Community Association Law

Steve Sugarman on Annual Condo/HOA Case Law 

Community association lawyer Steven L. Sugarman  presented on up-to-the-minute condo and HOA case law at the Pennsylvania Bar Institute‘s Real Estate Institute on December 4, 2025.

Presenting before an audience of attorneys representing developers, associations, purchasers or those who reside in an association, Sugarman outlined the year’s most significant case law, current legislation, practice fundamentals, trends, strategies and techniques. Topics included:

∙ Adverse possession in the community association

∙ Collection of unpaid assessments

∙ Authority to restrict the use of commercial units

∙ Associations’ responsibilities to maintain and repair certain easements

Gawthrop Greenwood is one of the largest law firms supporting homeowners associations (HOAs), planned communities, condominium associations and cooperatives in Pennsylvania, offering an expanded array of services and legal disciplines that are of limited availability elsewhere. A community association law attorney for more than 40 years, Sugarman has played a critical role in establishing statutory and decisional law governing Pennsylvania’s common interest communities (CICs). As the chair and active member of the Community Association Institute’s (CAI) Legislative Action Committee for many years, Sugarman drafted and advocated for key amendments to Pennsylvania’s statutes as community associations have evolved into the fastest-growing form of housing. He also serves as an expert witness on community association matters brought before Pennsylvania’s courts and General Assembly.

A member of the prestigious College of Community Association Lawyers since 2000 and a past president of CAI’s regional chapter, Sugarman developed and teaches one of the few law school courses nationwide on condominium and homeowner association law as an adjunct professor at the Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law. He is a frequent lecturer at the local and national levels on real estate and community association matters.

For more information, contact Steven at ssugarman@gawthrop.com or 610-889-0700.

Gawthrop Greenwood, PC logo

Gawthrop Greenwood, PC has offices in West Chester, PA and Wilmington, DE serving clients throughout the greater mid-Atlantic region and nation. For more than a century, the firm has stood behind its core principle of providing high-quality legal services with personal attention. Gawthrop Greenwood’s diverse portfolio of clients comprises entrepreneurs, businesses, and governmental entities that entrust the firm with their representation in a wide range of matters including mergers and acquisitions, commercial litigation, estate and tax planning, land use and development, and domestic relations. A complete listing of the firm’s practice areas and attorneys, as well as a variety of legal resources, can be found at www.gawthrop.com.

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