Sec. 47-202. *(See end of section for amended version and effective date.) Definitions. In the declaration and bylaws, unless specifically provided otherwise or the
context otherwise requires, and in this chapter:
(1) "Affiliate of a declarant" means any person who controls, is controlled by, or
is under common control with a declarant. (A) A person "controls" a declarant if the
person (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 persons, or through one or more
subsidiaries, owns, controls, holds with power to vote, or holds proxies representing,
more than twenty per cent of the voting interest in the declarant, (iii) controls in any
manner the election of a majority of the directors of the declarant, or (iv) has contributed
more than twenty per cent of the capital of the declarant. (B) A person "is controlled
by" a declarant if the declarant (i) is a general partner, officer, director, or employer of
the person, (ii) directly or indirectly or acting in concert with one or more other persons,
or through one or more subsidiaries, owns, controls, holds with power to vote, or holds
proxies representing, more than twenty per cent of the voting interest in the person, (iii)
controls in any manner the election of a majority of the directors of the person, or (iv)
has contributed more than twenty per cent of the capital of the person. Control does not
exist if the powers described in this subsection are held solely as security for an obligation
and are not exercised.
(2) "Allocated interests" means the following interests allocated to each unit: (A)
In a condominium, the undivided interest in the common elements, the common expense
liability, and votes in the association; (B) in a cooperative, the common expense liability
and the ownership interest and votes in the association; and (C) in a planned community,
the common expense liability and votes in the association.
(3) "Association" or "unit owners' association" means the unit owners' association
organized under section 47-243.
(4) "Common elements" means (A) in the case of (i) a condominium or cooperative,
all portions of the common interest community other than the units; and (ii) a planned
community, any real property within a planned community owned or leased by the
association, other than a unit, and (B) in all common interest communities, any other
interests in real property for the benefit of unit owners which are subject to the declaration.
(5) "Common expenses" means expenditures made by, or financial liabilities of,
the association, together with any allocations to reserves.
(6) "Common expense liability" means the liability for common expenses allocated
to each unit pursuant to section 47-226.
(7) "Common interest community" means real property described in a declaration
with respect to which a person, by virtue of his ownership of a unit, is obligated to pay
for (A) real property taxes on, (B) insurance premiums on, (C) maintenance of, or (D)
improvement of, any other real property other than that unit described in the declaration.
"Ownership of a unit" includes holding a leasehold interest of forty years or more in a
unit, including renewal options. "Ownership of a unit" does not include the interest
which a resident holds in a mutual housing association, as defined in subsection (b) of
section 8-214f, by virtue of either a state contract for financial assistance or an individual
occupancy agreement. An association of property owners funded solely by voluntary
payments from those owners is not a common interest community.
(8) "Condominium" means a common interest community in which portions of the
real property are designated for separate ownership and the remainder of the real property
is designated for common ownership solely by the owners of those portions. A common
interest community is not a condominium unless the undivided interests in the common
elements are vested in the unit owners.
(9) "Conversion building" means a building that at any time before creation of the
common interest community was occupied wholly or partially by persons other than
purchasers and persons who occupy with the consent of purchasers.
(10) "Cooperative" means a common interest community in which the real property
is owned by an association, each of whose members is entitled by virtue of his ownership
interest in the association to exclusive possession of a unit.
(11) "Dealer" means a person who owns either six or more units, or fifty per cent
or more of all the units, in a common interest community.
(12) "Declarant" means any person or group of persons acting in concert who (A)
as part of a common promotional plan, offers to dispose of his interest in a unit not
previously disposed of or (B) reserves or succeeds to any special declarant right.
(13) "Declaration" means any instruments, however denominated, that create a
common interest community, including any amendments to those instruments.
(14) "Development rights" means any right or combination of rights reserved by a
declarant in the declaration to (A) add real property to a common interest community;
(B) create units, common elements, or limited common elements within a common
interest community; (C) subdivide units or convert units into common elements; or (D)
withdraw real property from a common interest community.
(15) "Dispose" or "disposition" means a voluntary transfer to a purchaser of any
legal or equitable interest in a unit, but the term does not include the transfer or release
of a security interest.
(16) "Executive board" means the body, regardless of name, designated in the declaration to act on behalf of the association.
(17) "Identifying number" means a symbol or address that identifies only one unit
in a common interest community.
(18) "Leasehold common interest community" means a common interest community in which all or a portion of the real property is subject to a lease the expiration or
termination of which will terminate the common interest community or reduce its size.
(19) "Limited common element" means a portion of the common elements allocated
by the declaration or by operation of subsection (2) or (4) of section 47-221 for the
exclusive use of one or more but fewer than all of the units.
(20) "Master association" means an organization described in section 47-239,
whether or not it is also an association described in section 47-243.
(21) "Offer" or "offering" means any advertisement, inducement, solicitation or
attempt to encourage any person to acquire any interest in a unit, 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 common interest community
not located in this state, is not an offering if the advertisement states that an offering
may be made only in compliance with the law of the jurisdiction in which the common
interest community is located.
(22) "Person" means an individual, corporation, limited liability company, business
trust, estate, trust, partnership, association, joint venture, government, governmental
subdivision or agency, or other legal or commercial entity.
(23) "Planned community" means a common interest community that is not a condominium or a cooperative. A condominium or cooperative may be part of a planned
community.
(24) "Proprietary lease" means an agreement with the association pursuant to which
a member is entitled to exclusive possession of a unit in a cooperative.
(25) "Purchaser" means a person, other than a declarant or a dealer, who by means
of a voluntary transfer acquires a legal or equitable interest in a unit other than (A) a
leasehold interest, including renewal options, of less than twenty years, or (B) as security
for an obligation.
(26) "Real property" 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 law pass with a conveyance of land though not described in the contract
of sale or instrument of conveyance. "Real property" includes parcels with or without
upper or lower boundaries, and spaces that may be filled with air or water.
(27) "Residential purposes" means use for dwelling or recreational purposes, or
both.
(28) "Security interest" means an interest in real property or personal property,
created by contract or conveyance, which secures payment or performance of an obligation. The term includes a lien created by a mortgage, deed of trust, trust deed, security
deed, contract for deed, land sales contract, lease intended as security, assignment of
lease or rents intended as security, pledge of an ownership interest in an association, and
any other consensual lien or title retention contract intended as security for an obligation.
(29) "Special declarant rights" means rights reserved for the benefit of a declarant
to (A) complete improvements indicated on surveys and plans filed with the declaration
or, in a cooperative, to complete improvements described in the public offering statement
pursuant to subdivision (2) of subsection (a) of section 47-264; (B) exercise any development right; (C) maintain sales offices, management offices, signs advertising the common interest community, and models; (D) use easements through the common elements
for the purpose of making improvements within the common interest community or
within real property which may be added to the common interest community; (E) make
the common interest community subject to a master association; (F) merge or consolidate
a common interest community with another common interest community of the same
form of ownership; or (G) appoint or remove any officer of the association or any master
association or any executive board member during any period of declarant control.
(30) "Time share" means a right to occupy a unit or any of several units 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 common interest community or a specified portion thereof.
(31) "Unit" means a physical portion of the common interest community designated
for separate ownership or occupancy, the boundaries of which are described pursuant
to subdivision (5) of subsection (a) of section 47-224. If a unit in a cooperative is owned
by a unit owner or is sold, conveyed, voluntarily or involuntarily encumbered or otherwise transferred by a unit owner, the interest in that unit which is owned, sold, conveyed,
encumbered or otherwise transferred is the right to possession of that unit under a proprietary lease, coupled with the allocated interests of that unit, and the association's interest
in that unit is not thereby affected.
(32) "Unit owner" means a declarant or other person who owns a unit, or a lessee
of a unit in a leasehold common interest community whose lease expires simultaneously
with any lease the expiration or termination of which will remove the unit from the
common interest community, but does not include a person having an interest in a unit
solely as security for an obligation. In a condominium or planned community, the declarant is the owner of any unit created by the declaration. In a cooperative, the declarant
is treated as the owner of any unit to which allocated interests have been allocated until
that unit has been conveyed to another person.
(P.A. 83-474, S. 3, 96; P.A. 84-472, S. 1, 23; P.A. 91-341, S. 14, 19; P.A. 95-79, S. 170, 189; 95-187, S. 1.)
