Complaint Form & Instructions
 

This website offers a great deal of information on dispute resolution. Please take the time to read and understand the process before filing your complaint. These procedures govern your legal rights and duties if the dispute is set for a public hearing. You should know them.

Jurisdiction

The dispute resolution services of the Commission are available to all common ownership community associations and residents who have maintained their annual registration with Montgomery County.

The Commission cannot accept complaints involving homes or units located within the City of Gaithersburg or other towns that have chosen not to participate in the CCOC program. Please contact the CCOC office to see if your association falls within one of these jurisdictions.

Representation

While the Commission’s proceedings are informal, they are also quasi-judicial. The Commission must apply state and county laws and all relevant association documents to the facts of the dispute, and their decisions are binding on the parties.

All parties have the right to legal representation. Associations may be represented by an attorney or by an officer or authorized member of the board of directors. Members or residents may be represented by an attorney or may represent themselves.

Class Actions

The Commission cannot accept “class action” complaints. Each person must file his own complaint and pay the filing fee, unless they are co-owners or co-residents of a lot or unit, or unless all the complaining parties are represented by the same attorney.

Exhaustion of Remedies

The law requires that the complaining party exhaust all remedies provided for in the association documents before a complaint can be filed with the Commission.

Mediation

Each party must participate, either in person or through their legal representative, in any mediation scheduled through the Department of Housing and Community Affairs.

Filing Fee

A $50.00 filing fee covers administrative costs. The filing fee is refunded only if staff determines at the outset that the complaint is not within the Commission’s purview.
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Download the complaint form

Inquiries should be directed to [email protected]