Federation Citizen Association Services Committee

Citizen Association Services Committee

Committee Info

Issues Facing Community Associations and Ideas for Future Fairfax Federation Programming
- Here is a list of issues identified by community association members that could be the subject of future Fairfax Federation membership meetings, or possibly additional workshops.
  1. Insurance needs of civic associations (i.e., what if someone is hurt at a community event?) Insurance needs of officers of civic associations
  2. Pros and cons of incorporation for a civic association. Does incorporation have an impact on civic association liability?
  3. Lake management issues for communities with lakes, eg, legal liability for injury or death, checking water quality, cleaning and maintenance, sediment and dredging, stocking with fish, etc.
  4. Dealing with language barriers. Should CAs do outreach in other languages? Is there a downside? How to communicate if people have limited literacy in their own language, as well as limited or no literacy in English?
  1. Techniques for improving HOA assessment collection
  2. Amending covenants – pros and cons; how to do it. What are elements of good covenants?
  3. Understanding situations where HOAs have only limited rights to restrict, e.g. satellite dishes.
  4. How to recruit new board members
  5. Resale disclosure packets. What should be in the packet? Questions to ask a manager that handles the packets. Does website availability of HOA/Condo governing documents have an impact on the disclosure packet preparation?
- What issues are facing your association? If you have questions about administration and governance of associations (including voluntary civic associations) that you would like to see addressed, contact CASC chair Don Hinman - FedAssociationServicesChr2013 @ fairfaxfederation.org..
Virginia’s Common Interest Community Board (CICB) and CIC Ombudsman
- The CICB website: http://www.dpor.virginia.gov/Boards/CIC-Board
- The CIC Ombudsman: http://www.dpor.virginia.gov/Homeowners-Associations/
- Important Announcement for HOAs and Condominium Associations
  - The new CIC Ombudsman Regulation (discussed at several Federation meetings as shown in Section VII.) went into effect on July 1, 2012. The regulation requires associations to develop an association complaint procedure and submit it by September 28 to the Office of the CIC Ombudsman
  - The Federation collaborated with the County in putting on a July 31 Open Forum at the County Government Center. The Forum featured presentations from Heather Gillespie (CIC Ombudsman) and Kenneth Chadwick (Attorney).
  - Another information source is the 17 July 2012 broadcast of Your Community, Your Call (Fairfax County cable TV), which focused in part on the new Ombudsman regulation. (The program also focused on legislation from the 2012 General Assembly session). This program can viewed via Video on Demand by clicking on the Channel 16 link in section III.
Fairfax County Government: Helpful information for HOAs and Condominium Associations
- Fairfax County has a Homeowner and Condominium Association Liaison Office.
- The HCA Liaison participates in “Your Community, Your Call,” a television program produced several times a year focusing on key issues for HOAs and Condominium Associations:
Community Associations Institute (CAI) and VALAC
- CAI National
- Local CAI chapter serving Northern Virginia, MD, DC
- Virginia Legislative Action Committee of CAI (VALAC)
- Informational VALAC flyer
- VALAC requests donations from HOAs and Condominium Associations to fund its lobbying of the Virginia General Assembly for laws favorable to HOAs and Condominium Associations.
Federation Collaboration with Fairfax County in Developing Educational Materials for Associations
- Bond Release Process for New Subdivision Developments in Fairfax County: An Overview for Homeowners Associations. The CASC requested that the County develop this educational brochure for HOAs and provided detailed feedback during its development.
- The Federation is proposing that the county develop an educational brochure focused on shared county and community association responsibilities for stormwater facilities. Contact the CASC chair if you would like to be involved.
Association Resources
- Delegate Tom Rust and the Herndon Community Association Coalition sponsored on 10 December 2011 a Common Interest Community Seminar on Virginia Legislative Update for 2011
  - Agenda
  - Presentation
- Washington Post article concerning notification of Mortgage holders to inform them of Association Actions (21 May 2011)
- Washington Post article concerning investing Association Money (22 May 2010)
Meeting Reports of the Citizen Association Services Committee (CASC)
- February 2011 Federation Membership Meeting
  - CASC Report: Federation Membership Meeting, 17 February 2011
  - Note that the proposed association complaint process described in these materials went into effect on July 1, 2012.
- February 2012 Membership Meeting Presentation
  - Laws and Regulations Concerning Community Association Administration and Governance
    - Michelle Thompson, Fairfax County’s Community Association Liaison, was the featured speaker at the Feb. 23 Federation Membership meeting. Ms. Thompson updated attendees on recent state regulations and legislative initiatives that have significant impacts on HOAs and condominium associations. A state body known as the Common Interest Community Board (CICB) has been in existence since 2008. HOA and condominium leaders and residents need to be aware of CICB regulations.
    - State regulations governing management firms took effect in April 2010 and rules requiring state certification of individual managers took effect in March 2012. Regulations that took effect on July 1, 2012 require all HOA and condo boards to have in place (or to create) formal procedures for handling complaints from residents, and to submit documentation to the CICB. Association leaders in Fairfax County and throughout the state have a full plate and the presentation brought leaders to date on association responsibilities and issues.
    - Ms. Thompson also collaborated with Don Hinman on an update of state legislation (PPT PDF). Mr. Hinman serves as one of three community association volunteer leaders on the board of the Virginia Legislative Action Committee (VALAC) of the Community Associations Institute. He also chairs the Fairfax Federation’s Citizen Association Services Committee (CASC) and welcomes suggestions on how the CASC website can be made more useful to community association leaders.
    - If you have questions about administration and governance of associations (including voluntary civic associations) that you would like to see addressed, please contact Mr. Hinman at FedAssociationServicesChr2013@fairfaxfederation.org

Citizen Association Services Committee

Issues Facing Community Associations and Ideas for Future Fairfax Federation Programming

Virginia’s Common Interest Community Board (CICB) and CIC Ombudsman

Fairfax County Government: Helpful information for HOAs and Condominium Associations

Community Associations Institute (CAI) and VALAC

Federation Collaboration with Fairfax County in Developing Educational Materials for Associations

Association Resources

Meeting Reports of the Citizen Association Services Committee (CASC)