The residents of the sleepy, tree-lined subdivision of Great Oak didn’t realize what was in store for them when construction began for an Amazon Web Services (AWS) data center. This small community in Prince William County, Virginia, soon became the epicenter of an ongoing quarrel between a multinational tech giant and a local homeowners association. […]
Final phase of Lake Anne area visioning study nears completion (VA)
The haze around Lake Anne Village Center’s future may soon begin to clear. Fairfax County expects the final phase of its economic visioning study to conclude this fall with a final report and community meeting after a study conducted this summer looked at the Reston neighborhood’s residential market and potential to support new cultural facilities. […]
Reston Association unveils long-awaited new website (VA)
Reston Association has officially launched a website that has been in the works for years. The new platform was fully redesigned with a more user-friendly interface, the community association announced today (Thursday). New features include a customized “notify me” feature that allows members to sign up for customized email or text alerts. The site also […]
Cypress Creek homeowners feud with developer over amenities (VA)
The Cypress Creek Homeowners Association claims the subdivision’s developer hasn’t delivered on amenities or met deadlines promised as conditions of approval to build Cypress Creek’s sixth and final phase. The developer, however, claims the HOA is part of the reason for the delay. Read the article…………………………….
Norfolk hits obstacles implementing storm risk protection (VA)
On a mid-July evening, condominium owners in Norfolk’s historic Freemason district met to organize against what they saw as a threat to their property values and the enjoyment of the waterfront: a planned floodwall, 11 feet or more high, running through their neighborhood. They’d been blindsided a month earlier when a resident invited Kyle Spencer, […]
Association can’t collect assessments despite unauthorized rezoning (VA)
A circuit court correctly dismissed claims made by a property association that a business failed to pay assessment fees after rezoning commercial property without its approval in breach of declarations, the Court of Appeals of Virginia has held. The current owner argued that it wasn’t subject to the commercial declaration or obligated to pay assessment […]
More HOA’s consider having license plate readers installed in neighborhoods (VA)
FOX 5 has learned there is increased interest in having license plate readers in residential areas amid growing concern about neighborhood crime. There’s growing interest from various homeowners associations across the DMV about having license plate readers installed in their neighborhoods. Read the article…………………………….
Reston to celebrate 60th anniversary with community pool party (VA)
The town of Reston, one of the nation’s first planned communities, is preparing to mark a historic milestone after six decades of resilience and growth…….While Reston is not formally incorporated, the Reston Association is more akin to a city government than to a typical homeowners association. Its membership is made up of renters and homeowners […]
Woman’s indictment includes HOA thefts (VA)
A Frederick County woman was indicted Thursday for allegedly embezzling thousands of dollars from two parent teacher organizations and a homeowner’s organization. Shawn Marie Bianco, 44, of the 100 block of Georgetowne Court in Stephens City, was indicted by a grand jury for 25 charges of embezzlement from three different groups, according to documents. Read […]
Work begins to restore Lake Anne’s historic Heron House in Reston (VA)
Construction is now underway on a multi-year project to restore the residential high-rise that has towered over Lake Anne in Reston for over half a century. The restoration will help preserve Heron House, a 15-story condominium building, while also making repairs to prevent water leaks that have affected some units, the Lake Anne of Reston […]
Reston Association to rethink fees, focus on facility maintenance with 2025 budget (VA)
A retooling of program fees and a renewed emphasis on facility maintenance over new capital projects will be priorities for Reston Association’s next budget. The 2025 budget development process kicked off on May 30 with staff presenting their proposed priorities to the nonprofit community association’s Board of Directors based on the strategic plan that the […]
$1 million delinquent water bill owed by condo complex in Portsmouth (VA)
Charlestowne Condos has a homeowners association and management company. The water bill is paid out of residents’ homeowner’s fee, but that hasn’t been happening. Video news report……………………..
Judge dismisses lawsuit challenging the PW Digital Gateway (VA)
Prince William County Circuit Court Judge James A. Willett dismissed the case but ruled that the plaintiffs, which included the Oak Valley Homeowners’ Association and 10 individual residents, had standing to sue, meaning they had the right to challenge the issue in court. Read the article…………………………….
Facing ‘no-win situation,’ Planning Commission recommends data centers in Arcola neighborhood (VA)
The Loudoun County Planning Commission voted narrowly May 9 to recommend approval of the Hiddenwood Assemblage application, which asks the county to allow several homeowners along a once-rural Arcola gravel lane to sell their land to a data center developer. Decision makers on both sides of the issue call it a “no-win situation” as they […]
Firefighters battling another two alarm fire at Rosslyn condo building (VA)
For the second day in a row, there’s a fire in a large Rosslyn condominium building. After a vehicle fire in the parking garage of the Atrium Condominium at 1530 Key Blvd on Monday morning, there’s now a reported electrical fire in the garage area. A second alarm has been called in to help extinguish […]
Virginia ranks high nationally in HOA real estate landscape
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………………………..