2009 Classes

Ellen W. Throop will be teaching "Contract Review & Negotiation" on Saturday, October 17, 2009 9:00 am - 12:00 noon, at the Wilde Lake Village Center, 10431 Twin Rivers Road, Columbia, MD 21044.

Contracts surround you each and every day - from selling a house to purchasing a new phone. When first presented with a contract, one can easily be overwhelmed with all the provisions and legal terminology. What does it all really mean for you? Does it protect your interests? Does it cover common "what if this happens?". Should I or can I remove a paragraph? Can I get out of a contract and if I do, will I responsible for anything?

Attend this seminar and learn the basics of what a contract should entail and learn to identify what other provisions are commonly within the "higher-stakes" contracts. As part of this seminar, you will learn what constitutes an offer, acceptance, counter-offer or rejection. We will review critical areas of the law such as warranties, disclaimers and indemnification. Unfortunately, not all working relationships go as hoped or planned. So, we will also address such aspects as breach, defenses and termination of a contract. Also, assuming a breach has occurred, we will discuss what type of damages are at issue. By attending, you will better learn to spot various provisions that could be detrimental to your association.

This seminar will be helpful to homeowners as well as managers and service contractors. Not only can you use this information in your business but also in your personal activities.

Kathleen M. Elmore will be teaching about "Insurance" on Saturday, November 14, 2009, 9:00 am - 12:00 noon, Wilde Lake Village Center, 10431 Twin Rivers Road, Columbia, MD 21044.

Common Interest Ownership Associations and the Boards of Directors and Managers that operate them are required to maintain certain insurance policies. The goal of this seminar is to educate you on what the various types of required and desirable policies are, when you should obtain them, why they are important, and the ramifications of failure to maintain, condominium master policies, property and liability policies, directors and officers errors and omissions and fiduciary policies, etc. What to look for in these policies and sample resolutions to assist you in the application of requirements under the law and administration of claims will be provided.

 2010 Classes

Kathleen M. Elmore and Ellen W. Throop will be teaching all about Associations and Condominiums at Anne Arundel Community College - Arnold Campus. The class consists of 8.5 instructional hours total and will be held on two consecutive Saturdays, March 13 and March 20, 2010 at 9:00 a.m. until 1:15 p.m.

The attorneys will cover a wide range of topics that you need to know to run your association well and make your life as a volunteer Board member or a manager easier as well as more enjoyable. Topics range from delineating the differences between a condominium and a homeowners association, to how to run an efficient and productive Board meeting, to rules and covenant enforcement which of course includes the ever-present collections, to key tax implications, to special taxing districts, to various federal laws such as American with Disabilities Act and Fair Housing Act and numerous other matters in-between. This class is a must for first time Board members and new managers and even the more experienced Board members and mangers can pick up some key pointers.