SECTION 55-508. Applicability  

A. This chapter shall apply to developments subject to a declaration, as defined herein, initially recorded after January 1, 1959, associations incorporated or otherwise organized after such date, and all subdivisions created under the former Subdivided Land Sales Act (§ 55-336 et seq.). For the purposes of this chapter, as used in the former Subdivided Land Sales Act, the terms:

"Covenants," "deed restrictions," or "other recorded instruments" for the management, regulation and control of a development shall be deemed to correspond with the term "declaration";

"Developer" shall be deemed to correspond with the term "declarant";

"Lot" shall be deemed to correspond with the term "lot"; and

"Subdivision" shall be deemed to correspond with the term "development."

B. This chapter shall be deemed to supersede the former Subdivided Land Sales Act (§ 55-336 et seq.), and no development shall be established under the latter on or after July 1, 1998.

This chapter shall not be construed to affect the validity of any provision of any declaration recorded prior to July 1, 1998, provided, however, that this chapter shall be applicable to any development established prior to the enactment of the former Subdivided Land Sales Act (§ 55-336 et seq.)(i) located in a county with an urban county executive form of government, (ii) containing 500 or more lots, (iii) each lot of which is located within the boundaries of a watershed improvement district established pursuant to Article 3 (§ 55-336 et seq.) of Chapter 6 of Title 10.1, and (iv) each lot of which is subject to substantially similar deed restrictions, which shall be considered a declaration under this chapter.

In addition, any development established prior to the enactment of the former Subdivided Land Sales Act (§ 55-336 et seq.) may specifically provide for the applicability of the provisions of this chapter.

C. This chapter shall not be construed to affect the validity of any provision of any prior declaration; however, to the extent the declaration is silent, the provisions of this chapter shall apply. If any one lot in a development is subject to the provisions of this chapter, all lots in the development shall be subject to the provisions of this chapter notwithstanding the fact that such lots would otherwise be excluded from the provisions of this chapter. Notwithstanding any provisions of this chapter, a declaration may specifically provide for the applicability of the provisions of this chapter. The granting of rights in this chapter shall not be construed to imply that such rights did not exist with respect to any development created in the Commonwealth before July 1, 1989.

D. This chapter shall not apply to the (i) provisions of documents of, (ii) operations of any association governing, or (iii) relationship of a member to any association governing condominiums created pursuant to the Condominium Act (§ 55-336 et seq.), cooperatives created pursuant to the Virginia Real Estate Cooperative Act (§ 55-336 et seq.), time-shares created pursuant to the Virginia Real Estate Time-Share Act (§ 55-336 et seq.), or membership campgrounds created pursuant to the Virginia Membership Camping Act (§ 55-336 et seq.). This chapter shall not apply to any nonstock, nonprofit, taxable corporation with nonmandatory membership which, as its primary function, makes available golf, ski and other recreational facilities both to its members and the general public.

1989, c. 679; 1991, c. 667; 1992, c. 677; 1998, cc. 55-336 , 55-336 ; 2003, c. 55-336 ; 2005, c. 55-336 ; 2008, cc. 55-336 , 55-336 ; 2018, c. 55-336 .