Davis-Stirling Act › CHAPTER 10. Dispute Resolution and Enforcement [5850 - 5986] › ARTICLE 3. Alternative Dispute Resolution Prerequisite to Civil Action [5925 - 5965]

(Added by Stats. 2012, Ch. 180, Sec. 2. (AB 805) Effective January 1, 2013. Operative January 1, 2014, by Sec. 3 of Ch. 180.)
Text current as of July 17, 2026, per California Legislative Information.

As used in this article:

(a) “Alternative dispute resolution” means mediation, arbitration, conciliation, or other nonjudicial procedure that involves a neutral party in the decisionmaking process. The form of alternative dispute resolution chosen pursuant to this article may be binding or nonbinding, with the voluntary consent of the parties.

(b) “Enforcement action” means a civil action or proceeding, other than a cross-complaint, for any of the following purposes:

(1) Enforcement of this act.

(2) Enforcement of the Nonprofit Mutual Benefit Corporation Law (Part 3 (commencing with Section 7110) of Division 2 of Title 1 of the Corporations Code).

(3) Enforcement of the governing documents.

The text of the Davis-Stirling Common Interest Development Act is provided for reference and convenience only, from the California Legislative Information website (leginfo.legislature.ca.gov). It is not legal advice, and the official version of California statutes is published by the state. Statutes may have been amended after the “current as of” date shown above. Consult counsel regarding the application of any statute to your association.