The underlying document of a property owners association, apart from state law, is the Declaration, also referred to as Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions (CC&Rs). The Declaration is the constitutional law of the association. The Declaration defines the limits and inclusions of ownership for the owners and the association. As a legal entity the association is better prepared to pursue certain business needs, such as entering contracts, raising funds, filing liens, and collecting fees in a foreclosure.
The Declaration may contain:

• Definitions of the physical elements of the property
• The method for determining the share of interest in the common area for each property owner
• A list of the responsibilities for the association and individual owners and permitted uses of common areas and individual units
• Responsibilities for care of the association and the common areas
• Restrictions on the use or enjoyment of properties in the association and common areas