New-3/13/13-Commission on Common Ownership Communities (CCOC). Office of Consumer Protection, Montgomery County, Maryland, Winter 2013 Newsletter. Click here.

12/8/12-MHA supports Alliance for a Better Columbia (ABC) in its proposed legislation to make all Columbia Association (CA) lien-payers members of CA.  At the moment, only the 10 members of the Columbia Board of Directors are members of the association.  Links to the draft legislation and the rationale and major benefits are below:

Draft legislation

Rationale and Major Benefits

12/4/12-Columbia property manager Legacy Investment closed its doors. The company said it closed as the result of a dispute with Susquehanna Bank in which Susquehanna froze Legacy’s Funds.  For the full article, click here.

11/30/12-Commission on Common Ownership Communities (CCOC). Office of Consumer Protection, Montgomery County, Maryland, Fall 2012 Newsletter. Click here.

10/7/12-The Columbia Association (CA), the master homeowners association that governs Columbia, Maryland, is considering legislation that seeks to remove CA from the Maryland Homeowner’s Association Act (HOA Act.)  If removal were sanctioned by the Maryland General Assembly, it would radically redefine CA and Columbia’s village associations as “Non Profit Community Service Corporations.”  Homeowners throughout the Columbia Community perceive such change as being unnecessary and potentially detrimental to the good and orderly governance of the association.  Click HERE for the full E-Communicator text.

MHA urges its members living in Columbia to contact their elected Columbia Board, Howard County Council and state representatives and voice their opposition to this radical legislation. Additionally, MHA suggests that members voice their opposition at the Public Forums to be held Tuesday, October 16, 2012, at 1 pm and 7 pm in the CA Board Room, CA Headquarters, 10221 Wincopin Circle in Town Center, Columbia, 21044.

10/11/12-Gaithersburg, Maryland Considers Dispute Resolution Services for HOAs. Click here for the full Gazette article.

9/4/12-The Connecticut Condo Owners Coalition, a Connecticut Advocacy Group much like MHA, has reproduced the text of the August 22, 2012 E-Communicator in its newsletter, the CT CONDO NEWS.  This E-Communicator gave recommendations of ways a board can increase accountability of maintenance fees. Click HERE for the full text.

6/26/12: Reporting HOA/Condo Debt Collectors to the new Federal Consumer Protection Agency: Maryland homeowners who are experiencing abusive debt collection practices from their HOA or Condo association or from agencies hired to collect assessments, fines and fees should file a complaint with the Federal Consumer Protection Agency.  This agency cannot investigate such claims now, but the FCPA encourages consumers to file complaints so they can see the extent of the problem.

6/6/12: OAG Takes Action Against Condo Board: In response to multiple unit owner complaints about violations, the Office of Consumer Protection (OAG), Office of the Maryland Attorney General, recently entered into an “Assurance of Discontinuance” with a Maryland condominium association board of directors for violating the MD Condominium Act. Click above for more information.

Commission on Common Ownership Communities (CCOC), Office of Consumer Protection, Montgomery County, Maryland

Winter 2012 Newsletter-NEW!

MHA supports the concept of local commissions or boards to help resolve or decide association disputes.  There are two counties in Maryland with such Commissions/ Boards and they are Montgomery County and Charles County. The Charles County board is the Homeowner’s Association Dispute Review Board which can be reached at 301-645-0597.

Below is a link to a Montgomery County CCOC newsletter which includes an article summarizing current laws on “Imposing Fines.” To access this newsletter, click on:

CCOC Newsletter Winter 2012.pdf

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6/15/11- Judge finds Maryland HOA cannot fine rulebreaker (The Gazette, April 1, 2011)

Montgomery County Circuit Court Judge Terrence J. McCann ruled in April that an HOA in Gaithersburg had no legal right to collect fines from a homeowner when fining was instituted by a bylaws change requiring only a small number of homeowners to pass.  For the full story, click above.

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8/12/10-Mitchellville residents calling for HOA elections after alleged bylaw violations

Woodmore South homeowners say board members' terms wrongfully extended.  See http://www.gazette.net/stories/08122010/lanhnew175506_32539.php for the full story.