Condo and HOA Lawyers
Serving Allendale, MI

It begins with a phone call or proposal request. After reviewing your declaration, bylaws, and the question at hand, we recommend the right fit, whether that is ongoing general counsel or a single scoped matter with a fee quoted upfront. Once engaged, your board reaches its attorney directly by phone and email with a 24-hour response commitment. Hiring a lawyer for the first time is normal here; many of our West Michigan boards started exactly that way.

We handle most matters on a matter-by-matter basis, where we scope the specific issue and provide a clear fee agreement upfront so your board knows exactly what to expect. For collections, Michigan law allows condominium associations to recover attorney fees in many cases under the Michigan Condominium Act, which means the cost of enforcement can be billed back to the owner. We are transparent about costs from the start, and your board will have a clear understanding of fees outlined in our fee agreement.

Focus. Community association law is this firm's only practice area, and more than 2,000 community association clients across Michigan and Illinois have trusted us with their legal needs. Kevin Hirzel and Matthew W. Heron are both Fellows of the College of Community Association Lawyers, a distinction fewer than 200 attorneys in the country hold. Between matters, we keep boards informed through Hirzel's Handbook, a Michigan HOA law blog, and a monthly newsletter. Your questions land with attorneys who deal with the same issues every single day.

There are a few situations where legal counsel makes a real difference. If your association’s governing documents haven’t been updated to reflect current law, your community is going through a developer turnover, the board is struggling to enforce rules consistently, or delinquent assessments are starting to pile up, those are all situations where having an experienced community association attorney can protect the board and the association’s finances.

Developer turnover is one of the most important transitions in the life of a community association. This is when control of the board shifts from the developer to the homeowners, and it is critical to get it right. Our attorneys can conduct a turnover audit to review the association's finances, contracts, insurance, reserves, and physical condition of common elements. We identify any deficiencies, help negotiate with the developer to resolve outstanding issues, and ensure the new board starts on solid footing.

The process starts with an attorney demand letter, which resolves roughly half of delinquent accounts on its own. If payment is not made, the association can record a lien against the unit and, when necessary, proceed to foreclosure or a money judgment. Associations can recover attorney fees, costs, and interest from the delinquent owner when their governing documents allow it, and our collections process recovers the full delinquency plus fees and costs approximately 98% of the time.

It matters more than most boards realize. Documents drafted decades ago are likely missing provisions current Michigan law requires, and new legislation limits how associations can restrict solar panels and energy improvements. If your bylaws do not expressly allow recovery of attorney fees for enforcement, those costs fall on all owners instead of the violator. Older documents also rarely address short-term rentals, cameras, or EV charging. We handle amendments start to finish, from drafting through voting and recording.

Start by documenting the violation and sending a written notice that identifies the provision breached and what compliance looks like. Most matters end there. When they do not, Michigan law lets boards escalate: fines, suspension of privileges, or legal action, with attorney fees recoverable when the bylaws provide for it. The key is consistency, because uneven enforcement weakens the association's position. We help West Michigan boards build an enforcement process that holds up.