A Look at Virginia's New Laws Affecting 社区协会s

The new bills signed into law on July 1, 2017年影响弗吉尼亚州社区协会有助于澄清从管理文件和披露表格到援助动物和残疾文件的义务和要求.   这些新法律旨在减少不确定性，提高对购买者和协会的理解. 

Since the Virginia Supreme Court decided the case of Tvardek v. 波瓦坦斯德. 房主Ass 'n, 291弗吉尼亚州. 2016年2月269, community associations in Virginia have been wading in a sea of uncertainty, wondering whether amendments to their 政府erning documents were valid.  协会无法执行修正案，被迫花费宝贵的金钱来确定修正案的法律地位.  The passage of House Bill 1554 should put your association at ease, because 该法案确认了在立法生效日期之前对协会文件的修订. 

The resale disclosure requirements of the Code of Virginia generate a ton of paperwork at closing and often make it hard for prospective purchasers to read and understand exactly what their duties are with respect to a community association.  然而, all parties benefit when a purchaser fully understands their rights and responsibilities when purchasing a home subject to the Property Owners’ Association Act or a unit subject to the Condominium Act. House Bill 1475 that was signed into law revises the Common Interest Community Board’s one-page disclosure packet cover sheet to make it easier for purchasers to understand how association covenants and restrictions impose obligations on the association and the purchaser. 

Perhaps the biggest change this year involves the Virginia Fair Housing Law.  关于《皇冠线上买球平台》的规定及其对社区协会的影响的诉讼有所增加.  社区协会s have been testing the limits of the laws, 希望不受某些规定的约束，结果却因违反规定而受到严厉惩罚.  2006年众议院法案增加了具体的定义，确认援助动物可以是狗以外的动物, 援助动物不是宠物, and assistance animals do not have to be trained or certified.  法律还规定，有权获得援助动物的个人可能不需要为拥有动物支付费用.  最后, 也许最重要的是, 新法律扩大了可以提供个人残疾证明文件的人的类别.  协会现在必须接受任何对残疾有"实际了解"的人提供的文件，并且不能再要求医疗提供者提供这种文件. 

以下是可能影响您所在社区协会的弗吉尼亚州新立法的更详细摘要:

House Bill 1475 (2017) – 协会披露资料包s 

• 该立法修订了第54条.弗吉尼亚法典第1-2350条, and now requires the Common Interest Community Board to include in an 协会的 disclosure packet a statement that the purchase contract for a lot located within a development that is subject to the Virginia Property Owners’ Association Act is a legally binding document once it is signed by the prospective purchaser where the purchaser has not elected to cancel the purchase contract in accordance with the law.

House Bill 1554 (2017) – Amendment to the Declaration

• This legislation amended Section 55-515.1 of the Property Owners' Association Act to provide that, except as otherwise provided in the declaration of a property owners’ association, an association may amend its declaration by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the owners.
• The new law was introduced in response to the Virginia Supreme Court’s decision in Tvardek v. 波瓦坦斯德. 房主Ass 'n, 291弗吉尼亚州. 269, 784 S.E.2d 280 (2016).  In Tvardek, 最高法院认为，根据弗吉尼亚法典第55-515条修改其声明文件的协会.1 must follow the separate 认证 procedure for the amendment to be effective.  The Supreme Court reversed and remanded the trial court’s decision, 哪个法院批准了律师抗辩因为诉讼时效是在声明修正案生效后一年.  最高法院认为 协会的 修正案没有生效，因为它没有证明必要的多数成员签署了修正案, 根据弗吉尼亚法典第55-515条的规定.1.
• 根据新法律, 对修正案有效性提出质疑的诉讼必须在修正案生效之日起一(1)年内提出.  The new law clarifies that an amendment becomes effective when recorded, 具备所需的证书, 在土地记录中.
• The new law provides that amendments recorded prior to July 1, 2017年不受弗吉尼亚州法典第55-515条(D)和(F)款规定的投票或记录要求的影响.1. 

House Bill 2006 (2017) – Virginia Fair Housing Law; Rights and Responsibilities with respect to the Use of an Assistance Animal

