Condominium and Cooperative Law in Virginia
Co-ops and condo communities are forms of "common interest communities."
These residential communities are composed of a single piece of land, occupied by one or more buildings, each of which contains more than one housing unit. The units are owned or leased by the individuals who live in them, but the buildings themselves, and the land they sit on, are owned either collectively by the residents, or by some third party. The residents are responsible for the upkeep of the buildings and the common areas of the property (walkways, lawns, swimming pools, etc.). To that end, they normally pay a periodic fee to cover maintenance.
Just looking at the outside (or inside, for that matter) of a condo or cooperative community, you likely can't tell which it is.
The major difference is that, in condominium communities, the units are purchased and owned by their residents, and they also collectively own the common areas of the development. In a cooperative community, the land and buildings in which the housing units are owned by a single corporation or association. The individual units are rented by the inhabitants, not purchased.
Laws and Regulations Concerning Common Interest Communities in Blacksburg, Virginia
While there are a lot of Blacksburg, Virginia laws that will affect the residents and owners of condominium and cooperative communities, there are few that are actually specific to such communities. Rather, they are mostly governed by laws of more general application, such as contract law, zoning laws, and landlord/tenant law.
In general, the procedures of the landowner or management board will have a much greater impact on the daily lives and conduct of residents than any state or local laws controlling condominiums or cooperatives.
Because the land they occupy is normally private property, it is the owners of this property who make most of the rules that will affect your daily conduct. A responsible manager will normally make rules designed to balance your right to live as you please in your own residence, with the right your neighbors have to a clean, safe, and quiet living environment.
This authority, however, has limits. There are some rules which landowners cannot impose. Most obviously, they can't bar people from renting or buying units based on their race, religion, or national origin in Blacksburg, Virginia. This conduct is illegal under state and federal law, and can result in grave civil penalties.
Can a Blacksburg, Virginia Attorney Help?
If you have a dispute with a neighbor, your landlord, or your homeowners' association, a seasoned Blacksburg, Virginia real estate attorney can be instrumental in obtaining a desired outcome.