As Reston turns 50, founder Robert Simon looks ahead, celebrates his own...
In the beginning, there were 6,750 acres of trees, fields, and cows — and a self-described “Jewish guy from Manhattan” with a yellow legal pad, trying to figure out what to do with this large chunk of...
View ArticleCondo infrastructure often overlooked by potential buyers
During his house hunt, social media consultant Jonathan Rick discovered what he thought was the perfect condominium in Arlington. The new building offered a pool, a gym and a concierge and was within...
View ArticleSecurity Detail for Fed Chairwoman Irks Neighbors (DC)
In the Georgetown gated community of Hillandale, residents live in secluded calm governed by some 50 pages of rules banning fences, motorcycles, certain paint colors, tree species and excess dogs and...
View ArticleDC planners want to limit row houses from becoming condos
In neighborhoods like Mount Pleasant and Columbia Heights, people have been converting row houses to 3- and 4-unit condo buildings. Should zoning stop this practice? It would under a new proposal from...
View ArticleUnpaid bills cause water to be shut off for residents at DC condo building
Dozens of D.C. residents are without water. They can’t shower or even flush their toilets. DC Water cut off service to their condo building on Monday after the condo owners failed to pay thousands of...
View ArticleCases illustrate importance of condo buyers’ due diligence
Did you know that if you bought a new condominium in the District, you can sue the developer if the unit wasn’t in the good condition you expected it to be even if it wasn’t the one selling it?...
View ArticleHow liable are condo board members for bad decisions?
What exactly is the “business judgment rule?” I have a problem with my condominium board, and the condo attorney keeps referring to this as a defense. Can you explain? Read more………
View ArticleThe sound of children playing bothers some Columbia Heights (DC) residents
Some condo residents in Columbia Heights want to dismantle the playground for the preschool in their building because, they say, the children make too much noise. Read more………
View ArticleOlney (MD) condo residents struggle without heat
They’re working to restore it, but for a day — in this cold — dozens of residents of an Olney condominium are without heat. Read more……….
View ArticleNorthern Va. HOA Protests Man’s Van With Patriotic Tribute
Alan Bennett lost a brother in the Vietnam War, and has since dedicated his life to the non-profit “Wreaths Across America;” laying wreaths at the graves of service members nationwide. Read more……….
View ArticlePrivate police carry guns and make arrests, and their ranks are swelling
Michael Youlen stopped a driver in a Manassas apartment complex on a recent night and wrote the man a ticket for driving on a suspended license. With a badge on his chest and a gun on his hip, Youlen...
View ArticleD.C. man can’t smoke in own home due to temporary, precedent-setting court order
Under D.C.’s new law, anyone can smoke pot in their home. But a temporary decision by a Superior Court judge means one man in the District can’t light up anything at his home—including pot and...
View ArticleNew laws (MD/DC) next year mandate bicycle storage, training for board officials
If you are a member of a community association board of directors in Montgomery County, as of January 2016 you will be required to take basic training within 90 days after being elected. And if you...
View ArticleHow much authority do HOAs have over pool rules?
Are posted pool rules enforceable if their content is not written in the HOA rules, regulations or bylaws? In general, the answer should be yes. Pool rules should be enforceable even if they are not...
View ArticleLiens filed by community associations can make lenders leery about loans
Could some of the nearly 67 million Americans who live in communities governed by homeowner associations — condominiums, master-planned developments, cooperatives and others — face much tougher...
View ArticleResidents to Leave Water Street Condos for Repairs
Residents of a high-end, 72-unit building on the Georgetown waterfront will be moving out temporarily for repairs to a structure just over ten years old. With a lawsuit settled between owners of units...
View ArticleCondo wars: How a water leak turned into a $30 million lawsuit (DC)
It started with a leak, just a little water on a hallway floor. That led to questions about bathtub installation, then sprinkler issues and finally allegations of improper fireproofing. Now all the...
View ArticlePapal visit and Airbnb: A temptation for Washington condo owners
Pope Francis will be in Washington on Sept. 23. Millions of people will come to see and hear him. Where will they stay? Back in 2009, anticipating the multitude that would turn out to be part of the...
View ArticleHow to enforce lease restrictions in a condo building
Q: I am president of my association for a nine-unit condominium building. We have a limit to the number of units that can be leased in the building. The approach is somewhat liberal in that we allow...
View ArticleHow should condos regulate legal pot use?
Usually the questions directed to you are about legal problems such as smoking laws and homeowners associations, and the association usually wins. But what will be the outcome on legal marijuana? Pot...
View Article