*Note: On and after July 1, 2010, this section, as amended by section 1 of public act
09-225, is to read as follows:
"Sec. 47-202. Definitions. In the declaration and bylaws, unless specifically provided otherwise or the context otherwise requires, and in this chapter:
(1) "Affiliate of a declarant" means any person who controls, is controlled by, or
is under common control with a declarant. (A) A person "controls" a declarant if the
person (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 persons, or through one or more
subsidiaries, owns, controls, holds with power to vote, or holds proxies representing,
more than twenty per cent of the voting interest in the declarant, (iii) controls in any
manner the election of a majority of the directors of the declarant, or (iv) has contributed
more than twenty per cent of the capital of the declarant. (B) A person "is controlled
by" a declarant if the declarant (i) is a general partner, officer, director, or employer of
the person, (ii) directly or indirectly or acting in concert with one or more other persons,
or through one or more subsidiaries, owns, controls, holds with power to vote, or holds
proxies representing, more than twenty per cent of the voting interest in the person, (iii)
controls in any manner the election of a majority of the directors of the person, or (iv)
has contributed more than twenty per cent of the capital of the person. Control does not
exist if the powers described in this subsection are held solely as security for an obligation
and are not exercised.
(2) "Allocated interests" means the following interests allocated to each unit: (A)
In a condominium, the undivided interest in the common elements, the common expense
liability, and votes in the association; (B) in a cooperative, the common expense liability
and the ownership interest and votes in the association; and (C) in a planned community,
the common expense liability and votes in the association.
(3) "Assessment" means the sums attributable to a unit and due to the association
pursuant to section 47-257.
(4) "Association" or "unit owners' association" means the unit owners' association
organized under section 47-243.
(5) "Bylaws" means the instruments, however denominated, that contain the procedures for conduct of the affairs of the association regardless of the form in which the
association is organized, including any amendments to the instruments.
(6) "Common elements" means (A) in the case of (i) a condominium or cooperative,
all portions of the common interest community other than the units; and (ii) a planned
community, any real property within a planned community owned or leased by the
association, other than a unit, and (B) in all common interest communities, any other
interests in real property for the benefit of unit owners which are subject to the declaration.
(7) "Common expenses" means expenditures made by, or financial liabilities of,
the association, together with any allocations to reserves.
(8) "Common expense liability" means the liability for common expenses allocated
to each unit pursuant to section 47-226.
(9) "Common interest community" means real property described in a declaration
with respect to which a person, by virtue of his ownership of a unit, is obligated to pay
for a share of (A) real property taxes on, (B) insurance premiums on, (C) maintenance
of, (D) improvement of, or (E) services or other expenses related to, common elements,
other units or any other real property other than that unit described in the declaration.
"Common interest community" does not include an arrangement described in section
47-219a or 47-219b. For purposes of this subdivision, "ownership of a unit" includes
holding a leasehold interest of forty years or more in a unit, including renewal options.
"Ownership of a unit" does not include the interest which a resident holds in a mutual
housing association, as defined in subsection (b) of section 8-214f, by virtue of either
a state contract for financial assistance or an individual occupancy agreement. An association of property owners funded solely by voluntary payments from those owners is not
a common interest community.
(10) "Condominium" means a common interest community in which portions of
the real property are designated for separate ownership and the remainder of the real
property is designated for common ownership solely by the owners of those portions.
A common interest community is not a condominium unless the undivided interests in
the common elements are vested in the unit owners.
(11) "Conversion building" means a building that at any time before creation of the
common interest community was occupied wholly or partially by persons other than
purchasers and persons who occupy with the consent of purchasers.
(12) "Cooperative" means a common interest community in which the real property
is owned by an association, each of whose members is entitled by virtue of his ownership
interest in the association to exclusive possession of a unit.
(13) "Dealer" means a person who owns either six or more units, or fifty per cent
or more of all the units, in a common interest community.
(14) "Declarant" means any person or group of persons acting in concert who (A)
as part of a common promotional plan, offers to dispose of his interest in a unit not
previously disposed of or (B) reserves or succeeds to any special declarant right.
(15) "Declaration" means any instruments, however denominated, that create a
common interest community, including any amendments to those instruments.
(16) "Development rights" means any right or combination of rights reserved by a
declarant in the declaration to (A) add real property to a common interest community;
(B) create units, common elements, or limited common elements within a common
interest community; (C) subdivide units or convert units into common elements; or (D)
withdraw real property from a common interest community.
(17) "Dispose" or "disposition" means a voluntary transfer to a purchaser of any
legal or equitable interest in a unit, but the term does not include the transfer or release
of a security interest.
(18) "Executive board" means the body, regardless of name, designated in the declaration to act on behalf of the association.
(19) "Identifying number" means a symbol or address that identifies only one unit
in a common interest community.
(20) "Leasehold common interest community" means a common interest community in which all or a portion of the real property is subject to a lease the expiration or
termination of which will terminate the common interest community or reduce its size.
(21) "Limited common element" means a portion of the common elements allocated
by the declaration or by operation of subsection (2) or (4) of section 47-221 for the
exclusive use of one or more but fewer than all of the units.
(22) "Master association" means an organization described in section 47-239,
whether or not it is also an association described in section 47-243.
(23) "Offer" or "offering" means any advertisement, inducement, solicitation or
attempt to encourage any person to acquire any interest in a unit, 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 common interest community
not located in this state, is not an offering if the advertisement states that an offering
may be made only in compliance with the law of the jurisdiction in which the common
interest community is located.
(24) "Person" means an individual, corporation, limited liability company, business
trust, estate, trust, partnership, association, joint venture, public corporation, government, governmental subdivision or agency, instrumentality or any other legal or commercial entity.
(25) "Planned community" means a common interest community that is not a condominium or a cooperative. A condominium or cooperative may be part of a planned
community.
(26) "Proprietary lease" means an agreement with the association pursuant to which
a member is entitled to exclusive possession of a unit in a cooperative.
(27) "Purchaser" means a person, other than a declarant or a dealer, who by means
of a voluntary transfer acquires a legal or equitable interest in a unit other than (A) a
leasehold interest, including renewal options, of less than twenty years, or (B) as security
for an obligation.
(28) "Real property" 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 law pass with a conveyance of land though not described in the contract
of sale or instrument of conveyance. "Real property" includes parcels with or without
upper or lower boundaries, and spaces that may be filled with air or water.
(29) "Record", used as a noun, means information that is inscribed on a tangible
medium or that is stored in an electronic or other medium and is retrievable in perceivable form.
(30) "Residential purposes" means use for dwelling or recreational purposes, or
both.
(31) "Rule" means a policy, guideline, restriction, procedure or regulation of an
association, however denominated, which is adopted by an association pursuant to section 47-261c, which is not set forth in the declaration or bylaws and which governs the
conduct of persons or the use or appearance of property.
(32) "Security interest" means an interest in real property or personal property,
created by contract or conveyance, which secures payment or performance of an obligation. The term includes a lien created by a mortgage, deed of trust, trust deed, security
deed, contract for deed, land sales contract, lease intended as security, assignment of
lease or rents intended as security, pledge of an ownership interest in an association, and
any other consensual lien or title retention contract intended as security for an obligation.
(33) "Special declarant rights" means rights reserved for the benefit of a declarant
to (A) complete improvements indicated on surveys and plans filed with the declaration
or, in a cooperative, to complete improvements described in the public offering statement
pursuant to subdivision (2) of subsection (a) of section 47-264; (B) exercise any development right; (C) maintain sales offices, management offices, signs advertising the common interest community, and models; (D) use easements through the common elements
for the purpose of making improvements within the common interest community or
within real property which may be added to the common interest community; (E) make
the common interest community subject to a master association; (F) merge or consolidate
a common interest community with another common interest community of the same
form of ownership; (G) appoint or remove any officer of the association or any master
association or any executive board member during any period of declarant control; (H)
control any construction, design review or aesthetic standards committee or process;
(I) attend meetings of the unit owners and, except during an executive session, the
executive board; or (J) have access to the records of the association to the same extent
as a unit owner.
(34) "Time share" means a right to occupy a unit or any of several units 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 common interest community or a specified portion thereof.
(35) "Unit" means a physical portion of the common interest community designated
for separate ownership or occupancy, the boundaries of which are described pursuant
to subdivision (5) of subsection (a) of section 47-224. If a unit in a cooperative is owned
by a unit owner or is sold, conveyed, voluntarily or involuntarily encumbered or otherwise transferred by a unit owner, the interest in that unit which is owned, sold, conveyed,
encumbered or otherwise transferred is the right to possession of that unit under a proprietary lease, coupled with the allocated interests of that unit, and the association's interest
in that unit is not thereby affected.