• This legislation amended the Virginia Fair Housing Law (Virginia Code §36-96.1, 节.), 订明在居所内饲养辅助动物的法律权利和责任. 新法律规定了一个程序，残疾人可以通过该程序提出请求，要求在住所中提供合理的便利，以维持辅助动物, 包括任何证明残疾和残疾相关的住宿需求的证明文件.
• 新法律扩大了残疾人的定义，将严重限制一项或多项生活活动的身体和精神障碍也包括在内. A “physical or mental impairment” is defined, 在某种程度上, 作为影响至少一个身体系统的“生理障碍或状况”或“精神或心理障碍”，包括, 除此之外, “emotional or mental illness” and “学习 disability.” “Major life activities” are defined as activities such as “caring for oneself, 执行手动任务, 走, 看到, 听力, 说话, 呼吸, 学习, 和工作.”
• The new law broadens the definition of “assistance animal” to include untrained an uncertified, 情感支持动物.  The new law also states that “an assistance animal is not a pet.“因此, 限制宠物数量的协会不再能够将“辅助动物”包括在主人家中的宠物数量中. 
• 新法律规定了一个程序，残疾人可以通过该程序提出请求，要求在住所中提供合理的便利，以维持辅助动物, 包括任何证明残疾和残疾相关的住宿需求的证明文件.  Your association may not charge a “pet fee,” a “deposit” or any “additional rent” to an owner who needs an “assistance animal.” The disabled person, 然而, remains responsible for any damage caused by the animal.
• 新的法律允许你的协会要求主人为“援助动物”提供“残疾和残疾相关需求的可靠文件”,” but broadens the class of persons who can provide that documentation.  根据新的立法, 任何与残疾人有“治疗关系”的人都可以提供所需的文件.  A “therapeutic relationship” is defined as “the provision of medical care, 项目护理, 或者个人护理皇冠线上买球平台, 真诚地, to the person with a disability by (i) a mental health service provider as defined in §54.1-2400.1; (ii) an individual or entity with a valid, 无限制州执照, 认证, or registration to serve persons with disabilities; (iii) a person from a peer support or similar group that does not charge service recipients a fee or impose any actual or implied financial requirement and who has actual knowledge about the requester's disability; or (iv) a caregiver, 可靠的第三方, or 政府ernment entity with actual knowledge of the requester’s disability.”因此, your association may have to accept documentation from someone other than a medical doctor, 心理学家或精神病学家.
• 根据新法律, a request for reasonable accommodation to maintain an “assistance animal” may be denied for any one of the following reasons: (i) the requester is not disabled; (ii) the requester does not have a disability-related need for an assistance animal; (iii) the accommodation imposes an undue financial and administrative burden on the person receiving the request; or (iv) the accommodation would fundamentally alter the nature of the operations of the person receiving the request.  The new law provides that whenever a request for a reasonable accommodation to maintain an assistance animal in a dwelling is denied for reasons other than that the requester does not have a disability or a disability-related need for an assistance animal, 应启动一个互动过程，以确定是否有另一种可有效解决与残疾有关的需要的住宿.
• The new law provides that if any provision of its provisions is determined by the U.S. 与1968年的联邦公平住房法不完全等同或不一致, 42 U.S.C. §3601及以下., as amended, such provision shall not be enforceable.

House Bill 2045 (2017) –Property Owners’ Association Act, Designation of Authorized Representative by Seller, 协会披露资料包

• 该立法修订了第55-509条.第4条和第55-509条.6 of the Property Owners’ Association Act. 
• 根据新法律, unless expressly authorized by the Property Owners’ Association Act, the declaration or as otherwise provided by law, 协会不得要求使用任何不符合地产局规定的(i)协会标志或(ii)地产标志的出售标志. 社团可以, 然而, 禁止在公共区域放置标志，并建立合理的规章制度来规范(a)房地产标志的数量, (b) the geographical location of real estate signs, (c) the manner in which real estate signs are affixed to real property, and (d) the period of time after settlement when the real estate signs must be removed.
• The new law provides that no property owners’ association may require any lot owner to execute a formal power of attorney if the lot owner designates a person licensed by the 房地产 Board to serve as his authorized representative in the sale of a lot.
• The new law provides that if a request has been made to an association or its common interest community manager to furnish the disclosure packet and such packet is not provided within fourteen (14) days of the request, 这应被视为放弃对拖欠摊款或违反申报的任何索赔, 规章制度, 规章制度, or architectural guidelines existing as of the date of the request with respect to the subject lot.
• The new law authorizes the Common Interest Community Board to assess a monetary penalty for failure to deliver the association disclosure packet within fourteen (14) days against the association or its common interest community manager.
• The new law also authorizes the Common Interest Community Board to receive a complaint directly from any person aggrieved by an 协会的 failure to deliver a resale certificate or disclosure packet within the time period required under the Condominium Act, the Virginia 房地产 Cooperative Act, or the Property Owners’ Association Act.

House Bill 2274 (2017) – Condominium Act, 买方转售, Designation of Authorized Representative

• 该立法修订了第55-79条.第97节和第55-79节.97.《皇冠搏彩APP下载》第1条.
• 根据新法律, unless expressly authorized by the Condominium Act, the condominium instruments or as otherwise provided by law, the condominium association may not require the use of any for sale sign that is (i) a unit owners’ association sign or (ii) a real estate sign that does not comply with the requirements of the 房地产 Board. 单位业主立案法团可, 然而, 禁止在公共区域放置标志，并建立合理的规章制度来规范(a)房地产标志的数量, (b) the geographical location of real estate signs, (c) the manner in which real estate signs are affixed to real property, and (d) the period of time after settlement when the real estate signs must be removed. 
• The new law provides that no unit owners’ association may require any unit owner to execute a formal power of attorney if the unit owner designates a person licensed by the 房地产 Board to serve as his authorized representative in the sale of a unit. 
• The new law provides that if a request has been made to a unit owners’ association or its common interest community manager to furnish the resale certificate and such certificate is not provided within fourteen (14) days of the request, 这应被视为放弃对拖欠摊款或违反申报的任何索赔, 规章制度, 规章制度, 或在请求之日就主题单元存在的架构指南. 
• The new law authorizes the Common Interest Community Board to assess a monetary penalty for failure to deliver the resale certificate within fourteen (14) days against the unit owners’ association or its common interest community manager. 
• The new law also authorizes the Common Interest Community Board to receive a complaint directly from any person aggrieved by a unit owners’ 协会的 failure to deliver a resale certificate or disclosure packet within the time period required under the Condominium Act, the Virginia 房地产 Cooperative Act, or the Property Owners’ Association Act.

完整地阅读新法律, 请参阅弗吉尼亚州立法信息系统a上提供的法律全文 www.lis).维吉尼亚州.政府.

杰夫•胡恩 是一个皇冠搏彩APP下载 & 皇冠线上买球平台 shareholder focusing his practice on community associations and civil litigation.  如果你对新法律有疑问，或者你想要一个更详细的分析，关于他们对你的社区协会的影响, please contact Jeff at (757) 490-6298 or jhunn@volamdolong.com.