Why Do 30 Plus Homeowners Have Fire Extinguishers Mounted to the Front of Their Homes?
On Friday April 4, 2025, a vendor mounted 30 fire extinguishers/boxes to the front of 30 plus homes within Sevilla. Later that day, the Association posted a notice on the Sevilla HOA Portal stating what had taken place already that morning. No heads up, no discussion with homeowners, and no transparency. One of the primary duties of the HOA Board of Directors is to protect the value of the homes.
The Board of Directors shall exercise due diligence and make reasonable efforts to protect the investment property of the homeowners and the homeowners association. The installation of fire extinguisher boxes is not a repair nor is it part of the Association’s maintenance matrix. The addition of something new to the exterior structure of 30 plus members’ titled homes within Sevilla is without precedent. Again, no notice was presented to these 30 plus members regarding an addition to their property, nor were all 110 homes and members noticed.
The homes within the Sevilla HOA are considered single-family townhomes, not apartments or condominiums. An HOA cannot unilaterally put something on the exterior of your home that wasn’t there before, unless it’s explicitly stated in the governing documents, which in Sevilla’s case there isn’t. It was previously noted on Sevilla Insurance Policies that Sevilla is labeled as Residential Condos with 2 stories. That is inaccurate. Not sure if that error is contained in Sevilla’s current policies which may have led to a decision by Philadelphia Indemnity Insurance Company to identify Sevilla as a condominium association, thus requiring fire extinguishers.
The addition of a mounted fire extinguisher and box to these 30 plus homes is not a repair. Members of these homes are asking for documentation from the Association that these fire extinguishers and boxes are required by the State of California and/or one of the insurers for the Sevilla HOA.
Philadelphia Indemnity Insurance Company is the property and liability insurer for Sevilla. Most insurance companies don’t require exterior fire extinguishers on townhomes in California, but they may offer insurance policy discounts.
Since it is unclear to members if Philadelphia Indemnity Insurance Company is requiring the mounting of a fire extinguisher on those 30 plus member properties, the Association should provide any documentation to all homeowners from the insurer that directs the Association to comply with their requirement.
If on the other hand, Philadelphia Indemnity Insurance Company does not require the mounting of a fire extinguisher to 30 plus member properties, the Association should provide documentation to all homeowners that the insurer is providing only a discount on Sevilla’s current insurance policy.