(36) "Unit owner" means a declarant or other person who owns a unit, or a lessee
of a unit in a leasehold common interest community whose lease expires simultaneously
with any lease the expiration or termination of which will remove the unit from the
common interest community, but does not include a person having an interest in a unit
solely as security for an obligation. In a condominium or planned community, the declarant is the owner of any unit created by the declaration. In a cooperative, the declarant
is treated as the owner of any unit to which allocated interests have been allocated until
that unit has been conveyed to another person."
(P.A. 83-474, S. 3, 96; P.A. 84-472, S. 1, 23; P.A. 91-341, S. 14, 19; P.A. 95-79, S. 170, 189; 95-187, S. 1; P.A. 09-225, S. 1.)
History: P.A. 84-472 amended Subdiv. (7) to exclude from the definition of a common interest community an association
of property owners funded solely by voluntary payments from those owners, and to increase from 20 to 40 years the
minimum period for holding a leasehold interest in a unit that constitutes "ownership of a unit"; P.A. 91-341 amended
Subdiv. (7) to add provision that "ownership of a unit" does not include the interest which a resident holds in a mutual
housing association by virtue of either a state contract for financial assistance or an individual occupancy agreement; P.A.
95-79 redefined "person" to include a limited liability company, effective May 31, 1995; P.A. 95-187 amended the definition
of "common elements" by redesignating the existing provisions re a condominium or cooperative and re a planned community as Subparas. (A)(i) and (A)(ii), respectively, and adding new Subpara. (B) to include in the definition any other interests
in real property for the benefit of unit owners which are subject to the declaration; P.A. 09-225 defined "assessment" in
new Subdiv. (3), "bylaws" in new Subdiv. (5), "record" in new Subdiv. (29) and "rule" in new Subdiv. (31), redefined
"common interest community" in redesignated Subdiv. (9), "person" in redesignated Subdiv. (24) and "special declarant
rights" in redesignated Subdiv. (33) and redesignated existing Subdivs. (3) to (32) as Subdivs. (4), (6) to (28), (30) and
(32) to (36), effective July 1, 2010.
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Sec. 47-204. Separate titles and taxation. Recording of certificate by cooperative. Conveyance of interest in cooperative. (a) In a cooperative, a unit owner's interest
in a unit and its allocated interests is a real property interest for all purposes, except that
the real property constituting the cooperative shall be taxed and assessed as a whole and
a unit owner's interest shall not be separately taxed.
(b) In a condominium or planned community:
(1) If there is any unit owner other than a declarant, each unit that has been created,
together with its interest in the common elements, constitutes for all purposes a separate
parcel of real property.
(2) If there is any unit owner other than a declarant, each unit shall be separately
taxed and assessed, and no separate tax or assessment may be rendered against any
common elements for which a declarant has reserved no development rights.
(c) Any portion of the common elements for which the declarant has reserved any
development right shall be separately taxed and assessed against the declarant, and the
declarant alone is liable for payment of those taxes.
(d) If there is no unit owner other than a declarant, the real property comprising the
common interest community may be taxed and assessed in any manner provided by law.
(e) (1) If a cooperative was created before January 1, 1984, the association may,
pursuant to this section, record a certificate on the land records signed by the president
of the association and attested by its secretary, or signed by such other persons authorized
to act on behalf of the association by the instruments creating or governing the cooperative. The certificate shall contain or have attached as exhibits:
(A) A statement that the association is a corporation or other legal entity formed
for the purpose of cooperative ownership of real property;
(B) A statement that the certificate is recorded pursuant to this section;
(C) A statement that the facts contained in the certificate accurately restate facts
contained in the books and records of the association;
(D) A statement of the location where the books and records, including the form of
proprietary lease, of the association are maintained;
(E) A description of the real property owned by the association or a reference to
the volume and page of the land records at which a description may be obtained, together
with the date on which title to the real property owned by the association was acquired,
and a reference to the deed under which the association took title;
(F) If the association is incorporated: (i) A certified copy of the current certificate
of incorporation of the association; (ii) a certified copy of the last annual or biennial
report of the association filed with the Secretary of the State; and (iii) a certificate of
good standing for the corporation issued by the Secretary of the State within ninety days
of the date of the recorded certificate;
(G) A list of the unit numbers of all units in the cooperative, together with the
following information for each unit: (i) The current stock or membership certificate
number, if any, for the unit; (ii) the name of the current unit owners of the unit; (iii) the
date on which the proprietary lease for the unit was signed; and (iv) the identity of all
holders of security interests in the unit as they appear on the books and records of the
association, together with a description of the nature of each security interest and the
date on which each security interest was granted.
(2) The certificate may be amended to include any other provision permitted by
law, following a vote of unit owners necessary to amend instruments pursuant to section
47-218.
(3) A recorded certificate that complies with this section constitutes the declaration
for the cooperative for purposes of this chapter and is sufficient evidence for purposes
of sections 47-33b to 47-33l, inclusive, concerning marketable record title, that:
(A) The real property described or referred to in the certificate is a cooperative
within the meaning of this chapter; and
(B) The persons described as unit owners in the certificate are owners of their respective units in the cooperative, subject to the security interests, if any, identified in
the certificate and the interests of the association.
(4) If a transfer of any interest in a unit in a cooperative was made between January
1, 1984, and the date a certificate is recorded pursuant to this section, an identification
of the transferred interest in the recorded certificate validates that transfer for purposes
of this chapter but does not otherwise affect the validity of that transfer.
(5) The association may amend a recorded certificate any time to correct errors
contained in it or to reflect transfers of interests in the units which occurred prior to the
date of the certificate but which were not reflected on the books and records of the
association on that date.
(6) A conveyance of a unit owner's interest in a cooperative created before, on or
after January 1, 1984, is accomplished by delivery to the purchaser of an instrument,
executed in the same manner as a deed, conveying all the seller's interest in the unit. A
notice of a proprietary lease complying with section 47-19 and signed by a duly authorized officer of the association may be recorded on the land records as evidence of the
named unit owner's interest in that unit.
(P.A. 83-474, S. 5, 96; P.A. 84-472, S. 2, 23; P.A. 09-225, S. 44.)
History: P.A. 84-472 added Subsec. (e) re the recording of a certificate by the association of a cooperative created
before January 1, 1984, the contents, effect and amendment of such a certificate, and the manner of conveyance of an
interest in a cooperative; P.A. 09-225 amended Subsec. (e)(6) to insert "on" re January 1, 1984, effective July 8, 2009.
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Sec. 47-213a. (Note: This section is effective July 1, 2010.) Relationship of
chapter to Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act. This chapter modifies, limits and supersedes the federal Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act, 15 USC 7001, et seq., but does not modify, limit or supersede
Section 101(c) of that act, 15 USC 7001(c), or authorize electronic delivery of any of
the notices described in Section 103(b) of that act, 15 USC 7003(b).
(P.A. 09-225, S. 2.)
History: P.A. 09-225 effective July 1, 2010.
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Sec. 47-214. *(See end of section for amended version and effective date.) Applicability of chapter and amendments thereto to common interest communities.
Except as provided in section 47-215, the provisions of this chapter apply to all common
interest communities created within this state on or after January 1, 1984. The provisions
of chapter 825 do not apply to condominiums created on or after January 1, 1984.
Amendments to this chapter apply to all common interest communities created after
January 1, 1984, or subjected to this chapter, regardless of when the amendment is
adopted.
(P.A. 83-474, S. 15, 96; P.A. 95-187, S. 4.)
*Note: On and after July 1, 2010, this section, as amended by section 3 of public act
09-225, is to read as follows:
"Sec. 47-214. Applicability of chapter and amendments thereto to common
interest communities. Except as provided in section 47-216, the provisions of this
chapter apply to all common interest communities created within this state on or after
January 1, 1984. The provisions of chapter 825 do not apply to condominiums created
on or after January 1, 1984. Amendments to this chapter apply to all common interest
communities created after January 1, 1984, or subjected to this chapter by amendment
of the declaration of the common interest community, regardless of when the amendment
to this chapter is adopted, except that an amendment to this chapter applies only to
events and circumstances occurring on or after the effective date of such amendment
to this chapter."
