Many board members and managers may not be aware that the Property Owners’ Association Act (“POAA”) requires that an association’s board of directors provide a member due process prior to taking action against that member in court.

Specifically, §55.1-1819 of the POAA and § 55.1-1959 of the Condominium Act require that if a board of directors believes a member may be violating its covenants or rules and regulations, the board must provide the member notice of the violation, and a reasonable opportunity to correct the alleged violation. If the member fails to correct violation after receiving the notice, the board must then provide the member an opportunity to present his or her position on the violation where the member may elect to be represented by counsel. This opportunity is commonly referred to as a due process hearing. In both of the Acts the Association governing documents must have adopted the provisions of these sections before they may be utilized to assess charges or suspend an owner’s right to utilize facilities or services. Continue Reading Provide Members Due Process Prior to Suing in Court

We are being deluged with questions about pools.  But in the many emails and conversations, we are developing and hearing some good ideas that can be shared.  Although we have tried to discourage the use of Association pool furniture and have encouraged “Bring Your Own” policies, some clients have gone to single use covers on furniture and others are using signs or devices which can be flipped from green to red to indicate when something has been disinfected for use.  Of those who are opening (and this is understandably a small number), many are dealing with the screening requirement with logs to allow owners to self-assess and report their findings in written form. Still another screening option is a new online service for pools and other community association facilities at www.mycovidscreener.com.  I evaluated their website and screening tools and they are Virginia compliant.  Owners conduct the interactive screening on their cell phones and records are maintained of their responses.  To the extent enforceable, waiver of liability provisions are part of the screening.   

If you’ve run across some great ideas for Phase 3 reopening, we would love to hear about them and share them.  We are all in this together!

 

EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2020

This summary is not a complete list of requirements for all types of businesses and activities covered by the COVID-19 reopening Phase Three Guidelines issued by the Commonwealth of Virginia.  It includes only those Guidelines that are most likely to affect community associations in order to assist associations in making decisions that can affect all of the owners and residents in the community.

The Governor of Virginia is stressing that this Phase Three opening does not mean that Virginia is out of the woods yet and is asking citizens to be responsible and follow these mandatory Guidelines in order to keep Virginia on a positive track and avoid what many States are currently experiencing with record highs in daily positive virus cases.

A complete copy of the Phase Three Guidelines can be found at:  https://www.governor.virginia.gov/media/governorvirginiagov/governor-of-virginia/pdf/Forward-Virginia-Phase-Three-Guidelines.pdf.

Continue Reading SUMMARY OF VIRGINIA’S PHASE THREE GUIDELINES AFFECTING COMMUNITY ASSOCIATIONS

All initial sales and resales of properties located in a property owners/homeowners association require that the buyer receive a Disclosure Packet Notice (“Disclosure Notice”) developed by the Virginia Common Interest Community (CIC) Board which includes a list of the information and association documents which must be disclosed to a buyer upon entering into a purchase contract.  Below in italics is an email we received from the CIC Board regarding an update to the Disclosure Notice. Continue Reading REVISED HOMEOWNER ASSOCIATION DISCLOSURE NOTICE EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2020

Hello, Board members and managers.  Next Thursday, June 18, our team member, Jeanne Lauer will be providing a legislative update on a webinar sponsored by the SEVA CAI Chapter.  The program will also deal with other legal topics. To sign up please go to the following website: https://sevacai.memberclicks.net/

All of us are looking forward to more normalcy in our day to day activities.  Thankfully we are about to enter Phase 2 of the Governors re-opening program.  To assist you to comply with swimming pool operations and rules below we share the information that is on line as part of a very lengthy document from the Governor’s office on Phase 2.  That full Phase 2 information can be found at:  https://www.governor.virginia.gov/media/governorvirginiagov/governor-of-virginia/pdf/Virginia-Forward-Phase-Two-Guidelines.pdf Continue Reading LEGISLATIVE UPDATE AND SWIMMING POOLS

As a result of superb effort of CAI’s Virginia Legislative Action Committee and its lobbyist Virginia common interest community associations will benefit from amendments to laws proposed by Governor Ralph S. Northam. These changes, adopted by the General Assembly on April 22, 2020, override requirements in the Virginia Property Owners’ Association Act and Virginia Condominium Act which require at least two board members be physically present in the same location in order to convene a meeting properly. Continue Reading NEW RULES FOR BOARD MEETINGS DURING COVID-19 DECLARED STATE OF EMERGENCY

Last year we informed you that effective October 1, 2019 the Virginia General Assembly reorganized Chapter 55 of the Code of Virginia. Chapter 55 includes the Condominium Act, the Property Owners Association (POA) Act and the Real Estate Cooperative Act. This reorganization did not amend the content of these Code Sections but did change the Code Section numbers. Prior to October, 2019 the Condominium Act was comprised of Sections 55-75.45 through 55.79.85. The Condominium Act is now comprised of Sections 55.1-1907 through 55.1-1969. Prior to October, 2019 the POA Act was comprised of Sections 55-508 through 55.516.2. The POA Act is now comprised of Sections 55.1-1801 through Sections 55.1-1836. Fortunately, a conversion table is available which makes it easy to correct form documents containing Code section citations. That chart can be found at https://www.vsb.org/docs/sections/realproperty/appendixb.pdf. Continue Reading NEW STATE CODE SECTION NUMBERS FOR COMMUNITY ASSOCIATIONS – FORMS NEED UPDATING

We want you to know that at this time we are maintaining regular office hours with some of our attorneys and staff occasionally working from home.  We are committed to be available to our clients in this difficult and uncertain time. Our attorneys and staff are also prepared, if necessary, to work remotely from our homes. We hope and pray that it will not become necessary and that we will soon be over the peak in the number of cases.

 DO YOUR ASSOCIATION’S GOVERNING DOCUMENTS NEED TO RETIRE?  OR MAYBE JUST GO TO REHAB?

If the community association you live in is showing some age, then most likely the association’s governing documents are as well.  When was the last time your Board of Directors reviewed your documents to make sure they are keeping pace with the way we all live in the modern world?  Do your documents comply with current provisions of the Virginia Condominium Act or the Virginia Property Owners Association (POA) Act?  Have you ever tried to find an answer to a problem your association was experiencing and found your documents were inadequate in giving the Board clear guidance?  Do you have difficulty finding certain topics in your documents?  Continue Reading THE COMMUNITY ASSOCIATIONS LAW TEAM IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS