Condominium and Cooperative Law in Oregon

Co-ops and condo communities are types of "common interest communities."

This is a type of community in which the individual residents rent or own residential units in a building, or collection of buildings, but are collectively responsible for taking maintaining the common areas in their communities, such as lawns, gardens, swimming pools, and the like. This responsibility is normally taken care of by charging the residents a periodic maintenance fee, to pay for the upkeep of the common areas.

If you simply look at a condominium or cooperative community, you probably won't be able to tell if it's one or the other.

This is because there are no defining physical characteristics which are unique to one type of cooperative community, but not the other. The important differences aren't embodied in physical characteristics, but in the legal ownership arrangement governing the communities: in a condominium community, the residents own the units they live in. In a cooperative community, the units are rented.

Laws and Regulations Concerning Common Interest Communities in Damascus, Oregon

Damascus, Oregon likely has several laws and regulations concerning common interest communities. However, these are mostly limited to the laws and regulations (zoning, land use, etc.) that concern all real estate owners.

Typically, the rules established by the owner of the property, or the entity tasked with managing it, are going to have much more of a day-to-day effect on your life than any state laws governing these types of communities.

The land that common interest communities occupy is normally private property. Therefore, the owners of the property are free to make certain rules governing what is and isn't allowed on it. A good manager or owner will normally make every effort to strike a balance between residents' freedom to do what they want in their homes, and the rights of their neighbors to a safe, clean, and reasonably quiet living space.

Some of these rules, however, may not be enforceable, if push came to shove. This would depend on the specific laws of Damascus, Oregon which control landlords and tenants.

Can a Damascus, Oregon Attorney Help?

If you are in a dispute with your homeowners' association, a neighbor, or your landlord in Damascus, Oregon, a brilliant real estate lawyer may prove extremely helpful, if the dispute cannot be otherwise resolved.