(P.A. 83-474, S. 15, 96; P.A. 95-187, S. 4; P.A. 09-225, S. 3.)
History: P.A. 95-187 added provision re applicability of amendments to chapter; P.A. 09-225 substituted Sec. 47-216
for Sec. 47-215 in exception re applicability of chapter and added provisions re amendment of declaration and amendments
to chapter, effective July 1, 2010.
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Sec. 47-215. *(See end of section for amended version and effective date.) Applicability to nonresidential, mixed use and small common interest communities,
limited expense liability planned communities and common interest communities
with a conversion building. (a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section
with respect to a common interest community containing a conversion building:
(1) If a common interest community contains only units restricted to nonresidential use:
(A) The common interest community is not subject to this chapter unless the declaration otherwise provides;
(B) The declaration of such a common interest community may provide that this
entire chapter applies to the community or that only sections 47-204, 47-205 and 47-206 apply;
(C) If the declaration provides that this entire chapter applies to such a common
interest community, the declaration may also require, subject to section 47-210, that:
(i) Notwithstanding section 47-247, any management contract, employment contract,
lease of recreational or parking areas or facilities and any other contract or lease between
the association and a declarant or an affiliate of a declarant remains effective after the
declarant turns over control of the association; and (ii) notwithstanding section 47-203,
purchasers of units must execute proxies, powers of attorney or similar devices in favor
of the declarant regarding particular matters enumerated in those instruments.
(2) If a common interest community contains units restricted exclusively to nonresidential purposes and other units that may be used for residential purposes, that common
interest community is not subject to this chapter unless the units that may be used for
residential purposes would comprise a common interest community in the absence of
the nonresidential units or the declaration provides that this chapter applies as provided
in subparagraph (B) or (C) of subdivision (1) of this subsection.
(3) If the declaration of a planned community that is not subject to any development
right provides that the annual average common expense liability of all units restricted
to residential purposes, exclusive of optional user fees and any insurance premiums paid
by the association, may not exceed three hundred dollars, as adjusted pursuant to section
47-213, the planned community is subject only to sections 47-204, 47-205 and 47-206 unless the declaration provides that this entire chapter is applicable. However, this
exemption applies only if:
(A) The declarant reasonably believes in good faith that the maximum annual common expense liability assessed against the units will be sufficient to pay the expenses
of the planned community; and
(B) The declaration provides that the annual common expense liability may not be
increased during the period of declarant control without the consent of persons entitled
to cast at least eighty per cent of the votes in the association, including eighty per cent
of the votes allocated to units not owned by a declarant or an affiliate of a declarant.
(b) In the case of a common interest community containing a conversion building,
sections 47-282 to 47-292, inclusive, apply whether or not the common interest community is exempt from other provisions of this chapter pursuant to subsection (a) of this
section. The provisions of sections 47-282 to 47-292, inclusive, apply to a common
interest community containing a conversion building created on or after July 8, 1983.
The provisions of sections 47-88b to 47-88g, inclusive, do not apply to a condominium
containing a conversion building created on or after July 8, 1983.
(c) If a common interest community contains no more than twelve units and (1) is
not subject to any development rights and (2) does not utilize a master association, the
declarant is not required to deliver a public offering statement pursuant to section 47-263 or 47-264; resale certificates are not required, as provided in section 47-270, and
the association is not required to maintain records necessary to comply with section
47-270. A declarant shall not divide real property into two or more common interest
communities to avoid the public offering statement requirements of sections 47-263
and 47-264.
(P.A. 83-474, S. 16, 96; P.A. 84-472, S. 4, 5, 23; P.A. 95-187, S. 5; P.A. 07-217, S. 179.)
*Note: On and after July 1, 2010, this section, as amended by section 4 of public act
09-225, is to read as follows:
"Sec. 47-215. Applicability to nonresidential, mixed use and small common
interest communities, limited expense liability planned communities and common
interest communities with a conversion building. (a) Except as provided in subsection
(b) of this section with respect to a common interest community containing a conversion
building:
(1) If a common interest community contains only units restricted exclusively to
nonresidential use:
(A) The common interest community is not subject to this chapter unless the declaration otherwise provides;
(B) The declaration of such a common interest community may provide that this
entire chapter applies to the community, that only this part and part II of this chapter
apply or that only sections 47-204, 47-205 and 47-206 apply;
(C) If the declaration provides that this entire chapter applies to such a common
interest community, the declaration may also require, subject to section 47-210, that:
(i) Notwithstanding section 47-247, any management contract, employment contract,
lease of recreational or parking areas or facilities and any other contract or lease between
the association and a declarant or an affiliate of a declarant remains effective after the
declarant turns over control of the association; and (ii) notwithstanding section 47-203,
purchasers of units must execute proxies, powers of attorney or similar devices in favor
of the declarant regarding particular matters enumerated in those instruments.
(2) If a common interest community contains units restricted exclusively to nonresidential purposes and other units that may be used for residential purposes, that common
interest community is not subject to this chapter unless the units that may be used for
residential purposes would comprise a common interest community in the absence of
the nonresidential units or the declaration provides that this chapter applies as provided
in subparagraph (B) or (C) of subdivision (1) of this subsection.
(3) If the declaration of a planned community that is not subject to any development
right provides that the annual average common expense liability of all units restricted
to residential purposes, exclusive of optional user fees and any insurance premiums paid
by the association, may not exceed three hundred dollars, as adjusted pursuant to section
47-213, the planned community is subject only to sections 47-204, 47-205 and 47-206 unless the declaration provides that this entire chapter is applicable. However, this
exemption applies only if:
(A) The declarant reasonably believes in good faith that the maximum annual common expense liability assessed against the units will be sufficient to pay the expenses
of the planned community; and
(B) The declaration provides that the annual common expense liability may not be
increased during the period of declarant control without the consent of persons entitled
to cast at least eighty per cent of the votes in the association, including eighty per cent
of the votes allocated to units not owned by a declarant or an affiliate of a declarant.
(b) In the case of a common interest community containing a conversion building,
sections 47-282 to 47-292, inclusive, apply whether or not the common interest community is exempt from other provisions of this chapter pursuant to subsection (a) of this
section. The provisions of sections 47-282 to 47-292, inclusive, apply to a common
interest community containing a conversion building created on or after July 8, 1983.
The provisions of sections 47-88b to 47-88g, inclusive, do not apply to a condominium
containing a conversion building created on or after July 8, 1983.
(c) If a common interest community contains no more than twelve units and (1) is
not subject to any development rights and (2) does not utilize a master association, the
declarant is not required to deliver a public offering statement pursuant to section 47-263 or 47-264; resale certificates are not required, as provided in section 47-270, and
the association is not required to maintain records necessary to comply with section
47-270. A declarant shall not divide real property into two or more common interest
communities to avoid the public offering statement requirements of sections 47-263
and 47-264."
(P.A. 83-474, S. 16, 96; P.A. 84-472, S. 4, 5, 23; P.A. 95-187, S. 5; P.A. 07-217, S. 179; P.A. 09-225, S. 4.)
History: P.A. 84-472 amended Subsec. (b) to make a technical clarification and amended Subsec. (c) to exclude certain
common interest communities which do "not utilize a master association" from certain requirements and to add a provision
prohibiting a declarant dividing real property into two or more common interest communities to avoid the public offering
statement requirements of Secs. 47-263 and 47-264; P.A. 95-187 amended Subsec. (a) to revise Subdiv. (1) re applicability
of chapter to nonresidential communities by deleting the provision that a nonresidential community "is subject only to
sections 47-204, 47-205 and 47-206 unless the declaration provides that this entire chapter is applicable" and adding
Subparas. (A), (B) and (C), add a new Subdiv. (2) re applicability of chapter to a community that contains both nonresidential
and residential units, renumbering former Subdiv. (2) as Subdiv. (3), and revise renumbered Subdiv. (3) by restricting the
exemption to a planned community "that is not subject to any development right", increasing the maximum annual average
common expense liability for the exemption to apply from $100 to $300 and adding Subparas. (A) and (B) limiting when
the exemption applies; P.A. 07-217 made a technical change in Subsec. (b), effective July 12, 2007; P.A. 09-225 inserted
"exclusively" in Subsec. (a)(1) and "that only this part and part II of this chapter apply" in Subsec. (a)(1)(B), effective
July 1, 2010.
