Governor Brown Signs Bill Prohibiting HOA’s from Banning Artificial Turf
(PRWEB) October 05, 2015 -- On September 4th, Governor Jerry Brown passed a bill prohibiting homeowners associations from fining or suing homeowners for replacing their natural grass lawns with artificial turf.
California Bill AB-349 was authored by Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez (D-San Diego). The law took effect immediately and impacts communities throughout California.
The bill officially granted homeowners the freedom to explore landscaping options amid the drought and contained language that read, “This act ensures that all homeowners have the right to better conserve water by voluntarily replacing grass with artificial grass.”
Over the past five years, several bills attempting to end turf bans by HOA’s have been introduced to the California Assembly and Senate. Governor Brown vetoed a similar bill (SB-759) in 2011 that would have required homeowners associations to permit artificial turf to be installed in communities. Brown’s veto message included, “The decision about choosing synthetic turf instead of natural vegetation should be left to individual homeowners associations, not mandated by state law.” In 2010, Governor Schwarzenegger vetoed a similar bill, AB-1793. Schwarzenegger’s veto message contained nearly identical verbiage.
“It’s been a long road, but Californians are finally able to install environmentally-friendly artificial grass such as EasyTurf in their yards without penalty,” said Steve Haber, CEO of EasyTurf. “With the impact that the drought has already had on our state, this could not have come at a better time for homeowners.”
Many homeowners associations were unwilling to compromise on turf installation in their communities due to the poor quality of the turf. But artificial grass has come a long way since its introduction in the 1970’s.
“We certainly understand the reluctance of some HOA’s to permit cheap turf in their complexes. Obviously, not all turf is created equal, but the bar has been raised and a standard has been set,” Haber said.
The success of the bill is a boon for conservationists who have long been lobbying for the ability to install beautifying, water-saving turf in the drought-ravaged state. It is also a win for homeowners, as their yards are no longer limited to xeriscape applications such as rock and mulch.
In her own press release, Gonzalez said, "Across the state, Californians are making great strides to reduce their water use and hit aggressive benchmarks for conservation, and this new common sense law will give homeowners one more way to save as this drought continues. The grass may be fake, but the amount of water a homeowner can save by installing it is very real."
Deana Cacus, EasyTurf, http://www.easyturf.com, +1 (760) 745-7026 Ext: 314, [email protected]
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