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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>58909</law_id><section_number>55.1-2100</section_number><catch_line>Definitions</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>15.2-110</reference><reference>15.2-2288.7</reference><reference>15.2-983</reference><reference>15.2-987</reference><reference>3.2-6540.01</reference><reference>46.2-1231</reference><reference>46.2-1232</reference><reference>54.1-2100</reference><reference>54.1-2349</reference><reference>54.1-2351</reference><reference>54.1-2352</reference><reference>54.1-2354</reference><reference>55.1-1208</reference><reference>55.1-1801</reference><reference>55.1-2101</reference><reference>55.1-2147</reference><reference>55.1-2207</reference><reference>55.1-2307</reference><reference>55.1-2310</reference><reference>55.1-358</reference><reference>58.1-3901</reference><reference>64.2-628</reference><reference>8.01-463</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="55.1">Property and Conveyances</unit><unit label="subtitle" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="IV">Common Interest Communities</unit><unit label="chapter" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="21">Virginia Real Estate Cooperative Act</unit><unit label="article" level="4" order_by="1" identifier="1">General Provisions</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>As used in this chapter or in the <span class="dictionary">declaration</span> and bylaws, unless provided otherwise or unless the context requires a different meaning:
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Affiliate of a declarant</span>&#x201D;  means any <span class="dictionary">person</span> that <span class="dictionary">controls</span>, <span class="dictionary">is controlled by</span>, or is under common control with a declarant. A <span class="dictionary">person</span> &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">controls</span>&#x201D; a declarant if the <span class="dictionary">person</span> (i) is a general partner, officer, director, or employer of the declarant; (ii) directly or indirectly or acting in concert with one or more other <span class="dictionary">persons</span>, or through one or more subsidiaries, owns, <span class="dictionary">controls</span>, or holds with power to vote, or holds proxies representing, more than 20 percent of the voting interest in the declarant; (iii) <span class="dictionary">controls</span> in any manner the election of a majority of the directors of the declarant; or (iv) has contributed more than 20 percent of the capital of the declarant. A <span class="dictionary">person</span> &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">is controlled by</span>&#x201D; a declarant if the declarant (a) is a general partner, officer, director, or employer of the <span class="dictionary">person</span>; (b) directly or indirectly or acting in concert with one or more <span class="dictionary">persons</span>, or through one or more subsidiaries, owns, <span class="dictionary">controls</span>, or holds with power to vote, or holds proxies representing, more than 20 percent of the voting interest in the <span class="dictionary">person</span>; (c) <span class="dictionary">controls</span> in any manner the election of a majority of the directors of the <span class="dictionary">person</span>; or (d) has contributed more than 20 percent of the capital of the <span class="dictionary">person</span>. Control does not exist if the powers described in this definition are held solely as security for an obligation and are not exercised.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Allocated interests</span>&#x201D;  means the <span class="dictionary">common expense liability</span> and the ownership interest and votes in the association allocated to each <span class="dictionary">cooperative interest</span>.
		&#x201C;Association&#x201D;  or &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">proprietary lessees</span>&#x2019; association&#x201D; means the <span class="dictionary">proprietary lessees</span>&#x2019; association organized under &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Organization of the association" href="/55.1-2132/">55.1-2132</a>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Capital components</span>&#x201D;  means those items, whether or not a part of the common elements, for which the association has the obligation for repair, replacement, or restoration and for which the <span class="dictionary">executive board</span> determines funding is necessary.
		&#x201C;Common elements&#x201D;  means all portions of a cooperative other than the <span class="dictionary">units</span> of such cooperative.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Common expenses</span>&#x201D;  means any expenditures made by, or financial liabilities of, the association, together with any allocations to reserves.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Common expense liability</span>&#x201D;  means liability for <span class="dictionary">common expenses</span> allocated to each <span class="dictionary">cooperative interest</span> pursuant to &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Allocation of ownership interests, votes, and common expense liabilities" href="/55.1-2118/">55.1-2118</a>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Conversion building</span>&#x201D;  means a building that at any time before creation of the cooperative was occupied wholly or partially by <span class="dictionary">persons</span> other than <span class="dictionary">purchasers</span> and <span class="dictionary">persons</span> who occupy with the consent of <span class="dictionary">purchasers</span>.