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Sec. 47-216. *(See end of section for amended version and effective date.) Applicability to preexisting common interest communities. (a) Except as provided in
section 47-217, sections 47-204, 47-205, 47-206, 47-222, 47-223, 47-240, 47-244, 47-253, 47-258, 47-260, 47-270 and 47-278, and subsection (j) of section 47-236, and
section 47-202 to the extent necessary in construing any of those sections, apply to all
common interest communities created in this state before January 1, 1984; but those
sections apply only with respect to events and circumstances occurring after January 1,
1984, and do not invalidate existing provisions of the declaration, bylaws or surveys or
plans of those common interest communities.
(b) Section 47-210 and subsections (b) to (d), inclusive, of section 47-225 apply to
all common interest communities created in this state prior to January 1, 1984, but shall
not invalidate existing provisions of the declarations, bylaws or surveys or plans of those
common interest communities.
(P.A. 83-474, S. 17, 96; P.A. 84-472, S. 6, 23; P.A. 95-187, S. 6, 28.)
*Note: On and after July 1, 2010, this section, as amended by section 5 of public act
09-225, is to read as follows:
"Sec. 47-216. Applicability to preexisting common interest communities. (a)
Except as provided in section 47-217, sections 47-202, 47-204, 47-205, 47-206, 47-218, 47-221, 47-222, 47-223, subsections (b), (i) and (j) of section 47-236, sections 47-237, 47-240, 47-244, 47-250, 47-253, 47-255, 47-257, 47-258, 47-260, 47-270 and 47-278, to the extent necessary in construing any of those sections, apply to all common
interest communities created in this state before January 1, 1984; but those sections
apply only with respect to events and circumstances occurring after January 1, 1984,
and do not invalidate existing provisions of the declaration, bylaws or surveys or plans
of those common interest communities.
(b) Section 47-210 and subsections (b) to (d), inclusive, of section 47-225 apply to
all common interest communities created in this state prior to January 1, 1984, but shall
not invalidate existing provisions of the declarations, bylaws or surveys or plans of those
common interest communities."
(P.A. 83-474, S. 17, 96; P.A. 84-472, S. 6, 23; P.A. 95-187, S. 6, 28; P.A. 09-225, S. 5.)
History: P.A. 84-472 made technical clarifications; P.A. 95-187 designated existing provisions as Subsec. (a), replacing
reference to "subdivisions (1) to (6), inclusive, and (11) to (16), inclusive, of subsection (a) of section 47-244" with "section
47-244" and added reference to "subsection (j) of section 47-236", and added Subsec. (b) making Sec. 47-210 and Subsecs.
(b) to (d), inclusive, of Sec. 47-225 applicable to all common interest communities created prior to January 1, 1984, and
providing that those provisions do not invalidate existing provisions of the declarations, bylaws or surveys or plans of
those communities; P.A. 09-225 amended Subsec. (a) to add references to Secs. 47-218, 47-221, 47-237, 47-250, 47-255
and 47-257 and Subsecs. (b) and (i) of Sec. 47-236, effective July 1, 2010.
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Sec. 47-218. *(See end of section for amended version and effective date.) Applicability to amendments to governing instruments. (a) The declaration, bylaws or
surveys and plans of any common interest community created before January 1, 1984,
may be amended to achieve any result permitted by this chapter regardless of what
applicable law provided before January 1, 1984.
(b) An amendment to the declaration, bylaws or surveys and plans authorized by
subsection (a) of this section shall be adopted in conformity with any procedures and
requirements for amending the instruments specified by those instruments or, if there
are none, in conformity with the amendment procedures of this chapter. If an amendment
grants to any person any rights, powers or privileges permitted by this chapter, all correlative obligations, liabilities and restrictions in this chapter also apply to that person.
(P.A. 83-474, S. 19, 96; P.A. 84-472, S. 8, 23; P.A. 95-187, S. 8.)
*Note: On and after July 1, 2010, this section, as amended by section 6 of public act
09-225, is to read as follows:
"Sec. 47-218. Applicability to amendments to governing instruments. (a) The
declaration, bylaws or surveys and plans of any common interest community created
before January 1, 1984, may be amended to achieve any result permitted by this chapter
regardless of what applicable law provided before January 1, 1984.
(b) Except as otherwise provided in subsections (i) and (j) of section 47-236, an
amendment to the declaration, bylaws or surveys and plans authorized by subsection
(a) of this section shall be adopted in conformity with any procedures and requirements
for amending the instruments specified by those instruments or, if there are none, in
conformity with the amendment procedures of this chapter. If an amendment grants to
any person any rights, powers or privileges permitted by this chapter, all correlative
obligations, liabilities and restrictions in this chapter also apply to that person."
(P.A. 83-474, S. 19, 96; P.A. 84-472, S. 8, 23; P.A. 95-187, S. 8; P.A. 09-225, S. 6.)
History: P.A. 84-472 made technical clarifications; P.A. 95-187 amended Subsec. (a) to replace provisions that specified
that whether an amendment may be made pursuant to the law prior to January 1, 1984, or this chapter, and the law applicable
to such amendment, depended upon whether the substantive result accomplished by the amendment was or was not permitted by law prior to January 1, 1984, with provision that authorized the adoption of an amendment "to achieve any result
permitted by this chapter regardless of what applicable law provided before January 1, 1984," and amended Subsec. (b)
to replace requirement that an amendment be adopted "in conformity with the procedures and requirements of the law that
applied to the common interest community at the time it was created and in conformity with the procedures and requirements
specified by those instruments" with requirement that an amendment be adopted "in conformity with any procedures and
requirements for amending the instruments specified by those instruments or, if there are none, in conformity with the
amendment procedures of this chapter"; P.A. 09-225 inserted "Except as otherwise provided in subsections (i) and (j) of
section 47-236" in Subsec. (b), effective July 1, 2010.
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Sec. 47-219. *(See end of section for amended version and effective date.) Applicability to out-of-state common interest communities. This chapter does not apply
to common interest communities or units located outside this state, but the public offering statement provisions of sections 47-263 to 47-269, inclusive, apply to all contracts
for the disposition thereof signed in this state by any party following an offer made in
this state unless exempt under subsection (b) of section 47-262.
(P.A. 83-474, S. 20, 96.)
*Note: On and after July 1, 2010, this section, as amended by section 7 of public act
09-225, is to read as follows:
"Sec. 47-219. Applicability to out-of-state common interest communities. This
chapter does not apply to common interest communities or units located outside this
state, but the public offering statement provisions of sections 47-263 to 47-269, inclusive, apply to all contracts for the disposition of a unit in that common interest community
signed in this state by any party following an offer made in this state unless exempt
under subsection (b) of section 47-262."
(P.A. 83-474, S. 20, 96; P.A. 09-225, S. 7.)
History: P.A. 09-225 substituted "contracts for the disposition of a unit in that common interest community" for "contracts for the disposition thereof", effective July 1, 2010.
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Sec. 47-219a. (Note: This section is effective July 1, 2010.) Arrangements re
real property costs. Separate common interest community not created thereby. (a)
An arrangement between the associations for two or more common interest communities
to share the costs of real property taxes, insurance premiums, services, maintenance
or improvements of real property or other activities specified in their arrangement or
declarations does not create a separate common interest community.
(b) An arrangement between an association and the owner of real property that is
not part of a common interest community to share the costs of real property taxes,
insurance premiums, services, maintenance or improvements of real property or other
activities specified in their arrangement does not create a separate common interest
community, except that assessments against the units in the common interest community
required by the arrangement must be included in the periodic budget for the common
interest community, and the arrangement must be disclosed in all public offering statements and resale certificates required by this chapter.
(P.A. 09-225, S. 8.)
History: P.A. 09-225 effective July 1, 2010.
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Sec. 47-219b. (Note: This section is effective July 1, 2010.) Exemption re covenant to share costs or other obligations. A covenant that requires the owners of twelve
or fewer separately owned parcels of real property to share costs or other obligations
associated with a party wall, driveway, well, septic system or other similar use does not
create a common interest community unless a declaration otherwise provides.
(P.A. 09-225, S. 9.)
History: P.A. 09-225 effective July 1, 2010.
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Sec. 47-222. *(See end of section for amended version and effective date.) Construction and validity of declaration and bylaws. (a) All provisions of the declaration
and bylaws are severable.
