The Office of the Common Interest Community Ombudsman

The Office of the Common Interest Community Ombudsman was established by the 2008 General Assembly and was created to:

• Assist members in understanding and exercising their rights in resolving issues with their common interest community associations (condominiums, property owners' association, and cooperatives).

• Issue non-binding explanations (not interpretations) of laws and regulations governing Associations.

• Offer referrals to alternative dispute resolution services.

• Assist members in using the procedures and processes available to them in their association to resolve conflicts within the community.

• Once regulations are in effect - the process is underway and expected to be completed in the near future - the Ombudsman will receive notices of adverse decision from association members and citizens who allege an Association governing body violated common interest community laws or regulations.

• Once complaint regulations have been approved and are in place, notices of final adverse decisions must be filed within 30 days of an Association's notice to a member of its final decision, they must be submitted in writing on Board forms (to be developed through the regulatory process and will be available online), and they must include a $25 filing fee (statutory requirement).

• In addition to the work it does with common interest communities, the office also fields complaints related to violations of the Virginia Real Estate Time-Share Act and Time-Share Regulations.

• Please be aware that this office is still in its early stages and awaiting approval of complaint regulations. In the interim, we are making every effort to respond to association member complaints and attempt to provide suggestions for resolution or referral to the Common Interest Community Board for further action, if this office determines that a complaint warrants such action.