The board of directors is the main governing body that oversees the functioning of an HOA. They are responsible for making decisions that affect the community and enforcing the association's bylaws. The board typically consists of elected members from within the community.
The bylaws may be adopted, amended or revised by a majority vote of the board of directors, or by the vote of two-thirds of the members voting thereon at any regular or special meeting of the members or by the written assent of two-thirds of the members voting thereon by mail ballot, provided, that written notice of ...
House Rules are different from Bylaws in that they can be implemented and changed by the Board of Directors without the need for unit owner approval – which means that they can be changed more easily. Bylaws will very often set forth restrictions on the use of units in the condo.
Under the Virginia inium Act, bylaw changes require the approval of a majority of the unit owners. This means that if a single unit owner objects, the other unit owners cannot proceed with any proxy. The bylaw changes require this proxy to be revoked.
The bylaws go into detail about individual roles, terms, how to elect the President, and may list board powers one by one. The Declarations define the use and occupancy rules of the units and common areas. Condo bylaws outline the remedies for breach of these rules.
The inium bylaws govern the structure and operation of the association. They contain information regarding board meetings, elections, board terms, voting procedures, and the like. The bylaws are more about the management of the association than the rules that govern it and its members.
HOAs in Virginia have the right to establish reasonable restrictions to maintain property values and ensure uniformity in the community. If a community member violates its rules and regulations, an HOA may impose a fine. In Virginia, a HOA can punish a homeowner for breaking its regulations.
Homeowners can sue a board member of an HOA in Virginia if they believe there has been a violation of the governing documents or state law. Legal action must be based on specific grievances, such as breach of fiduciary duty or failure to follow the association's rules.
The association will likely go into receivership. Any homeowner or creditor can take legal action against the HOA. Once it is clear that no one on the board will serve as the association's representative, the court will appoint a receiver.
In these situations, you can complain directly to this office by filing the CIC Complaint Form, which you can find under the “Forms and Applications” tab here: .dpor.virginia/cic-ombudsman.