A proposal to recognize Columbia Association (CA) under state law as a community benefit association (CBA) is now being targeted for 2020, instead of 2019. The CA Board of Directors held it previously announced a special meeting on March 6 to continue the discussion about the merits of the proposal.

Since its founding in 1965, CA has been classified under Maryland Corporations Law as a private, non-stock corporation. When the state Homeowners Association Act (HOA Act) passed in 1987, CA was classified as a homeowners association as well. CA’s board had been considering requesting that the Maryland General Assembly recognize CA as a new kind of entity called CBA, instead of an HOA. The original timeline would have brought the request to lawmakers in Annapolis for a vote in the 2020 legislative session.

However, a recent court decision created potentially detrimental financial effects for CA. The proposal to be recognized as a CBA could address this issue, while maintaining the transparency protections of the HOA Act for anyone who lives or works on or owns property that is part of CA.

CA opted to change its timeline, given the possibility that the bill could still be considered in the remaining weeks of the 2019 legislative session, pending approval by CA’s board. CA released information to the community, and it hosted meetings with the public and with managers and board members from Columbia’s 10 village community associations. For more information, visit ColumbiaAssociation.org/CBA.