Do bylaws supersede state law?

Asked by: Arnulfo Walsh  |  Last update: April 23, 2025
Score: 4.1/5 (26 votes)

Your state's statutes supersede your organization's bylaws. It may seem obvious, but it never hurts to double-check that the bylaws you're changing do not include practices prohibited by law. “Default” rules outlined in your state's laws might even override your organization's bylaws.

Do bylaws trump state laws?

HOA Bylaws vs State Law: Which One Wins? Even though an association's bylaws tell the HOA how to operate things, they generally do not trump the laws of the land. This includes constitutional, federal, and state laws.

Do bylaws hold up in court?

You not only have a duty to understand your bylaws, you are legally accountable for following them. This is not optional. A court of law will side with your bylaws in any dispute brought by another board member, an employee, volunteer or recipient of services who may have a grievance.

What supersedes bylaws?

In parliamentary procedure, including Robert's Rules of Order, the by-laws are generally the supreme governing document of an organization, superseded only by the charter of an incorporated society. The by-laws contain the most fundamental principles and rules regarding the nature of the organization.

Can local laws override state laws?

The Constitution states that city councils or boards of supervisors may pass laws (called ordinances at the local level) provided they do not conflict with state law.

What Is the Difference Between HOA Bylaws and Rules and Regulations? - CountyOffice.org

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What can override state law?

The Supremacy Clause refers to the foundational principle that, in general, federal law takes precedence over any conflicting state law.

Does state law supersede local?

Federal preemption is still important, of course, but in recent years, it has been joined in prominence by state preemption. Under this doctrine, a state government can nullify a local law that conflicts with, or in some instances simply deviates from, state law.

Does state law supersede bylaws?

Yes, state laws generally come first before HOA rules. Federal and state laws take precedence over all other association documents, including the CC&Rs and the operating rules. For instance, in California, Civil Code Section 4715 states that HOAs can't prohibit owners from keeping at least one pet.

How binding are bylaws?

Bylaws are rules and regulations that govern the operations of a corporation. Yes, bylaws are legally enforceable. However, a bylaw is enforceable if and only if the bylaw itself abides by the law.

What makes bylaws invalid?

Therefore, your organization's bylaws may not state that each or any director has more than one vote or that any or all directors may vote by proxy. These bylaws would directly violate state law and thus are invalid.

Are bylaws legally enforceable?

Corporate bylaws FAQs

Laws are established by federal, state and local governments and are enforceable by legal authority.

What happens if you break a bylaw?

Consequences of violations

If a member of your board violated the bylaws, you, other members of the board and the shareholders could take civil legal action against the offender. This step may help ensure the protection of the company and work toward compensation for any damages that resulted from the violations.

What to do when bylaws are not followed?

What if your nonprofit board isn't following its bylaws?
  1. Educate the board about liability. The first step is to educate the board. ...
  2. Invoke a higher authority. ...
  3. Turn to members. ...
  4. Hire an attorney to send a threatening letter. ...
  5. See if your state authorities will assist. ...
  6. Publicize the issue. ...
  7. Go to court.

Do bylaws supersede constitution?

Such an instrument supersedes all other rules of the society, except the corporate charter, if there is one. In organizations that have both a constitution and bylaws as separate documents, however, the constitution is the higher of the two bodies of rules and supersedes the bylaws." RONR (12th ed.), 2:12.

Do HOA bylaws expire?

One of the unintended consequences of the Act is that the Declarations of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions recorded for HOAs may expire after 30 years of the date on which they were recorded.

Do bylaws need to be notarized?

No, bylaws do not need to be notarized.

Bylaws are rules that guide all activities and operations of a corporation.

Do courts consider bylaws to be contract?

For example a Bylaw provision mandating indemnification of directors, officers and/or other agents might be considered to constitute a contract between the corporation and the indemnitee. Former Chancellor William B. Chandler III, who is representing Dropbox, reached that conclusion in Reinhard & Kreinberg v. Dow Chem.

Are bylaws public records?

In some states, such as California, HOA bylaws are considered public record and must be made available upon request. In other states, such as Virginia, HOA bylaws are not considered public record and therefore are not required to be made publicly available.

Does state law override local ordinances?

A local ordinance will be preempted by state law when it is in express conflict with state or federal law. there is no direct conflict if the state or federal government has fully occupied the area of law in general.

Do bylaws supersede Robert's rules of order?

Remember bylaws take precedence over Robert's Rules.

Are local bylaws enforceable?

Byelaws are enforced by the local authority through the magistrates' court and contravening a byelaw can result in a fine upon successful conviction. Byelaws are considered measures of last resort after a local council has tried to address the local issue the byelaw applies to through other means.

Does state law override common law?

Comparison with statutory law. Statutes are generally understood to supersede common law. They may codify existing common law, create new causes of action that did not exist in the common law, or legislatively overrule the common law. Common law still has practical applications in some areas of law.

How is conflict between state and local laws usually handled?

Generally, if there is a conflict between state and local laws, state laws override municipal ordinances. Additionally, many states allow local courts to handle certain types of disputes within their own municipalities.

Does state law supersede state law?

The Supremacy Clause of the Constitution of the United States (Article VI, Clause 2) establishes that the Constitution, federal laws made pursuant to it, and treaties made under its authority, constitute the "supreme Law of the Land", and thus take priority over any conflicting state laws.