to understand.  Links to episodes, articles, and Fact Sheets referenced in the episode:  • AB 130 and the $100 Fine Cap: How California Just Made HOA Problems Worse • California AB 130 Update: Predictions Come True as HOA Chaos Unfolds • AB 130 Capped HOA Fines at $100—But Don’t Celebrate Just Yet • California HOA Fines After AB 130: $100 Limit, Repeat Violations, and Predictions Coming True (this will link you to multiple other articles and Fact Sheets)  🎧 📞 If you enjoyed this episode, please like and subscribe to HOA HELL. Listen on YouTube at @hoahellpodcastofficial or wherever you get your podcasts. To schedule a consultation, visit https://mbkchapman.com/ and mention the HOA HELL discount.  DISCLAIMER: This content constitutes attorney advertising. The content of this podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is created by listening to this podcast, submitting a question, or receiving a response. Always consult with a licensed attorney regarding your specific legal situation. MBK Chapman and Michael Kushner disclaim any liability for actions taken or not taken based on the information provided in this podcast. This communication does not constitute a guarantee, warranty, or prediction regarding the outcome of your legal matter.  ABOUT: Michael Kushner created and taught the systems now used by the biggest law firms in the state focused on HOA litigation. Managing partner of MBK Chapman, and author of the best-selling book, HOA HELL, Kushner teaches homeowners how to fight their bad HOAs and win. 💥 Amazon [https://tinyurl.com/tx47hmvn] | Barnes & Noble [https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/hoa%20hell]  #AB130 #CaliforniaHOA #HOAfines #HOAviolations #HOAlawyer #HOAattorney #DavisStirlingAct #badHOA #HOAHell  🔥 HOA Hell California’s #1 HOA attorney shares real legal tools to help homeowners fight back—and win. 👉 Got an HOA nightmare? Submit your question at HOAHELLpodcast@mbkchapman.com. more about your rights as a homeowner: https://MBKChapman.com 📲 Follow us:  Instagram: @mbkchapmanpc YouTube: HOA Hell (https://www.youtube.com/@HOAHELLpodcastofficial)

    52 min

  3. MAR 25

    Can an HOA Avoid Liability After Rerouting Plumbing Pipes Through Your Ceiling?

    In this HOA Q&A, HOA attorney Michael Kushner, the pioneer in homeowner-side HOA law in California, addresses a situation where an HOA installs new repipe plumbing that now runs through a homeowner’s ceiling and then claims it will not be responsible for any future water damage.  🎯 What You’ll Learn in This HOA Q&A: ✅ Why an HOA cannot simply declare in advance that it will not be responsible for damage caused by plumbing installed during a community-wide repipe project. ✅ The key legal questions that determine responsibility, including pipe ownership under the CC&Rs, maintenance responsibility, and whether the pipe serves multiple units. ✅ Why redirecting plumbing into areas where pipes did not previously run can create foreseeable risk that the HOA may ultimately be responsible for if those pipes later fail.  When an HOA reroutes plumbing through areas where pipes never previously existed and that decision creates a foreseeable risk of water damage, the association may ultimately bear responsibility if those pipes later fail.  🎧 📞 If you enjoyed this Q&A, please like and subscribe to HOA HELL. Listen on YouTube at @hoahellpodcastofficial or wherever you get your podcasts. To schedule a consultation, visit https://mbkchapman.com/ and mention the HOA HELL discount.  Disclaimer:   This content constitutes attorney advertising. The content of this podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is created by listening to this podcast, submitting a question, or receiving a response. Always consult with a licensed attorney regarding your specific legal situation. MBK Chapman and Michael Kushner disclaim any liability for actions taken or not taken based on the information provided in this podcast.   This communication does not constitute a guarantee, warranty, or prediction regarding the outcome of your legal matter.   About:   Michael Kushner created and taught the systems now used by the biggest law firms in the state focused on HOA litigation. Managing partner of MBK Chapman, and author of the best-selling book, HOA HELL, Kushner teaches homeowners how to fight their bad HOAs and win. 💥 Amazon [https://tinyurl.com/tx47hmvn] | Barnes & Noble [https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/hoa%20hell]  #HOALaw #CaliforniaHOA #BadHOA #HOAhell #DavisStirlingAct #HOARepairs #HOAPropertyDamage #HOAPlumbing #CommonAreaPipes #HOAMaintenanceResponsibility  🔥 HOA Hell California’s #1 HOA attorney shares real legal tools to help homeowners fight back—and win. 👉 Got an HOA nightmare? Submit your question at HOAHELLpodcast@mbkchapman.com. more about your rights as a homeowner: https://MBKChapman.com 📲 Follow us:  Instagram: @mbkchapmanpc YouTube: HOA Hell (https://www.youtube.com/@HOAHELLpodcastofficial)

