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The Commission on Common Ownership Communities |
What is the purpose of the Commission?
Established in 1991, the Commission has several functions meant to increase property values and improve the quality of life in common ownership communities (“COC”s). These include:
- Advising the County Executive and the County Council on issues affecting COCs and suggesting legislative solutions,
- Promoting public awareness of the legal rights and obligations of residents in a COC,
- Providing educational programs and technical assistance to owners and board members
- Resolving disputes between residents and their associations
Get the Facts about COC law (English, Spanish)
When and where does the Commission meet?
The Commission meets virtually, on the first Wednesday of every month at 7:00pm. When in-person meetings resume, they will be held in the offices of the Department of Housing and Community Affairs, 5th floor conference room.
The agenda of each commission meeting includes the review of potential complaints to determine if they fall within the commission’s jurisdiction; if they do, panels and dates will be set for hearing the complaints. A hearing panel is usually made up of an independent volunteer Chair, one ‘resident’ commissioner, and one ‘professional’ commissioner. A schedule of upcoming hearings is available upon request.
Who are the members of the Commission?
The 15 volunteer members of the Commission include 8 owners or residents of common ownership communities and 7 professionals associated with common ownership communities (attorneys, property managers, realtors, developers, etc.).
Designees of the County Council, the Planning Board, the Departments of Environmental Protection, Housing and Community Affairs, Permitting Services, Transportation, and the Office of Consumer Protection are ex officio non-voting members of the Commission.