(b) The rule against perpetuities does not apply to defeat any provision of the declaration or of the bylaws, rules or regulations adopted pursuant to subdivision (1) of subsection (a) of section 47-244.
(c) In the event of a conflict between the provisions of the declaration and the bylaws, the declaration prevails except to the extent the declaration is inconsistent with
this chapter.
(d) Title to a unit and common elements is not rendered unmarketable or otherwise
affected by reason of an insubstantial failure of the declaration to comply with this
chapter. Whether a substantial failure impairs marketability is not affected by this
chapter.
(e) In any case in which the surveys or plans required pursuant to section 47-228,
as identified in the declaration, are not recorded simultaneously with the remainder of
the declaration but are recorded thereafter, the failure to record the survey or plans
simultaneously with the remainder of the declaration is an insubstantial failure of the
declaration to comply with this chapter.
(P.A. 83-474, S. 23, 96; P.A. 99-238, S. 3, 8; P.A. 00-84, S. 3, 6.)
*Note: On and after July 1, 2010, this section, as amended by section 10 of public
act 09-225, is to read as follows:
"Sec. 47-222. Construction and validity of declaration, bylaws and rules. Marketability of title. Recording of surveys or plans. (a) All provisions of the declaration
and bylaws are severable.
(b) The rule against perpetuities does not apply to defeat any provision of the declaration or of the bylaws or rules of the association.
(c) In the event of a conflict between the provisions of the declaration and the bylaws, the declaration prevails except to the extent the declaration is inconsistent with
this chapter.
(d) Title to a unit and common elements is not rendered unmarketable or otherwise
affected by reason of an insubstantial failure of the declaration to comply with this
chapter. Whether a substantial failure impairs marketability is not affected by this
chapter.
(e) In any case in which the surveys or plans required pursuant to section 47-228,
as identified in the declaration, are not recorded simultaneously with the remainder of
the declaration but are recorded thereafter, the failure to record the survey or plans
simultaneously with the remainder of the declaration is an insubstantial failure of the
declaration to comply with this chapter."
(P.A. 83-474, S. 23, 96; P.A. 99-238, S. 3, 8; P.A. 00-84, S. 3, 6; P.A. 09-225, S. 10.)
History: P.A. 99-238 added Subsec. (e) re failure to record survey or plans simultaneously with remainder of declaration
is insubstantial failure of declaration to comply with chapter, effective July 1, 2000; P.A. 00-84 revised effective date of
P.A. 99-238 to specify applicability of section as amended by that act to errors, irregularities and omissions occurring on
or after January 1, 1999, effective July 1, 2000; P.A. 09-225 amended Subsec. (b) to delete reference to regulations and
add "of the association", effective July 1, 2010.
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Sec. 47-225. *(See end of section for added subsection (e) and effective date.)
Leasehold common interest communities. (a) Any lease the expiration or termination
of which may terminate the common interest community or reduce its size, or a memorandum thereof, shall be recorded. Every lessor of those leases in a condominium or
planned community shall sign the declaration. The declaration shall state: (1) The recording data for the lease or a statement of where the complete lease may be inspected;
(2) the date on which the lease is scheduled to expire; (3) a legally sufficient description
of the real property subject to the lease; (4) any rights of the unit owners to redeem the
reversion and the manner whereby those rights may be exercised, or a statement that
they do not have those rights; (5) any rights of the unit owners to remove any improvements within a reasonable time after the expiration or termination of the lease, or a
statement that they do not have those rights; and (6) any rights of the unit owners to
renew the lease and the conditions of any renewal, or a statement that they do not have
those rights.
(b) After the declaration for a leasehold condominium or leasehold planned community is recorded, neither the lessor nor the lessor's successor in interest may terminate
the leasehold interest of a unit owner who makes timely payment of a unit owner's share
of the rent and otherwise complies with all covenants which, if violated, would entitle
the lessor to terminate the lease. A unit owner's leasehold interest in a condominium
or planned community is not affected by failure of any other person to pay rent or fulfill
any other covenant.
(c) Acquisition of the leasehold interest of any unit owner by the owner of the
reversion or remainder does not merge the leasehold and reversionary or remainder
interests unless the leasehold interests of all unit owners subject to that reversion or
remainder are acquired.
(d) If the expiration or termination of a lease decreases the number of units in a
common interest community, the allocated interests shall be reallocated in accordance
with subsection (a) of section 47-206 as if those units had been taken by eminent domain.
Reallocations shall be confirmed by an amendment to the declaration prepared, executed
and recorded by the association.
(P.A. 83-474, S. 26, 96.)
*Note: On and after July 1, 2010, this section is amended by section 11 of public act
09-225 to add subsection (e) as follows:
"(e) A lease satisfying the description in subsection (a) of this section is not subject
to sections 47a-1 to 47a-20e, inclusive."
(P.A. 83-474, S. 26, 96; P.A. 09-225, S. 11.)
History: P.A. 09-225 added Subsec. (e) re lease described in Subsec. (a) not being subject to Secs. 47a-1 to 47a-20e,
effective July 1, 2010.
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Sec. 47-226. *(See end of section for added subsection (h) and effective date.)
Allocation of interests. (a) The declaration shall allocate to each unit: (1) In a condominium, a fraction or percentage of undivided interests in the common elements and in the
common expenses of the association, and a portion of the votes in the association; (2)
in a cooperative, an ownership interest in the association, a fraction or percentage of
the common expenses of the association, and a portion of the votes in the association;
and (3) in a planned community, a fraction or percentage of the common expenses of
the association, and a portion of the votes in the association.
(b) The declaration shall state the formulas used to establish allocations of interests.
Those allocations may not discriminate in favor of units owned by the declarant or an
affiliate of the declarant.
(c) If units may be added to or withdrawn from the common interest community,
the declaration shall state the formulas to be used to reallocate the allocated interests
among all units included in the common interest community after the addition or withdrawal.
(d) The declaration may provide: (1) That different allocations of votes shall be
made to the units on particular matters specified in the declaration; (2) for cumulative
voting only for the purpose of electing members of the executive board; and (3) for class
voting on specified issues affecting the class if necessary to protect valid interests of
the class. A declarant may not use cumulative or class voting for the purpose of evading
any limitation imposed on declarants by this chapter nor may units constitute a class
because they are owned by a declarant.
(e) Except for minor variations due to rounding, the sum of the common expense
liabilities and, in a condominium, the sum of the undivided interests in the common
elements allocated at any time to all the units must each equal one if stated as a fraction
or one hundred per cent if stated as a percentage. In the event of discrepancy between
an allocated interest and the result derived from application of the pertinent formula,
the allocated interest prevails.
(f) In a condominium, the common elements are not subject to partition, and any
purported conveyance, encumbrance, judicial sale or other voluntary or involuntary
transfer of an undivided interest in the common elements made without the unit to which
that interest is allocated is void.
(g) In a cooperative, any purported conveyance, encumbrance, judicial sale or other
voluntary or involuntary transfer of an ownership interest in the association made without the possessory interest in the unit to which that interest is related is void.
(P.A. 83-474, S. 27, 96.)
*Note: On and after July 1, 2010, this section is amended by section 12 of public act
09-225 to add subsection (h) as follows:
"(h) In a planned community created after January 1, 1984, unless the declaration
provides for a different allocation permitted under this chapter, the common expenses
of the association and the votes in the association are allocated equally among the units."
(P.A. 83-474, S. 27, 96; P.A. 09-225, S. 12.)
History: P.A. 09-225 added Subsec. (h) re common expenses and votes to be allocated equally unless declaration
provides for different allocation permitted under chapter, effective July 1, 2010.
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Sec. 47-232. *(See end of section for amended version and effective date.) Subdivision of units. (a) If the declaration expressly so permits, a unit may be subdivided
into two or more units. Subject to the provisions of the declaration and any provisions
of law, on application of a unit owner to subdivide a unit, the association shall prepare,
execute and record an amendment to the declaration, including in a condominium or
planned community the surveys and plans, subdividing that unit.
(b) The amendment to the declaration shall be executed by the owner of the unit to
be subdivided, assign an identifying number to each unit created and reallocate the
allocated interests formerly allocated to the subdivided unit to the new units in any
reasonable manner prescribed by the owner of the subdivided unit.
(P.A. 83-474, S. 33, 96.)