    2 min

  4. MAR 23

    California HOA Special Assessments: Why Your Dues Keep Rising and a Huge Bill May Be Coming

    HOA assessments are rising across California, and for many homeowners the financial pressure is getting worse. In this episode, California’s foremost expert and homeowner-side HOA attorney, Michael Kushner, explains why regular dues are steadily increasing across California HOAs, why special assessments are hitting harder than ever, and what California homeowners need to understand this phenomenon.  What You’ll Learn in this episode: ✅ Why more California HOAs than ever before are consistently raising regular dues to the legal limit. ✅ Why more California HOAs than ever before are consistently relying on huge special assessments to fund repairs and replacements. ✅ How some boards use the word “emergency” to avoid the voting process. If you live in a California HOA, this episode gives you a practical framework for understanding what is happening right now across the state.  Links to episodes discussed during the episode:  1. “The Insurance Squeeze: How Rising Premiums Are Reshaping California HOAs” [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5HM9MuQQh8&t=64s] 2. “The Consequences of California's Balcony Law” [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fryCvZKH7mw&t=588s] 3. “What Every California Homeowner Needs to Know About HOA Reserve Funds (Part 1)” [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnG9UAv9LbY&t=581s] 4. “What Every California Homeowner Needs to Know About HOA Reserve Funds (Part 2)” [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fu5QGHAsDrY&t=1296s] 5. “Emergency or Excuse? How HOAs Use “Safety” to Justify Illegal Emergency Assessments” [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jb_kDBFC4ZY&t=19s]  6. “California Condo Declared “Unavailable” by Fannie Mae and How HOAs Can Fix the Problem” [https://mbkchapman.com/california-condo-fannie-mae-unavailable-fact-sheet/]  To schedule a consultation, visit https://mbkchapman.com/ and mention the HOA HELL discount.  DISCLAIMER: This content constitutes attorney advertising. The content of this podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is created by listening to this podcast, submitting a question, or receiving a response. Always consult with a licensed attorney regarding your specific legal situation. MBK Chapman and Michael Kushner disclaim any liability for actions taken or not taken based on the information provided in this podcast. This communication does not constitute a guarantee, warranty, or prediction regarding the outcome of your legal matter.  #HOASpecialAssessments #HOAAssessments #HOADues #CaliforniaHOA #HOAInsurance #ReserveStudies #BalconyLaw #EmergencyAssessment #BadHOA #HOAhell #DavisStirlingAct  🔥 HOA Hell California’s #1 HOA attorney shares real legal tools to help homeowners fight back—and win. 👉 Got an HOA nightmare? Submit your question at HOAHELLpodcast@mbkchapman.com. more about your rights as a homeowner: https://MBKChapman.com 📲 Follow us:  Instagram: @mbkchapmanpc YouTube: HOA Hell (https://www.youtube.com/@HOAHELLpodcastofficial)

    46 min

  5. MAR 20

    Can an HOA Use Facial Recognition Cameras to Track Residents?

    In this HOA Q&A, HOA attorney, Michael Kushner, the pioneer in homeowner-side HOA law in California, explains why an HOA’s use of facial recognition technology to identify and track residents and guests in common areas raises serious privacy concerns.  🎯 What You’ll Learn in This HOA Q&A: ✅ How ordinary security cameras in common areas are generally allowed in HOA communities. ✅ How facial recognition systems that identify residents and track their movements create a fundamentally different level of surveillance. ✅ Why collecting and storing residents’ biometric data and phone location data through a third-party vendor raises major privacy risks and is almost certainly illegal without unanimous written consent.  When an HOA moves beyond basic security cameras and begins identifying residents, tracking their movements, and storing biometric data for years, that HOA has crossed into a serious dystopian invasion of people’s privacy.  Disclaimer:   🎧 📞 If you enjoyed this Q&A, please like and subscribe to HOA HELL. Listen on YouTube at @hoahellpodcastofficial or wherever you get your podcasts. To schedule a consultation, visit https://mbkchapman.com/ and mention the HOA HELL discount.  Disclaimer:   This content constitutes attorney advertising. The content of this podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is created by listening to this podcast, submitting a question, or receiving a response. Always consult with a licensed attorney regarding your specific legal situation. MBK Chapman and Michael Kushner disclaim any liability for actions taken or not taken based on the information provided in this podcast.   This communication does not constitute a guarantee, warranty, or prediction regarding the outcome of your legal matter.   About:   Michael Kushner created and taught the systems now used by the biggest law firms in the state focused on HOA litigation. Managing partner of MBK Chapman, and author of the best-selling book, HOA HELL, Kushner teaches homeowners how to fight their bad HOAs and win. 💥 Amazon [https://tinyurl.com/tx47hmvn] | Barnes & Noble [https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/hoa%20hell]  #HOALaw #CaliforniaHOA #BadHOA #HOAhell #DavisStirlingAct #HOAPrivacy #HOASurveillance #HOACameras #HOAsurveillance #HOAprivacy #HOAprivacyrights #HOAlawyer 🔥 HOA Hell California’s #1 HOA attorney shares real legal tools to help homeowners fight back—and win. 👉 Got an HOA nightmare? Submit your question at HOAHELLpodcast@mbkchapman.com. more about your rights as a homeowner: https://MBKChapman.com 📲 Follow us:  Instagram: @mbkchapmanpc YouTube: HOA Hell (https://www.youtube.com/@HOAHELLpodcastofficial)