		&#x201C;Cooperative&#x201D;  means <span class="dictionary">real estate</span> owned by an association, each of the members of which is entitled, by virtue of his ownership interest in the association, to exclusive <span class="dictionary">possession</span> of a <span class="dictionary">unit</span>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Cooperative interest</span>&#x201D;  means an ownership interest in the association coupled with a possessory interest in a <span class="dictionary">unit</span> under a <span class="dictionary">proprietary lease</span>. For purposes of this chapter, a declarant is treated as the owner of any <span class="dictionary">cooperative interests</span> or potential <span class="dictionary">cooperative interests</span> to which <span class="dictionary">allocated interests</span> have been allocated pursuant to &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Allocation of ownership interests, votes, and common expense liabilities" href="/55.1-2118/">55.1-2118</a> until that <span class="dictionary">cooperative interest</span> has been created and conveyed to another <span class="dictionary">person</span>.
		&#x201C;Declarant&#x201D;  means any <span class="dictionary">person</span> or group of <span class="dictionary">persons</span> acting in concert that (i) as part of a common promotional plan, offers to <span class="dictionary">dispose</span> of its <span class="dictionary">cooperative interest</span> not previously disposed of; (ii) reserves or succeeds to any special declarant right; or (iii) applies for registration of a cooperative under Article 5 (&#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Common Interest Community Board" href="/55.1-2173/">55.1-2173</a> et seq.).
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Declaration</span>&#x201D;  means any instruments, however denominated, that create a cooperative and any amendments to those instruments.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Development rights</span>&#x201D;  means any right or combination of rights reserved by a declarant in the <span class="dictionary">declaration</span> to (i) add <span class="dictionary">real estate</span> to a cooperative; (ii) create <span class="dictionary">units</span>, common elements, or <span class="dictionary">limited common elements</span> within a cooperative; (iii) subdivide <span class="dictionary">units</span> or convert <span class="dictionary">units</span> into common elements; or (iv) withdraw <span class="dictionary">real estate</span> from a cooperative.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Dispose</span>&#x201D;  or &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">disposition</span>&#x201D;  means a <span class="dictionary">voluntary transfer</span> to a <span class="dictionary">purchaser</span> of any legal or <span class="dictionary">equitable</span> interest in a <span class="dictionary">cooperative interest</span>, but does not include the transfer or release of a <span class="dictionary">security interest</span>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Executive board</span>&#x201D;  means the body, regardless of name, designated in the <span class="dictionary">declaration</span> to act on behalf of the association.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Identifying number</span>&#x201D;  means a symbol or address that identifies only one <span class="dictionary">unit</span> in a cooperative.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Leasehold cooperative</span>&#x201D;  means a cooperative in which all or a portion of the <span class="dictionary">real estate</span> is subject to a lease the expiration or termination of which will terminate the cooperative or reduce its size.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Limited common element</span>&#x201D;  means a portion of the common elements allocated by the <span class="dictionary">declaration</span> or by operation of subdivision 2 or 4 of &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Unit boundaries" href="/55.1-2113/">55.1-2113</a> for the exclusive use of at least one <span class="dictionary">unit</span> but fewer than all of the <span class="dictionary">units</span>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Master association</span>&#x201D;  means an organization described in &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Master associations" href="/55.1-2130/">55.1-2130</a>, whether or not it is also an association described in &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Organization of the association" href="/55.1-2132/">55.1-2132</a>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Offering</span>&#x201D;  means any advertisement, inducement, solicitation, or attempt to encourage any <span class="dictionary">person</span> to acquire any interest in a <span class="dictionary">cooperative interest</span>, other than as security for an obligation. An advertisement in a newspaper or other periodical of general circulation, or in any broadcast medium to the general public, of a cooperative not located in the Commonwealth is not an <span class="dictionary">offering</span> if the advertisement states that an <span class="dictionary">offering</span> may be made only in compliance with the <span class="dictionary">law</span> of the <span class="dictionary">jurisdiction</span> in which the cooperative is located.