The CCOC – Commission on Common Ownership Communities – is Not Working

* Press Release *

CHARM MARYLAND QUESTIONS EFFECTIVENESS OF CCOC

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Too Many Condo/HOA Homeowner Disputes
Are Going Unresolved

GAITHERSBURG, MD, September 17, 2026 – In a meeting with Montgomery County Council President Natali Fani-González on September 11th, leaders of CHARM Maryland, Inc., a nonprofit advocacy organization that fights for the rights of homeowners in condominium and HOA communities, questioned the effectiveness of the County's Commission on Common Ownership Communities (CCOC) in resolving disputes between homeowners and their communities' boards.
Several homeowners who recently brought complaint cases before the CCOC presented testimony that revealed ineffective CCOC processes and practices and a systematic failure to address or resolve serious Board and Association problems. All Montgomery County HOA and condo homeowners pay a fee of $6.50 annually to fund the Commission. They pay an additional $50 to file a complaint.

"We are asking Montgomery County Council members on the Planning, Housing, and Parks (PHP) Committee to review and investigate the CCOC's effectiveness and implement any necessary reforms to better support the interests of the owners it purports to help," stated former MoCo State Delegate Ana Sol Gutierrez who is now a CHARM MD officer.

Furthermore, CHARM Maryland presented findings that reveal serious flaws in the composition of the Commission's members, its governance and management, and its lack of public transparency by failing to regularly report case outcomes.

Among CHARM MD's findings:

* Most complaints filed by homeowners regarding improper elections, meetings, fees,rules, and withheld documents are closed or dismissed with no clear explanation.

* Several CCOC Commissioners are not residents of Montgomery County.

* Several CCOC Commissioners continue to serve after their terms have expired.

* CCOC meetings do not have a legitimately seated quorum.

* Official CCOC reports provide incomplete or inaccurate information on case data, meetings, decisions, budgets, and other key data.

To learn more about CHARM Maryland or to become a supporter, please visit www.charm-md.org.

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About CHARM Maryland: Established in Montgomery County in December 2024, CHARM Maryland, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit advocacy organization governed by a board of directors. Its mission is to advocate statewide for fair and equitable state and local laws and their enforcement to end the predatory practices of homeowner and condo associations.

Press Release. Contact: Carol Kaplan.
charm.carolk@gmail.com 202-704-5535

This PATCH site is hosted by Steven Sellers Lapham, who is president of CHARM Maryland, Inc.