Virginia’s residential landscape boasts the 12th spot nationally with the highest number of homes belonging to Homeowner Associations (HOAs). Based on data from the Foundation for Community Association Research from December 2021, more than 2 million Virginia residents live in over 9,000 HOA communities across the Commonwealth. Read the article…………………………….
Blacksburg 4th grader starts petition to get rules changed in HOA (VA)
A little girl in Blacksburg is taking on her neighborhood HOA in a battle over backyard chickens. “There’s a farm behind my house so like why not?” said Avery Prussin. “Why am I not allowed to have chickens? Like there are horses, cows, like a bunch of things.” Read the article…………………………….
“I cried for days”: Roanoke County woman is suing her homeowners association for the second time (VA)
A Roanoke woman is suing her homeowner’s association again, this time she says they are impacting her ability to sell her home. Jeannie Brown is living with Multiple Sclerosis, which has impacted her mobility making it hard for her to move around her backyard.That’s when she requested a patio, but her homeowner’s association were not […]
Westlake Residents Sue Over HOA Rights (VA)
Four residents of Crozet’s Westlake Hills have filed a civil suit against Stanley Martin Homes and two companies affiliated with Riverbend Development in a dispute over who controls a small parcel of land at the southern boundary of the neighborhood. The property is key to a proposed project called Oak Bluff that Riverbend plans to […]
Robert Diamond named to Virginia Lawyers Weekly 2024 Hall of Fame
Reed Smith is pleased to announce that Robert M. Diamond, a senior counsel in its Real Estate Group, has been named to the 2024 class of the Virginia Lawyers Hall of Fame, presented by Virginia Lawyers Weekly. Diamond was honored for his contributions to national and state legislation, real estate transactions and real estate litigation […]
Records: Hanover dam 4 years past inspection when a component of it failed (VA)
Inspection records show that the Mattawan Dam in Hanover County was several years past inspection, and without an operating permit, when a component of it failed earlier this month, leading to the closure of two roads. An official for the regulatory body that oversees all of Virginia’s privately owned dams said it is likely that […]
New Kent board fails to guarantee funding for dam repairs in neighborhood (VA)
A Quinton community’s appeal for funding to repair an aging and at-risk dam that contains Kent Lake has failed to move New Kent County’s Board of Supervisors. Woodhaven Shores residents packed the March 11 Board of Supervisors meeting to appeal for financial help to bolster a bid for grant funding. The community fronts onto Kent […]
Virginia woman battles HOA over tree removal after fallen tree killed her husband
A Virginia woman who says she cut down the trees in her yard after one fell on her house and killed her husband last year finds herself in a dispute with her homeowners association. Allan Lee was taking a shower last July when a tree crashed through the house and killed him. Read the article…………………………….
Massanutten Property Owners Association asks SCC to delay water rate increase as condemnation case drags on (VA)
Rockingham County is currently in a court battle with the Massanutten Public Service Corporation in an attempt to take over Massanutten Mountain’s private water system. Last April, at the request of Massanutten residents, Rockingham County Supervisors voted to file for condemnation against MPSC due to its abnormally high water rates and other service-related issues. As […]
Homeowners Associations implore Board to require public input for data centers (VA)
Residents of the community around Plaza 500 in Alexandria implored the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors to require public input and approval before building large data centers, as they plan to do in Bren Mar. Plaza 500 is on the border with Springfield near Industrial and Edsall roads. Read the article…………………………….
HOA president: Neighbors ‘very afraid’ German Shepherds at center of legal fight will hurt someone (VA)
In a phone interview, David Rusk, president of the BrookAnnLeigh Homeowners Association — the neighborhood where Smith lives, said he has personally witnessed the dogs “tormenting” cattle in the neighborhood and behaving in what he described as a threatening manner. According Rusk, there has been a pattern of multiple German Shepherds escaping from Smith’s property […]
Lake Monticello residents ready to take fight over water rates to Richmond (VA)
The water may be placid but the water rates are rising fast at Lake Monticello. Aqua Virginia, a utilities company which provides water and waste management to 36 localities across Virginia, has proposed an overall rate increase of 29.4% for its customers residing in the Fluvanna County gated community surrounding the manmade lake. Read the […]
Portsmouth homeowners association working to get ‘back to normal’ after leadership dispute (VA)
Newly elected homeowners association leaders of a middle class community in Portsmouth are working to get things back on track after fighting with a board residents say had been hijacked by some politically-connected individuals. Read the article…………………………….
