Raymond B. Via, Jr.

Partner
blank image Raymond B. Via, Jr.

Raymond B. Via, Jr.

Partner
Columbia T: 301.804.3611
Washington T: 301.804.3611 F: 301.804.3641
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Raymond B. Via, Jr.

Raymond B. Via, Jr.

PARTNER
rvia@whitefordlaw.com
COLUMBIA
T: 301.804.3611

WASHINGTON
T: 301.804.3611
F: 301.804.3641
Biography
BIOGRAPHY

For more than 20 years, Mr. Via's practice has primarily involved the representation of condominium and homeowners associations throughout Maryland and the District of Columbia.  He is experienced in all facets of association representation including drafting and amending governing documents for community associations.  Mr. Via has successfully litigated numerous cases involving community associations in Maryland and the District of Columbia in both trial and appellate courts.

Mr. Via is a past member of the Board of Directors of the Washington Metropolitan Chapter of the Community Associations Institute (CAI) and a past president of the Board of Directors of the Chesapeake Chapter of CAI.  He has written and lectured extensively on community association issues and regularly teaches homeowner education courses.  He is also a member of CAI's National Faculty and served for many years as a delegate to the Maryland Legislative Action Committee.  He remains actively involved in the process of both creating and monitoring national, state and local legislation affecting community associations.

Recognitions

  • Best Lawyers in America, Community Associations Law, Litigation - Real Estate (2025)

Memberships & Activities

  • Member: Maryland State Bar Association, Real Estate Section
  • Board Member: Washington Metropolitan Chapter Community Associations Institute, Legislative Action Committee; CAI National Public Policy Committee
  • Member: Bar Association of Montgomery County
  • Member: District of Columbia Bar Association

Common-Interest Community Associations

  • Mr. Via is experienced in representing community associations through Maryland and the District of Columbia
 

Counsel to Boards of Directors

  • Advises association boards on day-to-day business operations, compliance with governing documents, operating procedures, meetings, quorum, voting and proxy issues, insurance matters, director issues and disputes, member issues and disputes, financial and real property transactions, land use and rezoning issues, assessment collections, and appropriate responses to changing federal, state and local laws
 

Contract Negotiations and Dispute Resolution

  • Experienced in negotiating agreements for construction, maintenance and improvements of the Association's property and common facilities
 

Real Estate and Land Use

  • Represents large master property owner association clients in obtaining rezoning for capital improvements to the community facilities
  • Represents community association clients before local, county and city governments on land use and zoning issues
  • Represents large and small association clients in real property transactions involving the acquisition and sale of land, boundary dispute issues, and the negotiation of public and private easements, licenses and covenants, including considerable experience in negotiating bulk cable television and internet contracts
 

Governing Documents

  • Extensive experience in consulting on and preparing amendments to the governing documents for both traditional and age-restricted communities
  • Prepares corporate and governing documents for large master property owners' associations and smaller property owners' associations
 

Community Association Litigation

  • Represents both large and small association clients in litigation and administrative proceedings involving fair housing disputes, foreclosures, eminent domain and condemnation matters, covenants and rules compliance, and contract disputes.  Mr. Via is also regularly retained by insurers to defend Common Interest Communities in claims against associations involving alleged breach of fiduciary duty by Directors
  • Recently successfully defended a DC condominium association in a several hundred thousand dollar breach of fiduciary duty/retaliation claim in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia and the DC Court of Appeals
 

Developer/Warranty Issues

  • Negotiated favorable results for associations in numerous statutory warranty claims in Maryland and DC
 

Other Litigation

  • Successfully litigated numerous cases in Maryland and the District of Columbia in a wide variety of issues including  employment law, fair housing complaints, contract disputes, construction law and insurance coverage issues
 

Commercial and Residential Development

  • Advises real estate development clients on the formation and administration of  both residential and commercial common-interest community associations, including preparation of condominium instruments, declarations, corporate documents and rules and regulations, and common-interest community association administration during the development control period
INSIGHTS

Presenter, Association Maintenance, Repair & Reserve Obligations after the Surfside Tragedy, WMCCAI Conference and Expo, March 2022

Presenter, Community Association Hot Topics: Architectural Control, Creating and Enforcing Rules, Webinar, WMCCAI Virtual Conference and Expo, June 12, 2021

Presenter, Board Leadership Development Workshop, Webinar, CAI - Chesapeake Chapter, May 7-8, 2021

Presenter, The Vexatious Litigant: How to Avoid or Stop Constant Frivolous Litigation From Owners, Webinar, CAI - Chesapeake Chapter, March 10, 2021

Co-Presenter, COVID-19: The Legal Implications – What Managers Need to Know!?, Webinar, May 29, 2020

Co-Presenter, WMCCAI Conference & Expo, Creating and Enforcing Rules That Work; Understanding how to deal with challenges of local jurisdictions, February 22, 2020

Presenter, Community Association Institute Annual Law Seminar, Vexatious Litigants – How to Handle the Frivolous Filer, January 17, 2020

Presenter, Community Association Managers International Certification Board Seminar, January 8, 2020

Presenter, CAI Conference & Expo, Creating and Enforcing Rules and Regulations to Build Better Communities, May 15-18, 2019

ARTICLES

February 12, 2014

Reserve Funds for Community Associations: Understanding the Why, How and When of Reserves

Community Associations maintain reserve accounts as a means of funding their long term needs for repair and replacement of major capital items.  These Association assets typically include all common property under Association control such as roads, roofs, swimming pools and pool decks, sidewalks and clubhouses.  Reserves are not intended to fund the Association’s everyday operating expenses, which are set forth in its annual budget. 

July 14, 2011

Client Alert: Department of Justice Enacts New Americans with Disabilities Standards That Could Affect Community Associations

Members of community associations must be aware that the U.S. Department of Justice ("DOJ") has recently issued standards for how it interprets the ADA provisions.  Under those standards, if a community association's swimming pool is open to other than members of the association and their guests; it will be deemed a place of public accommodation.  If it is a place of public accommodation, then the ADA requires that there be at least one means of ingress and egress to the pool for persons with disabilities if the perimeter of the pool is 300 linear feet or less and a second means if the pool perimeter is more than 300 linear feet.