A new trade association, Community Associations Institute (CAI), stepped in and became dominated by the attorneys and management firms with membership from all the trades that service property, everything from roofers to swimming pool maintenance companies. Most states, including New Jersey, currently have a chapter of CAI. CAI took on the task of writing the Uniform Common Interest Ownership Act (UCIOA), a piece of national legislation that should CAI get their way and have it become law, would allow association to continue their wrongful behavior. The states that have passed UCIOA have different versions except for Part V, which gives a state agency minimal authority to oversee the activities of associations.

New Jersey's HOAs Exposed
A similar situation developed in New Jersey. Fortunately, in 1997, the NJ Legislature enacted the Assembly Task Force To Study Homeowner Associations, which consisted of three Legislators (Bateman, Gregg, and Wisniewski), one Developer's Attorney, one Managing agent, two CAI attorneys, and two HOA Board Members. Although the Task Force was hardly representative of the interests of the individual homeowner, the hearings did draw the testimony and recommendations from many homeowners, including those from Lois and Sam Pratt, two of C-IHC’s founding members.

At these hearings many homeowners learned that problems in their associations were not unique and similar conflicts were occurring throughout the state. It quickly became apparent that boards were acting as they did because they could! There was virtually no limit to how they exercised their power despite the negative impact it had on homeowners.