I'm trying to build a contact list of Tahoe Donner home owners who are concerned about the erosion of property rights in Tahoe Donner, including significant new restrictions and requirements related to short-term rentals ("STRs"). My hope is to build an email database that can be used to communicate with owners directly on important HOA and Town of Truckee related issues that might impact their rights and responsibilities. This might include issues such as the newly adopted STR rules, the implementation of the STR rules, the recent increases in amenity access fees for unaccompanied guests, proposals to exclude unaccompanied guests from certain amenities during peak times, proposed discriminatory and substantial increases in fines, potential consideration of STR rules by the Town of Truckee, and a proposed amendment of the TDA governing documents that could negatively impact property rights.
The Tahoe Donner HOA Board adopted new STR rules in the fall of 2018. This action was taken without a vote of the Tahoe Donner Association membership, and despite written comments to the Board that were more against the new STR rules than in favor of the new rules. In addition, the Board seemed to violate the covenants of the HOA, which provide that no association rule shall be inconsistent with the covenants or materially alter the rights of members under the covenants.
In addition to the STR rules, which impose new requirements and restrictions on owners who rent their homes for vacation rentals, the Board has recently:
- substantially increased the amenity access fees for unaccompanied guests (now $15 per day per amenity)
- voted to encourage the Town of Truckee to adopt its own STR rules
- implemented the new STR rules in a fashion that is stricter than and inconsistent with the language in the STR rules
- attempted to apply the HOA's "business activities" rule to rental of homes rather than to "home businesses" as intended by the covenants
- attempted to prevent street parking by STR guests even though Tahoe Donner does not own or have jurisdiction over the Truckee-owned streets
- proposed substantial fine increases, especially on STRs, including some fines up to $2,000 for a first occurrence (doubling and re-doubling thereafter)
Please contact me if you want to join our growing group of concerned Tahoe Donner owners.
