The Ocean Pines Association’s legal counsel provided the neighborhood’s membership with an update on legal expenses and services at last weekend’s annual meeting.
Attorney Bruce Bright, who serves as legal counsel for the Ocean Pines Association, gives residents an update on legal expenses and services during the annual board meeting Aug. 10.
Photo courtesy Ocean Pines Association
By Tara Fischer, Staff Writer
Ocean Pines Association’s counsel provided the neighborhood’s membership with an update on legal expenses and services at last weekend’s annual meeting.
Bruce Bright of Ayres, Jenkins, Gordy, and Almand was appointed as OPA’s general counsel last May. Since then, Bright has acted as the primary point of contact, with assistance from attorney Maureen Howarth.
During the legal update part of the OPA’s annual meeting, Bright emphasized the services that he and his firm provide to the community. The law firm offers general advice to the OPA Board of Directors, General Manager John Viola and the various departments within the association. Services include contract negotiation and drafting on behalf of the HOA, the collection of unpaid assessments and compliance, permit and inspection enforcement, employment issues, and any other legal situations that arise. Previously, a third-party law firm handled matters like unpaid assessment collection.
“We are trying to be a one-stop-shop for all of the legal needs for Ocean Pines,” Bright said.
During its time as the official counsel of the community, the firm has revised the Elections and Referendums Procedures, also referred to as resolution M-06, Architectural Review guidelines, was involved in the drafting and negotiation of the Memorandum of Understanding between OPA and the Ocean Pines Volunteer Fire Department, which will pave the path forward to construct a new South Fire Station, and assisted in the four-year extension of Viola’s contract.
“One of the things we are pleased to have assisted with over the past year is advising the CPI enforcement process,” Bright said. “That was a rather lengthy and involved process of revising resolutions…improving the process, making it clearer, making it more linear and easier to understand in terms of how it is stated and explained in the resolution.” … We have also made the process fully compliant with changes at the state law level over the past few years.”
The council has collected $144,899.64 in unpaid assessments between Aug. 1, 2023, and July 15, 2024. The attorney fees associated with handling the payments are included in the settlement from the lot owner.
The lawyer added that the firm heads the notice of intent to claim a lien step previously dealt with by the Ocean Pines administration.
“We are hopefully taking the administration burden off the already stressed OPA staff at this point,” he said.
Bright noted that since Ocean Pines appointed the law group, no litigation has been brought against the community, and they have reduced OPA’s legal fees from fiscal year 2023 to 2024.
“We as a firm, and I have enjoyed doing this work for OPA,” the legal counsel said. “It is interesting work; it can be demanding but rewarding. We enjoy collaborating with the board general manager and all the great staff here at Ocean Pines. We continue to be honored to fulfill this role.”