Dunlap Benneth & Ludwig
Common-interest communities are the fastest growing form of housing in the United States today. The number of homeowner’s associations (HOAs) in the United States skyrocketed from about 10,000 in 1970 to 351,000 HOAs in 2019, with roughly 8,000 new HOAs forming each year. Planned-unit developments of single-family HOAs and cooperative apartments governed by condominium associations currently house over 100 million Americans, making it an almost $100 billion-dollar annual industry. However, despite these numbers, more than 70% of all community associations nationwide are managed by untrained volunteers.
Dunlap Bennett & Ludwig’s Community Association team have represented individual homeowners, as well as community associations and community association management in numerous territories across the United States. We assist community, condo, and homeowner associations and association members in matters including but not limited to:
- Issues related to enforcement of rules, regulations, and architectural guidelines
- Fines, fees, penalties, and assessments
- Homeowner’s association and condominium association rules
- Hearings before a Board of Directors
- Use and allocation of common areas
- Establishing and operating a Board of Directors
- Personal injury and premises liability claims
- Construction disputes
- Compliance issues
- Conflicts of interest
- Ultra vires actions and fiduciary duties
Our Community Association team has made great legal strides for families dwelling within HOA communities. For example, our legal team was responsible for a groundbreaking decision by the Virginia Supreme Court that clarified an ambiguous provision of the Virginia Property Owners’ Association Act and clarified that aggrieved homeowners can recover their legal fees in disputes with a community association, resulting hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees being awarded to our clients.
While we have the experience and know-how to take even the most complicated community association dispute through trial, we also understand the uniqueness of these disputes as they directly impact clients’ homes and neighbors. Therefore, we strive to approach these disputes differently than other types of lawsuits. We bring our considerable experience and unparalleled perspective to the table through all stages of the dispute resolution process, from the initial case evaluation to the settlement efforts, and ultimately the trial.
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Dunlap Benneth & Ludwig