Emails detail HOA’s ‘strategy within a strategy’ to resist Purcellville interchange (VA)
During the Jan. 23 meeting, Mayor Stanley Milan and council member Mary Jane Williams said there is new information about the negotiations between the Catoctin Meadows Homeowners Association, which owns the land and opposes the eastbound ramp, and Loudoun County, which plans to build the interchange. Read the article…………………………….
2 injured, dog killed in 2-alarm fire at Newport News condominium (VA)
Three people are displaced, two are injured and a dog is dead following a fire at a condominium in Newport News Friday afternoon. Read the article………………………………..
Herndon resident upset with HOA’s electric vehicle charging station restrictions (VA)
A Virginia who woman wants to buy an electric vehicle says her homeowners association won’t allow her to build a suitable charging station for the vehicle. “I would like to have an EV,” Herndon resident Michaela Hamiary Janotova said. “I would like to be able to charge it here at home.” Read the article………………………………
Loudoun HOAs Join Forces to Fight Invasive Species (VA)
Loudoun homeowner’s association presidents and board members showed up in force at the Board of Supervisors meeting last night in a coordinated effort garner funding for a program designed to help remove invasive insects and plants. Read the article………………………………….
Fairfax County to help more HOAs install electric vehicle chargers, expanding pilot (VA)
Fairfax County is ramping up its efforts to help homeowners’ associations and other resident groups bring electric vehicle chargers to their communities. The county’s Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination is now accepting applications for the second phase of its Charge Up Fairfax pilot program, which provides technical and financial assistance to organizations looking to […]
Resident’s lawsuit against expanding University Village thrown out (VA)
Seventeen months after suing to block the board of directors at University Village, an upscale retirement home west of Charlottesville, from beginning construction on a third phase, Phase II homeowner Daniel Lavering found himself hiring an appeals lawyer after a judge tossed his suit Monday. Read the article……………………………….
Attempt to oust Lake Monticello HOA leader falls short (VA)
A recall attempt against a member of the Lake Monticello Owners’ Association failed to collect enough support from community residents to oust him. Read the article………………………..
HOAs can apply for funds to install EV charging stations (VA)
Fairfax County is launching a pilot program to help homeowner and condominium associations install electric vehicle charging stations. HOAs that are accepted into the Charge Up Fairfax program will receive a site visit and assessment from an engineering firm, paid for by the county. Read the article………………………..
How an Arlington Mill condo association plans to transform itself — on a budget (VA)
Residents of an aging condo complex near Columbia Pike are embarking on a novel project to upgrade their living situations while dodging staggering condo fees. Members of the Arlington Heights Condominiums, located on 8th Road S. in the Arlington Mill neighborhood, plan to get the property redeveloped while ensuring every resident who wants to stay […]
Virginia Beach neighborhoods unite to block possible housing development at former Signature golf course (VA)
Fourteen neighborhoods representing about 3,100 homes have rallied behind the Villages at West Neck’s campaign to persuade the Virginia Beach City Council to vote against an anticipated proposal to rezone that community’s dormant golf course and build new housing. Read the article………………………..
Condo association: consider edibles rather than smoking weed (VA)
A condo association in Shirlington rolled out tips both smoking and non-smoking homes can implement to prevent the spread of stray smoke. One suggestion, targeted to marijuana users, is blunt: consider switching to edibles. Read the article………………………..
