Editorial Standards

What every guide should provide

A guide should answer its title near the beginning. It should name the state or other jurisdiction, identify the property type and audience, explain the rule in plain language, show the exceptions that change the result, list the records to gather, and link the official sources used.

Sources

The source order depends on the question. A statute, regulation, official court material, public-utility commission order, tariff, state or local code, permit office, agency, tax authority, or utility may control. Government-backed reference pages can help locate an issue, but they do not replace the controlling authority.

Each guide shows the source-check date. A material source change, correction, amendment, repeal, or unresolved conflict can trigger an earlier review.

Scope and wording

HOA, condominium, co-op, rental, detached-home, deeded-space, assigned-space, common-area, and shared-roof questions are kept separate. Statewide rules are distinguished from local permits, building and fire requirements, utility processes, leases, contracts, insurance, financing, and property-specific facts.

The wording should match the source:

• Must describes a requirement imposed by the cited authority.
• May describes discretion or a permitted condition.
• Generally is used only when material exceptions are explained nearby.
• The cited sources do not resolve is used when the record leaves a real question open.
• The reviewed law excludes this installation requires the specific provision and its limits; it does not mean that no other protection exists.

An unsuccessful search cannot support a claim that no protection exists. The site does not turn silence into permission, a permit into HOA approval, or an incentive description into an eligibility decision.

Corrections

Use the corrections page to report a source change, missing exception, wrong date, broken link, or inaccurate statement. Include the guide URL and the official source that supports the correction.

Commercial separation

Advertising and affiliate relationships do not control legal conclusions, source placement, or guide rankings. Official-source links come before commercial links, and sponsored content would be labeled.