# Virginia HOA Fines: The $50 Cap and Hearing Rules (2026)

> Under Code of Virginia 55.1-1819, a Virginia HOA fine is capped at $50 for a single offense and $10 per day for a continuing violation, and no continuing-violation fine can run more than 90 days, so the most any single ongoing issue can cost is $900. The process is just as protective as the caps. Before charging anything, the association has to give written notice of the alleged violation and a reasonable chance to correct it. If the violation continues, a hearing notice has to be hand delivered or sent by certified mail at least 14 days before the hearing, listing the possible penalties. The owner has the right to be heard and to be represented by counsel, and the written result has to be delivered within 7 days.

_Source: https://hoanotes.com/hoa/virginia/fines-and-hearings/ | Last reviewed 2026-06-03_

## The caps and the process

The dollar limits are low by design: $50 for a one-time violation, $10 a day for one that continues, and a hard 90-day ceiling that caps any single ongoing issue at $900. A fine schedule in the rules that charges $100 a day, or that has no 90-day stop, runs past the statute.

The steps matter as much as the numbers. The owner gets written notice and a real chance to fix the problem before any fine. If it is not fixed, the association has to deliver a hearing notice at least 14 days ahead, by hand or certified mail, spelling out the possible penalties. The owner can show up, be heard, and bring a lawyer, and the decision comes in writing within 7 days. A board that fines on day one with no cure period and no hearing has skipped the law.

## What to check in the disclosure packet

Read these together before you make an offer:

- The seller's account for any unpaid fines and what they were for.
- The fine schedule in the rules, and whether it respects the $50, $10-a-day, and $900 limits.
- Whether the documents promise notice, a cure period, and a hearing before a fine.
- Board minutes for a pattern of aggressive enforcement or fines that skipped the process.

## Why this matters to your offer

Virginia's low caps mean fines rarely snowball the way they can elsewhere, but a board that writes fine rules above the cap, or fines without a hearing, is telling you how it operates. That is worth knowing before you join the community.

An HOA Notes brief reads the enforcement rules against the statute, flags a fine schedule or a process that runs past the limits, and cites the page behind each finding.

## What the statute says

**Virginia Code section 55.1-1819** (Fine notice and hearing rights). Before assessing any charge for a rule violation, the association must provide written notice of the alleged violation to the owner's address of record with a reasonable opportunity to correct; if the violation continues, a hearing notice must be delivered by hand or certified mail at least 14 days before the hearing specifying possible penalties; written hearing results must be delivered within 7 days; the owner has the right to be heard and represented by counsel; fine caps: $50 per single offense, $10 per day for a continuing offense, capped at 90 days ($900 maximum per violation). The association may pursue injunctive relief or actual damages in court, suspend a member's right to use common area facilities for assessments more than 60 days past due (but may not deny direct access to the owner's lot over a common area), and enforce through standard creditor remedies after winning in court.

## Virginia HOA fines: common questions

### How much can a Virginia HOA fine be?

Up to $50 for a single offense and $10 per day for a continuing one. A continuing-violation fine cannot run more than 90 days, so the maximum for one ongoing issue is $900.

### Does a Virginia HOA have to give me a chance to fix it first?

Yes. The association must give written notice of the alleged violation and a reasonable opportunity to correct it before charging any fine.

### How much notice before an HOA hearing in Virginia?

At least 14 days. The hearing notice must be hand delivered or sent by certified mail and must specify the possible penalties.

### Can I bring a lawyer to the hearing?

Yes. Code of Virginia 55.1-1819 gives the owner the right to be heard and to be represented by counsel, with the written result delivered within 7 days.

## Sources (verified 2026-06-03)

1. Code of Virginia section 55.1-1819 (adoption and enforcement of rules), Virginia General Assembly. Verified 2026-06-03. https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title55.1/chapter18/section55.1-1819/
2. Code of Virginia section 55.1-1819, FindLaw. Verified 2026-06-03. https://codes.findlaw.com/va/title-55-1-property-and-conveyances/va-code-sect-55-1-1819/
3. Virginia Property Owners' Association Act, Chapter 18, Homeowners Protection Bureau. Verified 2026-06-03. https://www.hopb.co/virginia-hoa-laws-property-owners-association-act-chapter-18

HOA Notes is not a law firm and this is not legal advice.