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Person</span>&#x201D;  means a natural <span class="dictionary">person</span>, corporation, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, association, joint venture, government, governmental subdivision or agency, or any other legal or commercial entity. In the case of a land trust, however, &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">person</span>&#x201D; means the beneficiary of the trust rather than the trust or the trustee.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Proprietary lease</span>&#x201D;  means an agreement with the association pursuant to which a <span class="dictionary">proprietary lessee</span> has a possessory interest in a <span class="dictionary">unit</span>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Proprietary lessee</span>&#x201D;  means a <span class="dictionary">person</span> that owns a <span class="dictionary">cooperative interest</span>, other than as security for an obligation, and the declarant with respect to <span class="dictionary">cooperative interests</span> or potential <span class="dictionary">cooperative interests</span> to which <span class="dictionary">allocated interests</span> have been allocated pursuant to &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Allocation of ownership interests, votes, and common expense liabilities" href="/55.1-2118/">55.1-2118</a> until that <span class="dictionary">cooperative interest</span> has been created and conveyed to another <span class="dictionary">person</span>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Purchaser</span>&#x201D;  means any <span class="dictionary">person</span>, other than a declarant or a <span class="dictionary">person</span> in the business of selling <span class="dictionary">cooperative interests</span> for his own account, that, by means of a <span class="dictionary">voluntary transfer</span>, acquires or <span class="dictionary">contracts</span> to acquire a <span class="dictionary">cooperative interest</span> other than as security for an obligation.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Real estate</span>&#x201D;  means any leasehold or other estate or interest in, over, or under land, including structures, fixtures, and other improvements and interests that, by custom, usage, or <span class="dictionary">law</span>, pass with a conveyance of land though not described in the <span class="dictionary">contract</span> of sale or instrument of conveyance. &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Real estate</span>&#x201D; includes (i) parcels with or without upper or lower boundaries and (ii) spaces that may be filled with air or water.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Residential purposes</span>&#x201D;  means use for dwelling or recreational purposes, or both.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Security interest</span>&#x201D;  means an interest in real or personal property, created by <span class="dictionary">contract</span> or conveyance, that secures payment or performance of an obligation. &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Security interest</span>&#x201D; includes a mortgage, deed of trust, trust deed, security deed, <span class="dictionary">contract</span> for deed, land sales <span class="dictionary">contract</span>, lease intended as security, assignment of lease or rents intended as security, pledge of an ownership interest in an association, and any other consensual <span class="dictionary">lien</span> or title retention <span class="dictionary">contract</span> intended as security for an obligation.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Special declarant rights</span>&#x201D;  means rights reserved for the benefit of a declarant to (i) complete improvements described in the public <span class="dictionary">offering</span> statement pursuant to subdivision A 2 of &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Public offering statement; general provisions" href="/55.1-2155/">55.1-2155</a>; (ii) exercise any development right pursuant to &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Exercise of development rights" href="/55.1-2120/">55.1-2120</a>; (iii) maintain sales offices, management offices, signs advertising the cooperative, and models; (iv) use easements through the common elements for the purpose of making improvements within the cooperative or within <span class="dictionary">real estate</span> that may be added to the cooperative; (v) make the cooperative part of a larger cooperative or group of <span class="dictionary">cooperatives</span>; (vi) make the cooperative subject to a <span class="dictionary">master association</span> as specified in &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Master associations" href="/55.1-2130/">55.1-2130</a>; or (vii) appoint or remove any officer of the association, any <span class="dictionary">master association</span>, or any <span class="dictionary">executive board</span> member during any period of declarant control.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Time share</span>&#x201D;  means a right to occupy a <span class="dictionary">unit</span> or any of several <span class="dictionary">units</span> during five or more separated time periods over a period of at least five years, including renewal options, whether or not coupled with an estate or interest in a cooperative or a specified portion of such estate or interest.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Unit</span>&#x201D;  means a physical portion of the cooperative designated for separate occupancy under a <span class="dictionary">proprietary lease</span>.</p></section></text><history>1982, c. 277, &#xA7; 55-426; 2005, c. 436; 2019, c. 712.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
