May 3, 2026 | Mark Luis Foster

I pose the question in the headline, as I was really wondering if our state legislators are out to get us after watching 2+ hours of debate on the floor of the Minnesota House this past Thursday. There were some fairly nasty anti-HOA comments among a variety of lawmakers, and all I could think of was Michael Jackson’s hit song “Bad” (Because I’m bad, I’m bad…)

So are HOA’s bad? The answer comes from Session Daily, the Legislative news organization:

Lawmakers aren’t saying HOAs are bad, but it’s time to clean up the law so Minnesotans can have peace of mind that the rules and regulations are manageable, he said.

That’s settles that, I suppose. So why all the fuss and SF 1750 getting this far?

… state law hasn’t kept pace with the growing practice, which has led to the “wild west” in some instances and stories from Minnesotans about how their dream home turned into a nightmare, said Rep. Kristin Bahner (DFL-Maple Grove).

Nightmare, indeed.

Honestly, we are all for transparency and better accountability and there some things in SF 1750 that we consider to be best practices for any board. For example, providing 21 days for a comment period for residents before rules and regs are added or changed, or prohibiting board votes by someone who might benefit or profit from a hired contractor are two that stand out as honest best practices.

There are others that feel more difficult and problematic. Capping fines at $100, requiring 3 bids for projects in excess of $50K, and allowing residents to opine on any (and I mean any) agenda item during a meeting are bound to cause some confusion, anxiety and some potential delays in decision-making among boards.

No one writes about legislation like the legislature itself, so I invite you to read the Session Daily summary of the bill that sailed through the House and is now on its way to the Senate. Be prepared to read the cheerleader version. Read it HERE.

We posted a blog that has the downloadable version of the bill HERE.