‘Dumpster drama’ causes issues for Chesterfield neighborhood residents (VA)
Residents in one Chesterfield neighborhood are concerned over their Homeowners’ Association’s (HOA) decision to replace their individual garbage cans with a dumpster right in front of their homes. Read the article………………………..
Repeat scammer sentenced to prison after embezzling $80K from Orange County HOA (VA)
Like many neighborhoods in the early days of the pandemic, the Germanna Heights Phase I community in Orange County found itself with a dissolved homeowners association. What was once a seven-member board was reduced to a single caretaker: Machell Marie Sims In 2020, Sims was placed in charge of the HOA’s financial reserves, amounting to […]
Lake Monticello directors accuse AQUA Virginia of “operational negligence” (VA)
The directors of the Lake Monticello Owners Association have accused AQUA Virginia of “operational negligence” after two recent incidents in which raw sewage flowed into its lake. Read the article………………………..
Woman who stole nearly $80k from Virginia neighborhood faces jailtime
On Monday, July 31, Machell Marie Sims was sentenced on three felony charges of embezzlement, which she had previously pled guilty to in April. Sims took over the the Homeowners Association’s (HOA) finances for Germanna Heights Phase I, a neighborhood in Orange County, after the neighborhood’s 7-member board dissolved during the early parts of the […]
Lake Monticello plans a recall election after a member of the HOA board posted nasty remarks about Democrats and people from the LGBTQ community (VA)
She says the place has gone from red to purple, and many were shocked when a member of the homeowners’ association board started making nasty remarks online about Democrats and people observing pride month. HOA board member Gary Selleck read five posts, including the text that accompanied a picture of the rainbow flag. Read the […]
Lake Monticello HOA leader in hot water after posting homophobic messages online (VA)
After residents of the Fluvanna County gated community discovered that a member of the homeowner association’s board of directors had been posting bigoted messages in right-wing Facebook groups, there were calls for his resignation or dismissal, a petition with more than 400 signatures calling on him to step down and a unanimous vote to censure […]
Woman with disabilities can’t get rid of raccoons in condo, management company silent (VA)
After three months of noises in her attic, a Reston renter has reached her wits end. Melissa Barrickman has been dealing with “uninvited house guests” since March 28, and despite calls to police and pleas to her condo management company, a mama raccoon and her kits remain in her apartment at Parc Reston. Read the […]
Appeal was not from final order (VA)
Where the general district court issued an order that the debt asserted in a warrant in debt was due, this was not a final order that could be appealed. Read the article………………………..
Glenbrook Residents Demand Compensation for Lost Views (VA)
“The selling point for us—and what was specifically promoted by the developer—was the breathtaking view,” said Doris. “We felt lucky to have the first pick of the new lots.” But when Phase III of Glenbrook began construction a few months ago, the builders erected a solid wall of attached villas only 20 feet from their […]
HOA landscape maintenance provides unique set of challenges (VA)
Autumn Glen is a 52-acre community, composed of mostly senior citizens who prefer to have a lawncare contractor manage their lawn and snow removal requirements. The homeowners have also tasked President Joan Callahan and the HOA Board of Directors to maintain their reputation as a great looking community. Read the article………………………..
A Portsmouth condo association is behind $700,000 on utility bills. The city is working on next steps (VA)
One condo association has racked up more than $700,000 in debt to the city by not paying its water and sewer bills over several years. Portsmouth city staff are working to resolve the delinquency from the Charlestowne Condo Association without turning off services for residents. Read the article………………………..
Serial scammer took over $60k from Virginia neighborhood, school division
“She was putting her personal account number in there, and people were paying her,” she said. And once they began uncovering her lies, more were revealed. Around the same time Sims took over the HOA, she was charged with embezzlement in Prince William County. Read the article………………………..
Loudoun County 82-year-old asked to pay to make community pool wheelchair accessible (VA)
An 82-year-old man in Loudoun County says he needs wheelchair access to his private community’s pool. His homeowner’s association says they’ll consider it, but he’ll have to foot the bill. Read the article………………………..
