Residents should be wise to use the Montgomery County (MC) Commission on Common Ownership Communities to file complaints against their HOA Boards for not not adhering to their governing documents and or following the Maryland Homeowners Association Act. The MC Office of Consumer Protection houses the CCOC particulars.
Also, checkout the Maryland Homeowners Association for consumer resources and the latest lobbying efforts by MHA to strengthen and improve resident rights and good governance principles for community management.
Locally, in Damascus, MD, three residents of the Preakness Dr Homeowners Association filed complaints against its board in August 2008. Board President Lillian Dangerfield, chaired the September 2008 board meeting at the Damascus Public Library where residents complained of an outsider interrupting the meeting and speaking over residents. The gentleman who did the interrupting acknowledged his association with Dangerfield.

HOA problems and issues are compounded by unethical and incompetent community managers. The Maryland Homeowners Association is a great resource for finding help.
Locally, in Damascus, MD, the Preakness Dr HOA has had its share of problems and controversy. For almost ten years, MTM Management Associates served the Preakness Dr HOA until 2007. The HOA Board voted unanimously to NOT renew and to terminate with MTM over a number of unresolved issues that involved the firm not coordinating with the Board, sending out violation letters to homeowners without informing the Board, using CAI community management credentials in violation of the CAI ethical code, and refusing to give an accounting of funds collected from homeowners.
During the firms tenure, and as board members changed, the firm did not do its part in maintaining consistency and acting as a competent advisor. John Devine, an employee of Lockheed Martin and past HOA president, actually gave an HOA easement right of way through the HOA common area to a non-hoa property owner who ended up building a house that was serviced by a sewer easement through the HOA common area. The resulting house was upland of the Preakness Dr HOA and has caused nearby residents to experience substantial flooding in their yards and around their property. One of the main issues for residents is that the easement grant was done without proper board procedures (no board member vote or notice given to the community).
The event and lasting effect has served to devalue area homes and created a mistrust of HOA officials. Residents have turned to the Montgomery County Commission On Common Ownership for a redress of the issues and their rights.

How can it be that the Preakness Dr HOA President Lillian Dangerfield and Board Member John Devine are blocking our community from holding its Annual Meeting to conduct elections and our regular budget meeting? Ms. Dangerfield, an employee of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, has been trying to run the HOA business by herself and with her friend Devine. Our governing documents spellout that our HOA is to hold an Annual Meeting, which is a meeting by the membership, once a year. Apparently, Ms Dangerfield has been posting questions on some Internet blogs which she uses as her "official" advice to exercise her duties as President. While this seems like one step better than Devine who had granted an easement to a non-hoa homeowner and builder for $1.00. And this transaction has caused area residents yards to become flooded from heavy stormwater run-off after the non-hoa individual built house on the nearby property.
Meanwhile, Ms. Dangerfield has made decisions to let Architectural Change applications, for such things as building a yard deck, pass and not be brought before the Board or HOA Architectural Committee as provided in our HOA governing documents.
While residents await some common sense return to the managing of the Preakness Dr HOA, several residents have filed complaints against the Board with the Montgomery County Commission On Common Ownership Communities.
Others have sought out the advice and resources available through the Maryland Homeowners Association.

Read up on the latest alumni news and learn from fellow grads involved in their communities. For example, Lillian Dangerfield, a US OPM employee, involved in her local homeowners association as its board president. Read about it at
http://www.topix.com/forum/city/damascus-md/T...
Ms Dangerfield has been learning the ropes about grass roots activism and constituent service. Her HOA is going through some growing and aging pains as she grapples with complaints filed against her and the HOA board over deviations in following open government or open meeting policies.

Keep up the the campus news and student achievements at
http://www.fiualumni.com/

This sounds like the US OPM FERRCA Counselor that we have dealt with about federal retirement issues. i cant believe that the OPM would allow someone to violate the law and be involved with such actions.