*Note: On and after July 1, 2010, this section, as amended by section 13 of public
act 09-225, is to read as follows:
"Sec. 47-232. Subdivision of units. (a) If the declaration expressly so permits, a
unit may be subdivided into two or more units. Subject to the provisions of the declaration
and any provisions of law, on application of a unit owner to subdivide a unit, the association shall prepare, execute and record an amendment to the declaration, including in a
condominium or planned community the surveys and plans, subdividing that unit.
(b) The amendment to the declaration shall be executed by the owner of the unit to
be subdivided, assign an identifying number to each unit created and reallocate the
allocated interests formerly allocated to the subdivided unit to the new units in any
reasonable manner prescribed by the owner of the subdivided unit or on any other basis
the declaration requires."
(P.A. 83-474, S. 33, 96; P.A. 09-225, S. 13.)
History: P.A. 09-225 added "or on any other basis the declaration requires" in Subsec. (b), effective July 1, 2010.
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Sec. 47-235. *(See end of section for amended version and effective date.) Easement rights. (a) Subject to the provisions of the declaration, a declarant has such an
easement through the common elements as may be reasonably necessary for the purpose
of discharging the declarant's obligations or exercising special declarant rights, whether
arising under this chapter or reserved in the declaration.
(b) In a planned community, subject to the provisions of subdivision (6) of subsection (a) of section 47-244 and section 47-254, the unit owners have an easement (1) in
the common elements for purposes of access to their units and (2) to use the common
elements and all real property that must become common elements for all other purposes.
(P.A. 83-474, S. 36, 96.)
*Note: On and after July 1, 2010, this section, as amended by section 14 of public
act 09-225, is to read as follows:
"Sec. 47-235. Easement and use rights. (a) Subject to the provisions of the declaration, a declarant has such an easement through the common elements as may be reasonably necessary for the purpose of discharging the declarant's obligations or exercising
special declarant rights, whether arising under this chapter or reserved in the declaration.
(b) Subject to the provisions of subdivision (6) of subsection (a) of section 47-244
and section 47-254, the unit owners have an easement in the common elements for
access to their units.
(c) Subject to the declaration and rules, the unit owners have a right to use the
common elements that are not limited common elements and all real property that must
become common elements for all appropriate purposes."
(P.A. 83-474, S. 36, 96; P.A. 09-225, S. 14.)
History: P.A. 09-225 deleted "In a planned community", "for purposes of" re access and Subdiv. designators in Subsec.
(b) and rewrote existing provisions re use of common elements as Subsec. (c), effective July 1, 2010.
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Sec. 47-236. *(See end of section for amended version and effective date.)
Amendment of declaration. (a) Except in cases of amendments that may be executed by
a declarant under subsection (f) of section 47-228 or section 47-229, or by the association
under section 47-206, subsection (d) of section 47-225, subsection (c) of section 47-227, subsection (a) of section 47-231 or section 47-232, or by certain unit owners under
subsection (b) of section 47-227, subsection (a) of section 47-231, subsection (b) of
section 47-232, subsection (b) of section 47-237 or section 47-242, and except as limited
by subsections (d) and (f) of this section, the declaration, including any surveys and
plans, may be amended only by vote or agreement of unit owners of units to which at
least sixty-seven per cent of the votes in the association are allocated, or any larger
majority the declaration specifies. The declaration may specify a smaller number only
if all of the units are restricted exclusively to nonresidential use.
(b) No action to challenge the validity of an amendment adopted by the association
pursuant to this section may be brought more than one year after the amendment is
recorded.
(c) Every amendment to the declaration shall be recorded in every town in which
any portion of the common interest community is located and is effective only on recordation. An amendment, except an amendment pursuant to subsection (a) of section
47-231, shall be indexed in the grantee's index in the name of the common interest
community and the association and in the grantor's index in the name of the parties
executing the amendment.
(d) Except in the case of the exercise of development rights pursuant to section 47-229 or to the extent otherwise expressly permitted or required by other provisions of
this chapter, with respect to a common interest community, whether created before, on
or after January 1, 1984, no amendment may create or increase special declarant rights,
increase the number of units or change the boundaries of any unit or the allocated interests of a unit, in the absence of unanimous consent of the unit owners.
(e) Amendments to the declaration required by this chapter to be recorded by the
association shall be prepared, executed, recorded and certified on behalf of the association by any officer of the association designated for that purpose or, in the absence of
designation, by the president of the association.
(f) By vote or agreement of unit owners of units to which at least eighty per cent
of the votes in the association are allocated, or any larger percentage specified in the
declaration, an amendment to the declaration may prohibit or materially restrict the
permitted uses or occupancy of a unit or the number or other qualifications of persons
who may occupy units. The amendment must provide reasonable protection for a use
or occupancy permitted at the time the amendment was adopted.
(g) The time limits specified in the declaration pursuant to subdivision (8) of subsection (a) of section 47-224, within which reserved development rights must be exercised
may be extended, the number of units may be increased and new development rights
or other special declarant rights may be created by amendment to the declaration if
persons entitled to cast at least eighty per cent of the votes in the association, including
eighty per cent of the votes allocated to units not owned by the declarant, agree to that
action. The amendment must identify the association or other persons who hold any
new rights that are created. Written notice of the proposed amendment to the declaration
must be delivered to all persons holding development rights or security interests in those
rights. Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (c) of this section, the amendment
to the declaration is effective thirty days after the amendment is recorded and notice is
delivered unless any of the persons entitled to notice under this subsection records a
written objection within the thirty-day period, in which case the amendment is void, or
unless all of the persons entitled to notice under this subsection consent in writing at
the time the amendment is recorded, in which case the amendment is effective when
recorded.
(h) Provisions in the declaration creating special declarant rights may not be
amended without the consent of the declarant.
(i) If any provision of this chapter or of the declaration or bylaws of any common
interest community created before, on or after January 1, 1984, requires the consent of
a person holding a security interest in a unit as a condition to the effectiveness of any
amendment to the declaration, that consent shall be deemed granted if a refusal to consent
in a record is not received by the association within forty-five days after the association
delivers notice of the proposed amendment to the holder of the interest or mails the
notice to the holder of the interest by certified mail, return receipt requested. The association may rely on the last-recorded security interest of record in delivering or mailing
notice to the holder of that interest. Notwithstanding any provision of this section, an
amendment to the declaration that affects the priority of a holder's security interest,
other than an amendment regarding the priority of the association's lien authorized by
section 47-258 or the ability of that holder to foreclose its security interest may not be
adopted without that holder's consent in a record if the declaration requires that consent
as a condition to the effectiveness of the amendment.
(j) If the declaration of a common interest community, whether created before or
after January 1, 1984, contains a provision requiring that amendments relating to the
use of units, the relocation of boundaries between units and common elements or the
extension or creation of development rights may be adopted only by the vote or
agreement of unit owners of units to which more than eighty per cent of the votes in the
association are allocated, such a proposed amendment shall be deemed approved if:
(1) (A) Unit owners of units to which more than eighty per cent of the votes in the
association are allocated vote for or agree to the proposed amendment;
(B) No unit owner votes against the proposed amendment; and
(C) Notice of the proposed amendment is delivered to the unit owners holding the
votes in the association that have not voted or agreed to the proposed amendment and
no written objection of the proposed amendment is received by the association within
thirty days after the association delivers notice; or
(2) Unit owners of units to which more than eighty per cent of the votes in the
association are allocated vote for or agree to the proposed amendment but at least one
unit owner objects to the proposed amendment and, pursuant to an action brought by
the association in the Superior Court against all objecting unit owners, the court finds
that the objecting unit owner or owners do not have a unique minority interest, different
in kind from the interests of the other unit owners, that the voting requirement of the
declaration was intended to protect.
(P.A. 83-474, S. 37, 96; P.A. 95-187, S. 12, 29; P.A. 04-132, S. 4; P.A. 09-225, S. 15.)
