Commission on Common Ownership Communities

Created: Montgomery County Code, Section 10B-3 (Jan. 1991); Emergency Bill No. 8-95 (June 1995); Emergency Bill No. 11-96

Purpose: To advise the County Executive and the County Council on ways to handle common ownership of property in communities; promote public awareness of the rights and obligations of living in common ownership communities; eliminate disputes; and maintain property values and quality of life in community associations.

Membership: Fifteen members consisting of six residents of self-managed and professionally managed common ownership communities (including condominiums, cooperatives and homeowner associations), six members from the ranks of professionals associated with common ownership communities (attorneys, property managers, investor-owners); and three members from the category of real estate sales and developers.
Designees of the County Council, Planning Board, Department of Environmental Protection, Department of Permitting Services, Department of Public Works and Transportation, and Office of Consumer Protection are ex-officio nonvoting members of the Commission.

Terms: Three-year terms.

Meetings: First Wednesday of each month. There may also be monthly committee meetings, and hearing panels also meet frequently to decide disputes. A current schedule is available on request. 

Staff: Office of Consumer Protection, 240-777-3636

County Attorney's Office: Walter Wilson, Associate County Attorney

Resident Representatives:  Charles H. Fleischer (1/2010) (2nd term), Antoinette Negro (1/2010) (2nd term), Clara Perlingiero (1/2009) (filling unexpired term), Vicki Satern Vergagni (1/2009) (1st full term), Allen Farrar (1/2011) (1st full term), Karen Kali (1/2011) (1st term)

Professional Representatives: Jeff Kivitz (1/2009) (2nd term), Staci Gelfound, (1/2009) (1st term), Andrew Oxendine (1/2010) (2nd term), Jeffrey R. Williams (Vice Chair) (1/2010) (2nd term), Mitchell Alkon (1/2011) (1st term), Helen Whelan (1/2011) (1st term)

Real Estate Sales/ Developer Representatives: Kevin Gannon (1/2010) (2nd term), Carolyn Thompson (1/2011) (1st term), Arthur Dubin (1/2010) (filling unexpired term)

Volunteer Hearing Panel Chairpersons: Christopher Hitchens, John McCabe, Jr, Douglas Shontz, John Sample, Dinah Stevens, Julianne Dymowski, Corinne Rosen, Ursula Koenig, Greg Friedman