Ford’s Colony neighborhood tackles Canada goose population issue (VA)
Ford’s Colony near Williamsburg is pursuing a third option. Like most communities built around golf courses, Ford’s Colony has hundreds of resident geese. Instead of repeating the endless cycle of ignoring and then culling the geese, the homeowners’ association teamed up with the country club to try to keep the goose population from growing beyond […]
Solar shingles help Virginia homeowner sidestep HOA aesthetic objections
If Jonathan Lockwood had to spring for a new roof, he was determined to find a versatile cover that could go beyond just keeping his 1981 townhome dry. He also wanted to slash his escalating electric bill. Aware that greenlighting traditional rooftop solar panels would be a tough slog in his hyper-regulated planned community in […]
Woodstock condo residents still displaced three months after sprinkler line break (VA)
A number of people in Woodstock have been displaced after a sprinkler line burst in their condo building on Christmas, and three months later they say that the problem isn’t any closer to being fixed. Residents of Pleasant Valley Estates Condominiums say around 15 families have been displaced and with the repair timeline still unclear […]
Homeowners group asks Warren County to drop fee for fire department (VA)
The Board of Supervisors plans to take up at its meeting tonight a request by the Blue Ridge Shadows Homeowners’ Association Inc. to change a condition in the subdivision’s proffers to eliminate the $200 annual fee charged per residential unit. The fees are earmarked for the use of the North Warren Volunteer Fire and Rescue […]
‘You feel helpless’: 2nd Lennar homeowner reaches out to 7 On Your Side for rodent issues (MD/VA)
Just days after a Maryland man reached out to 7News On Your Side because of a rodent problem in his new construction home built by home construction company Lennar, a Woodbridge woman said she is going through the same thing — right down to Lennar not helping with issues for which they believe the builders […]
Resurrection of Leesburg’s Beacon Hill golf course could die by technicality (VA)
A kerfuffle among Loudoun County homeowners threatens to stall, or even cease, efforts to resurrect the Beacon Hill Golf Club as negotiations with the course’s proposed new operator enter their final stretch. Read the article………………………..
Belmont Bay spat between developer, homeowners continues (VA)
The Belmont Bay Homeowners Association claims the company behind the proposed expansion of development along the Occoquan River is retaliating over its opposition to the project. Read the article………………………..
Families displaced following condo fire in Annandale (VA)
An entire condominium building is in the dark following a three-alarm fire in Annandale, VA. Read the article………………………..
Reston Association explores county pilot for more electric vehicle charger access (VA)
Reston Association is charging up to potentially take part in Fairfax County pilot to get more homeowners’ associations (HOAs) on board with improving access to electric vehicle chargers. Read the article………………………..
North Stafford towing incident rooted in decades-old covenants (VA)
Just over two months ago, eight cars belonging to residents of a North Stafford town house community were towed away. A county official believes the vehicles were removed in part because of convenants that were bound to the properties when the neighborhood was first developed in the 1970s. Read the article………………………..
Case of mysterious fliers at Belmont Bay solved (VA)
The president of a Woodbridge HOA says a case of some mysterious fliers that appeared to denounce him has been solved. Belmont Bay HOA President KP Lau said the person who distributed the flier, which stated his name and a photo of Mao Zedong, founder of the Chinese Communist Party, apologized to him. Read the […]
Belmont Bay HOA president targeted with hateful flyers, slashed tire (VA)
When the president of the Belmont Bay Homeowners Association first saw the flyers on Dec. 20, he saw a face with which he was all too familiar. The dozens of hateful flyers have “End This Reign of Terror!” scrawled on the top and bottom. In the center, it has Lau’s name next to an equal […]
Rockingham County updates Massanutten POA on effort to purchase water system (VA)
The executive committee of the Massanutten Property Owners Association (MPOA) held a special meeting on Monday alongside Rockingham County officials. The meeting was held to update property owners on the county’s effort to purchase the Massanutten water system. Read the article………………………..