Glossary
Common interest development
A real-estate development in which owners share ownership or control of common areas through an association, such as an HOA, condominium, or cooperative.
Why it matters
Whether a property is in a common interest development decides which statutes, governing
documents, and approval processes apply. State laws for these communities — for example,
California's Davis-Stirling Act — define the documents, the association's powers, and the owners'
rights, and can override conflicting provisions.
What to check
Whether the property is governed by an association at all, what type (HOA, condominium, co-op),
and which state statute defines the association's authority.
Jurisdictional variation
The definition and statutory scheme vary by state; some states follow the Uniform Common Interest
Ownership Act, others have their own codes.