We have been asked on numerous occasions recently to give guidance to our community association clients about disputes that arise with and between their members. Communities throughout Maryland, and across the country, grapple with these questions every day. Resolving disputes within a community association can be one of the most daunting tasks facing members of the Board of Directors or property managers. It can be a confusing process to the lay person and oftentimes is not as cut and dry as we legal practitioners would like. How a Board or property manager handles the first steps toward enforcement of a community's governing documents and dispute resolution can mean the difference between a functioning community and a dysfunctional one, between upholding and protecting the covenants, which in turn protect property values, and selective enforcement and losing the right to enforce. But what, exactly, do you do?
