Community Associations Blog

SPECIAL CLIENT LETTER

May 1, 2018

MARYLAND LEGISLATIVE UPDATE 2018

Craig B. Zaller, Esq.

The 2018 legislative session for the State of Maryland was very active. The General Assembly considered many bills that impact community associations. Below, is a recap of each law that we believe may impact your community. And, I have also noted a few proposed laws that did not pass but which may be considered in the future.

We all know that drinking alcohol behind the wheel is extremely dangerous. Likewise, we’ve all heard about the risks associated with texting while driving. But have you ever stopped to think about the hazards of eating on the road? Like other types of distractions, eating can take a driver’s attention away from what is most important.

SPECIAL CLIENT LETTER

April 9, 2018

IS E-MAIL VOTING BY A BOARD ALLOWED?

John E. Tsikerdanos, Esq.

In today's busy world, many people struggle to find a balance between work obligations and spending time with family and friends. This is especially true for the members of a Board of Directors, who also must find time in their schedules to address the myriad of issues impacting their respective communities, many of which are time sensitive. While it is our advice that a Board of Directors should meet in person to conduct business of the Association, as a practical matter, how can a Board of Directors run the affairs of the Association when the members cannot find time to meet in person? Is a Board permitted under current Maryland law to conduct business via e-mail?

March 1, 2018

SMOKE ALARMS - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Timothy S. Carey, Esq.

On or before January 1^st of this year, all residential dwellings in Maryland were required to be in compliance with the laws adopted by the Maryland General Assembly in 2013 concerning the installation and maintenance of smoke alarms (a single or multiple station device that detects visible or invisible products of combustion and includes a built-in internal alarm signal) or smoke detectors (a system-connected smoke sensing device tied to a fire alarm control panel or a household fire warning panel) in residential dwellings. The law establishes rules which set forth the types of smoke detectors permitted, the location of where the smoke alarms must be installed within your home, and what, if any, upgrades may be necessary to your current smoke alarms(s) based on the age of the dwelling. The new rules specifically apply to the interior of homes and not to any common areas for homeowners' associations or common elements in a condominium, therefore, it is the homeowner's responsibility to ensure compliance and not the Community Association or Condominium. However, if the Community Association or Condominium owns a dwelling, then the Community Association or Condominium must ensure any dwellings it owns comply with the rules. Given the health and safety importance of the new rules, we felt it important to provide this information to our communities, and; further, we recommend advising all owners of their obligations at your next meeting or in a newsletter to the Community. Be advised, however, that the County in which your Community is located may also have adopted its own requirements with respect to smoke alarms and those should be reviewed as well.