California HOA EV Charger Denial Dispute [Condo] [CA]
I’m in California and dealing with an HOA dispute over EV charging in a condo garage.
I have an assigned parking space near an existing 120V outlet. The HOA does not want me using the outlet directly because it is tied to common-area electricity, which I understand.
To address that, I submitted an architectural application with a licensed electrician’s proposal to install a 120V charging receptacle with a revenue-grade submeter. I would pay for installation, permits, maintenance, removal/restoration if needed, and all electricity used based on the meter.
The HOA denied the application, but the first denial letter did not provide any actual reason. It said the application was not in compliance with the CC&Rs, but the section where the specific reasons were supposed to be listed was basically blank.
After my attorney sent a demand letter, the HOA/property manager said the original denial letter was incorrect and then produced a different denial letter with the same original denial date. This new version says the proposal was denied because it would draw from common-area electrical infrastructure through a submeter, and that the “standard practice” is a dedicated circuit connected to my individual unit meter.
My attorney has requested the metadata, drafts, and records for the newly produced denial letter to determine when it was actually created and approved, but the HOA appears to be stalling on that.
There has also been interference with the charger itself. The charger was unplugged/removed more than once without clear notice or a hearing, even though the dispute was still ongoing. I’m documenting everything and trying to avoid direct confrontations.
My concern is that California Civil Code §4745 appears to protect EV charging access and does not seem to specifically require a dedicated circuit to the owner’s individual meter. The HOA has not identified a specific code violation, safety issue, capacity issue, insurance requirement, engineering report, or CC&R provision that prohibits the submeter approach.
I have already had an attorney send a demand letter, but I’m trying to avoid spending much more on legal fees if possible.
My questions:
- Can a California HOA require a dedicated circuit to the owner’s unit meter if a revenue-grade submeter would allow full reimbursement for electricity?
- How much does it hurt the HOA if the original denial gave no reason and the detailed reasoning only appeared after an attorney demand letter?
- Does “standard practice” matter if they have not identified a specific legal, safety, code, or engineering issue?
- Does unplugging/removing the charger during the dispute strengthen my position, or is that treated separately?
- Would IDR, mediation, or asking the city building department for code clarification be good low-cost next steps?
I’m not looking for formal legal advice, just practical input from people familiar with California HOAs, EV charging disputes, Civil Code §4745, architectural denials, or condo electrical setups.