    2 min

  6. MAR 16

    Can My California HOA Interfere with My Rebuilding After a Fire or Other Disaster?

    In this episode of HOA HELL, attorney Michael Kushner explains how California’s new SB 625, which into effect on January 1, 2026, dramatically shifts the balance of power in favor of homeowners whose homes were destroyed in a declared disaster.  After the devastating Eaton, Palisades, and Malibu firestorm in Los Angeles in 2025, the California Legislature passed SB 625 to prevent cities and HOAs from blocking homeowners who simply want to rebuild what they lost. The law creates strict limits on local government and HOA authority, establishes objective rebuilding standards while eliminating subjective ones, and imposes fast-track review timelines that cities and HOAs must now follow.   What You’ll Learn: ✅ How SB 625 tipped the scales in favor of homeowners trying to rebuild their homes after a disaster. ✅ What the 110% rule is and how it helps homeowners. ✅ SB 625’s new approval deadlines aimed at streamlining rebuilding applications. ✅ How the law prevents cities and HOA from using newer aesthetic standards to delay reconstruction.  SB 625 is designed to remove the bureaucratic roadblocks that historically prevented homeowners from rebuilding after catastrophic fires and other declared disasters. By imposing objective standards, strict timelines, and mandatory fee shifting, the law ensures that HOAs and local governments cannot delay or obstruct reconstruction when homeowners simply want to restore what they lost.  🎧 📞 If you enjoyed this episode, please like and subscribe to HOA HELL. Listen on YouTube at @hoahellpodcastofficial or wherever you get your podcasts. To schedule a consultation, visit https://mbkchapman.com/ and mention the HOA HELL discount.  DISCLAIMER: This content constitutes attorney advertising. The content of this podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is created by listening to this podcast, submitting a question, or receiving a response. Always consult with a licensed attorney regarding your specific legal situation. MBK Chapman and Michael Kushner disclaim any liability for actions taken or not taken based on the information provided in this podcast.   This communication does not constitute a guarantee, warranty, or prediction regarding the outcome of your legal matter.  ABOUT: Michael Kushner created and taught the systems now used by the biggest law firms in the state focused on HOA litigation. Managing partner of MBK Chapman, and author of the best-selling book, HOA HELL, Kushner teaches homeowners how to fight their bad HOAs and win. 💥 Amazon [https://tinyurl.com/tx47hmvn] | Barnes & Noble [https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/hoa%20hell]  #SB625 #CaliforniaHOA #HOAreconstruction #DavisStirlingAct #HOAhell #badHOA #HOAlaw #HOAattorney #HOAlawyer #PalisadesFire #EatonFire #MalibuFire  🔥 HOA Hell California’s #1 HOA attorney shares real legal tools to help homeowners fight back—and win. 👉 Got an HOA nightmare? Submit your question at HOAHELLpodcast@mbkchapman.com. more about your rights as a homeowner: https://MBKChapman.com 📲 Follow us:  Instagram: @mbkchapmanpc YouTube: HOA Hell (https://www.youtube.com/@HOAHELLpodcastofficial)

