News & Events

On March 23, 2020, Governor Hogan issued Executive Order 20-03-23-01 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and there are several provisions of the Order that impact community associations. The purpose of the alert is to provide guidance to our Maryland community association clients regarding the impact of these provisions. Fortunately, we do not believe that the Order will substantially impede the ability of Maryland community associations to operate.

Moderator
Andrew S. Fortin, Esq. Senior Vice President of External Affairs, Associa

Panelists
Ursula Burgess, Shareholder, Rees Broome, Virginia, USA
Melissa Garcia, Shareholder, Altitude Law, Colorado, USA
Shawn Pulver, Partner, McDonald Sager Manis, Ontario, Canada

NUMBER FIFTY-THREE (2020)

TEMPORARY RESTRICTIONS ON RESTAURANTS, RECREATIONAL,
ENTERTAINMENT, GATHERINGS, NON-ESSENTIAL RETAIL BUSINESSES,
AND CLOSURE OF K-12 SCHOOLS DUE TO NOVEL CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19)

Importance of the Issue

When does this order go into effect? What areas of the state are covered?
The order is in effect from Tuesday, March 24, 2020 at 11:59 PM until Thursday, April 23 at 11:59 PM. It applies to the entire Commonwealth of Virginia.

Will this order be changed?
Governor Northam, in consultation with State Health Commissioner Oliver, may adjust this order or issue new orders as needed, given the quickly-changing public health situation.

President Trump signed the “Families First Coronavirus Response Act” (the “Act”) on March 18, 2020.  The Act becomes effective on April 2, 2020 and expires on December 31, 2020.  This comprehensive legislation requires employers with less than 500 employees to provide employees with paid Family Medical Leave Act Leave for qualifying needs related to a public health emergency and paid sick leave for certain leave necessitated due to a public health emergency (COVID-19).  The Act also provides for tax credits to employers that are required to provide additional paid leave under th

Rees Broome’s management has been diligently monitoring the accelerating developments surrounding the coronavirus pandemic and evaluating how we can best serve and protect our employees, clients and communities.  We are steadfast in our continued commitment to the health and safety of our employees, clients, friends and families.  As such, I wanted to share with you an update on

The President of the United States has declared a national emergency; schools are closed; national sports leagues and concerts and other live entertainment has been canceled; the size of gatherings restricted; bars and restaurants are closed, however some organizations and businesses must continue to operate and teleworking for employees may not be an option.  Various labor and employment laws regulate what an employer can do, including, but not limited to, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Title VII, the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and Fair Labor Standards Act (FLS

On March 16, 2020, Governor Hogan ordered the closure of all restaurants, bars, theatres and gyms, effective immediately.  He emphasized that such action was taken to slow the spread of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) and to save lives.  Although the order from the governor did not specifically reference gyms within condominiums and homeowners associations, we are taking the position at Rees Broome that the order extends to all gyms, including gyms within community associations, as the goal of the order is to reduce transmission of the virus.  In addition, as President Trump recently advised against