January 2024 - Community Associations Newsletter - Diagnosing the Current Insurance Market
By: Leslie Brown and Patrick Roche
Rising premiums? Water damage deductibles? Excess and surplus markets?
By: Leslie Brown and Patrick Roche
Rising premiums? Water damage deductibles? Excess and surplus markets?
Is that a Bird or a Plane? Regulating Drone Use in a Community
By: Mariana R. Teran and Ruhi F. MirzaDrone Regulations
The New Corporate Transparency Act
What Boards and Managers Need to Know
By: Todd A. Sinkins
We often receive questions regarding an association’s maintenance, repair, and replacement obligations. For example, who is responsible for maintaining, repairing, or replacing the exterior unit windows and doors? Of course, the answer is always, “it depends.” It depends largely on the condominium instruments, and in some cases the jurisdiction.
In contrast to last year, the 2023 legislative session was extremely active, with the General Assembly passing a number of significant bills that affect Common Interest Communities. The legislation addressed in this newsletter will take effect on July 1, 2023, unless otherwise noted below.
This legislative session felt like the Annapolis that we all knew before the pandemic with in-person hearings, folks roaming the halls and students visiting the state house for class trips. Excitement was in the air with the inauguration of a new Governor and the beginning of a new term for the legislature. The live streaming is now here to stay for all floor sessions, committee hearings, subcommittee sessions, and voting sessions.
Contracts are intended to define the agreement of the parties and to establish expectations regarding performance. Once signed, they form the legal terms by which the parties are bound. Many vendors use form contracts that are incomplete in the terms and conditions or are very one-sided to the benefit of the contractor and the detriment of the Association. As a result, it is necessary to review all contracts- even those currently in
As you are cleaning the house to get ready for the new year, please do not forget to take a look at your association’s resolutions. If they are more than five years old, they are worth reviewing to see if they need updating.
There are times when it is necessary for a community association’s board of directors to meet in closed session, also known as executive session. The Condominium Acts in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC each have specific provisions describing under what parameters a board may go into executive session, and thereby exclude all non-board members from that portion of the mee
Whether your property is in Virginia, Maryland, or D.C., your association is required to call at least one membership meeting a year. While membership meetings may seem routine, it is important to remember that not all associations or jurisdictions have the same requirements for membership action.