    37 min

  7. MAR 11

    California HOA Recalls: The “Chaos” Argument Is a Myth

    When homeowners start talking about recalling their HOA board, someone from the HOA’s “side” always predicts chaos. Sometimes they claim that management will quit ands leave the HOA in chaos, while others go even further and predict the HOA’s collapse. Those fears never prove accurate.   🎯 What You’ll Learn in This 1-Minute Tip: ✅ Recalls usually happen because something has already gone terribly wrong. ✅ Management resignations after a recall, when they do happen, are almost always a GOOD SIGN. ✅ Removing bad leadership is accountability, not instability. And it is a beginning, not an end. Recalls typically follow sustained misconduct, lack of transparency, statutory violations, financial mismanagement, or abusive enforcement practices. In those situations, management may have been aligned with the outgoing board. When such management resigns after a recall, it often reflects a shift toward accountability, and that’s a good thing. HOAs change management companies every day without collapsing. A recall is usually a response to dysfunction, not the cause of it.  🎧 📞 If you enjoyed this Tip, please like and subscribe to HOA HELL. Listen on YouTube at @hoahellpodcastofficial or wherever you get your podcasts. To schedule a consultation, visit https://mbkchapman.com/ and mention the HOA HELL discount.  Disclaimer:   This content constitutes attorney advertising. The content of this podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is created by listening to this podcast, submitting a question, or receiving a response. Always consult with a licensed attorney regarding your specific legal situation. MBK Chapman and Michael Kushner disclaim any liability for actions taken or not taken based on the information provided in this podcast.   This communication does not constitute a guarantee, warranty, or prediction regarding the outcome of your legal matter.    About:   Michael Kushner created and taught the systems now used by the biggest law firms in the state focused on HOA litigation. Managing partner of MBK Chapman, and author of the best-selling book, HOA HELL, Kushner teaches homeowners how to fight their bad HOAs and win. 💥 Amazon [https://tinyurl.com/tx47hmvn] | Barnes & Noble [https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/hoa%20hell]  #HOARecall #HOABoardRecall #CaliforniaHOA #DavisStirlingAct #badHOA #HOAhell #HOAlawyer #HOAattorney  🔥 HOA Hell California’s #1 HOA attorney shares real legal tools to help homeowners fight back—and win. 👉 Got an HOA nightmare? Submit your question at HOAHELLpodcast@mbkchapman.com. more about your rights as a homeowner: https://MBKChapman.com 📲 Follow us:  Instagram: @mbkchapmanpc YouTube: HOA Hell (https://www.youtube.com/@HOAHELLpodcastofficial)

    2 min

  8. MAR 9

    Who Decides HOA Architectural Requests: The Board or the Architectural Committee?

    Architectural committees are common in California HOAs, but not every HOA has one. When an HOA does use an Architectural Review Committee, Architectural Control Committee, or Design Review Committee (these are all different names for the same committee), homeowners often misunderstand what that committee can do, where its authority comes from, and what rights the homeowner has after a denial.  In this episode, California’s leading homeowner-side HOA lawyer, Michael Kushner, focuses specifically on architectural committees themselves, not the step-by-step process for submitting plans or obtaining approval.  What You’ll Learn:  ✅ How the composition of a committee can change whether the Open Meeting Act applies. ✅ Why some HOAs create architectural committees and others do not. ✅ What rights homeowners have after an architectural committee denies a project. ✅ How bad HOAs misuse committee structures to limit homeowner rights.  Architectural committees are common in larger communities, but the way they are structured matters. Some HOAs use them correctly as a review body that assists the board. Others blur the lines between committee authority and board authority in ways that create confusion and conflict. Understanding how committees are created, how they operate, and what happens after a denial helps homeowners evaluate whether their HOA is following the law.  🎧 📞 If you enjoyed this episode, please like and subscribe to HOA HELL. Listen on YouTube at @hoahellpodcastofficial or wherever you get your podcasts. To schedule a consultation, visit https://mbkchapman.com/ and mention the HOA HELL discount.  DISCLAIMER:    This content constitutes attorney advertising. The content of this podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is created by listening to this podcast, submitting a question, or receiving a response. Always consult with a licensed attorney regarding your specific legal situation. MBK Chapman and Michael Kushner disclaim any liability for actions taken or not taken based on the information provided in this podcast.   This communication does not constitute a guarantee, warranty, or prediction regarding the outcome of your legal matter.  ABOUT:    Michael Kushner created and taught the systems now used by the biggest law firms in the state focused on HOA litigation. Managing partner of MBK Chapman, and author of the best-selling book, HOA HELL, Kushner teaches homeowners how to fight their bad HOAs and win. 💥 Amazon [https://tinyurl.com/tx47hmvn] | Barnes & Noble [https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/hoa%20hell]  #DavisStirlingAct #CaliforniaHOA #badHOA #HOAHell #HOAarchitecturalcommittee #ARCs #HOAarchitecturalreview #HOAboard #HOAapproval #HOAdisputes  🔥 HOA Hell California’s #1 HOA attorney shares real legal tools to help homeowners fight back—and win. 👉 Got an HOA nightmare? Submit your question at HOAHELLpodcast@mbkchapman.com. more about your rights as a homeowner: https://MBKChapman.com 📲 Follow us:  Instagram: @mbkchapmanpc YouTube: HOA Hell (https://www.youtube.com/@HOAHELLpodcastofficial)

    56 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

HOA Hell with Michael Kushner is your inside guide to surviving—and winning—against California’s most abusive and overreaching HOAs. Leveraging almost 30 years of experience fighting for HOA members, Michael Kushner gives California homeowners real tools to fight back against abusive boards, outrageous rules, and everyday HOA nonsense. If your HOA is making your life a living Hell, then this podcast is for you. 

Information

  • Creator
    Michael Kushner
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    129
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 HOA HELL
  • Show Website
    HOA HELL

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