Joseph D. Douglass

Joseph D. Douglass

PARTNER
WASHINGTON
T: 202.659.6779

COLUMBIA
T: 202.659.6779

Mr. Douglass has more than 35 years’ experience advising on condominiums, housing cooperatives and planned communities throughout Maryland and the District of Columbia.  The author of state and local legislation and regulations concerning community associations, he is a nationally recognized course leader on legal aspects of community associations.  He serves as Counsel to the D.C. Cooperative Housing Coalition.


Memberships & Activities

  • Member:  District of Columbia Bar, Maryland State Bar Association, Montgomery County Bar Association
  • Member: Legal faculty of the Community Associations Institute's National Professional Management Development Program
  • Past President:  Washington Metropolitan Chapter, Community Associations Institute 
  • Past Member:  Maryland Governor’s Commission on Condominiums, Cooperatives and Homeowner Associations.
  • Fellow and Charter Member:  College of Community Association Lawyers

ARTICLES

Some Rules for Developing and Enforcing Rules

Rules development and enforcement are critically important areas for condominiums, homeowner associations and housing cooperatives.  In developing and enforcing rules the board must be diligent, careful and resolute, but must keep things in perspective.  If an association's rules are not respected by the residents, or if rule enforcement is poorly handled, the result will be a decline in respect for the association, which can translate into greater dissension in the community, increased numbers of rule violations, and increased delinquent assessments.


New Maryland Law Forbids Prohibition of Clotheslines in Condominiums, Homeowner Associations, and Cooperatives

On May 4, 2010, Governor O'Malley signed into law Maryland SB 224, the so-called "Right-to-Dry" legislation, which requires condominium associations, homeowner associations, and cooperatives to allow homeowners to install clotheslines on their property. The new law, effective on October 1, 2010, adds section 14-130 to the Real Property Code, "Installation and Use of Clotheslines on Residential Property."