Nahrstedt v. Lakeside Village Condominium Ass'n, Inc.
Nahrstedt v. Lakeside Village Condominium Ass'n, Inc., 8 Cal. 4th 361, 33 Cal. Rptr. 2d 63, 878 P.2d 1275 (1994)
Use restrictions in a condominium project's recorded declaration are presumptively reasonable and enforceable as equitable servitudes under former Civ. Code §1354 (now §5975). The reasonableness of a restriction is determined by reference to the development as a whole, not by reference to the objecting homeowner's specific circumstances. A restriction will be enforced unless the challenger shows it is arbitrary, imposes burdens substantially outweighing its benefits, or violates fundamental public policy. The case involved a homeowner keeping three cats in violation of a pet restriction; the court upheld enforcement.
Foundational California Supreme Court authority on enforceability of recorded CC&Rs. Codified in substance by Civ. Code §5975 and cited in thousands of subsequent California decisions involving HOA covenant enforcement.