*Note: On and after July 1, 2010, this section, as amended by section 16 of public
act 09-225, is to read as follows:
"Sec. 47-236. Amendment of declaration. (a) Except in cases of amendments
that may be executed by a declarant under subsection (f) of section 47-228 or section
47-229, or by the association under section 47-206, subsection (d) of section 47-225,
subsection (c) of section 47-227, subsection (a) of section 47-231 or section 47-232, or
by certain unit owners under subsection (b) of section 47-227, subsection (a) of section
47-231, subsection (b) of section 47-232, subsection (b) of section 47-237 or section
47-242, and except as limited by subsections (d) and (f) of this section, the declaration,
including any surveys and plans, may be amended only as follows:
(1) By vote or agreement of unit owners of units to which at least sixty-seven per
cent of the votes in the association are allocated, unless the declaration specifies either
a larger percentage or a smaller percentage, but not less than a majority, for all amendments or for specific subjects of amendment;
(2) The declaration may provide that all amendments or specific subjects of amendment may be approved by the unit owners of units having any of the percentages of
votes, as provided in subdivision (1) of this subsection, of a specified group of units
that would be affected by the amendment, rather than all of the units in the common
interest community; or
(3) The declaration may specify a smaller number only if all of the units are restricted
exclusively to nonresidential use.
(b) No action to challenge the validity of an amendment adopted by the association
pursuant to this section may be brought more than one year after the amendment is
recorded.
(c) Every amendment to the declaration shall be recorded in every town in which
any portion of the common interest community is located and is effective only on recordation. An amendment, except an amendment pursuant to subsection (a) of section
47-231, shall be indexed in the grantee's index in the name of the common interest
community and the association and in the grantor's index in the name of the parties
executing the amendment.
(d) Except in the case of the exercise of development rights pursuant to section 47-229 or to the extent otherwise expressly permitted or required by other provisions of
this chapter, with respect to a common interest community, whether created before, on
or after January 1, 1984, no amendment may create or increase special declarant rights,
increase the number of units or change the boundaries of any unit or the allocated interests of a unit, in the absence of unanimous consent of the unit owners.
(e) Amendments to the declaration required by this chapter to be recorded by the
association shall be prepared, executed, recorded and certified on behalf of the association by any officer of the association designated for that purpose or, in the absence of
designation, by the president of the association.
(f) An amendment to the declaration may prohibit or materially restrict the permitted
uses or occupancy of a unit or the number or other qualifications of persons who may
occupy units only by vote or agreement of unit owners of units to which at least eighty
per cent of the votes in the association are allocated, unless the declaration specifies
that a larger percentage of unit owners must vote or agree to that amendment or that
such an amendment may be approved by the unit owners of units having at least eighty
per cent of the votes of a specified group of units that would be affected by the amendment. An amendment approved under this subsection must provide reasonable protection for a use or occupancy permitted at the time the amendment was adopted.
(g) The time limits specified in the declaration pursuant to subdivision (8) of subsection (a) of section 47-224, within which reserved development rights and special declarant rights must be exercised may be extended, the number of units may be increased
and new development rights or other special declarant rights may be created by amendment to the declaration if persons entitled to cast at least eighty per cent of the votes in
the association, including eighty per cent of the votes allocated to units not owned by
the declarant, agree to that action. The amendment must identify the association or other
persons who hold any new rights that are created. Notice of the proposed amendment
to the declaration must be delivered in a record to all persons holding development rights
or security interests in those rights. Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (c) of
this section, the amendment to the declaration is effective thirty days after the amendment is recorded and notice is delivered unless any of the persons entitled to notice
under this subsection records an objection in a record within the thirty-day period, in
which case the amendment is void, or unless all of the persons entitled to notice under
this subsection consent in a record at the time the amendment is recorded, in which case
the amendment is effective when recorded.
(h) Provisions in the declaration creating special declarant rights that have not expired may not be amended without the consent of the declarant.
(i) If any provision of this chapter or of the declaration or bylaws of any common
interest community created before, on or after January 1, 1984, requires the consent of
a person holding a security interest in a unit as a condition to the effectiveness of any
amendment to the declaration, that consent shall be deemed granted if a refusal to consent
in a record is not received by the association within forty-five days after the association
delivers notice of the proposed amendment to the holder of the interest or mails the
notice to the holder of the interest by certified mail, return receipt requested. The association may rely on the last-recorded security interest of record in delivering or mailing
notice to the holder of that interest. Notwithstanding any provision of this section, an
amendment to the declaration that affects the priority of a holder's security interest,
other than an amendment regarding the priority of the association's lien authorized by
section 47-258 or the ability of that holder to foreclose its security interest may not be
adopted without that holder's consent in a record if the declaration requires that consent
as a condition to the effectiveness of the amendment.
(j) If the declaration or bylaws of a common interest community, whether created
before, on or after January 1, 1984, contains a provision requiring that amendments to
the declaration or bylaws, other than amendments described in subsection (d) of this
section, may be adopted only by the vote or agreement of unit owners of units to which
more than eighty per cent of the votes in the association are allocated, such a proposed
amendment shall be deemed approved if:
(1) (A) Unit owners of units to which more than eighty per cent of the votes in the
association are allocated vote for or agree to the proposed amendment;
(B) No unit owner votes against the proposed amendment; and
(C) Notice of the proposed amendment is delivered to the unit owners holding the
votes in the association that have not voted or agreed to the proposed amendment and
no objection in a record to the proposed amendment is received by the association within
thirty days after the association delivers notice; or
(2) Unit owners of units to which more than eighty per cent of the votes in the
association are allocated vote for or agree to the proposed amendment but at least one
unit owner objects to the proposed amendment and, pursuant to an action brought by
the association in the Superior Court against all objecting unit owners, the court finds
that the objecting unit owner or owners do not have a unique minority interest, different
in kind from the interests of the other unit owners, that the voting requirement of the
declaration was intended to protect."
(P.A. 83-474, S. 37, 96; P.A. 95-187, S. 12, 29; P.A. 04-132, S. 4; P.A. 09-225, S. 15, 16.)
History: P.A. 95-187 amended Subsec. (a) to replace "except as limited by subsection (d) of this section" with "except
as limited by subsections (d) and (f) of this section", amended Subsec. (d) to delete prohibition on an amendment changing
the uses to which any unit is restricted without the unanimous consent of the unit owners, added a new Subsec. (f) to authorize
an amendment that prohibits or materially restricts the permitted uses or occupancy of a unit, specify the percentage vote
required for the adoption of such amendment and require the amendment to provide reasonable protection for a use or
occupancy permitted at the time the amendment was adopted, added a new Subsec. (g) authorizing an amendment that
extends the time limits within which reserved development rights must be exercised, increases the number of units or
creates new development rights or other special declarant rights and specifying procedure for adoption thereof, redesignated
former Subsec. (f) as Subsec. (h), added Subsec. (i) re when a person holding a security interest in a unit is deemed to have
granted his consent to the adoption of a proposed amendment and added Subsec. (j) re when an amendment relating to the
use of units, the relocation of boundaries between units and common elements or the extension or creation of development
rights that requires at least an 80% vote is deemed approved, effective June 28, 1995; P.A. 04-132 amended Subsec. (j)
by replacing references to 80% "or more" of the votes and "at least" 80% of the votes with references to "more than" 80%
of the votes; P.A. 09-225 amended Subsec. (d) to reference exercise of development rights pursuant to Sec. 47-229 and
common interest communities created before, on or after January 1, 1984, and amended Subsec. (i) to reference bylaws,
substitute "created before, on or after January 1, 1984" for "subject to this chapter", rewrite provisions re consent, and add
notwithstanding clause re amendment that affects priority of a holder's security interest, effective July 8, 2009, and applicable to common interest communities created before, on or after January 1, 1984, and amended Subsec. (a) to designate
existing provision re vote percentage as Subdiv. (1), substitute provision re larger or smaller percentage, but not less than
a majority for "larger majority the declaration specifies" in Subdiv. (1), add Subdiv. (2) re vote of specified group of units
affected by amendment, and designate existing provision re smaller number as Subdiv. (3), amended Subsec. (f) to reposition
and revise provision re vote percentage and include approval by 80% of a specified group of units affected by amendment,
amended Subsec. (g) to add provision re exercise of special declarant rights, delete "written" re notice, objections and
consent, and insert "in a record", amended Subsec. (h) to insert "that have not expired" re special declarant rights, amended
Subsec. (j) to insert "or bylaws", insert "on" re January 1, 1984, replace provision re type of amendments with "amendments
to the declaration or bylaws, other than amendments described in subsection (d) of this section" and, in Subdiv. (1)(C),
delete "written" re objection and insert "in a record", effective July 1, 2010.
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Sec. 47-237. *(See end of section for amended version and effective date.) Termination of common interest community. (a) Except in the case of a taking of all the
units by eminent domain or in the case of foreclosure against an entire cooperative of
a security interest that has priority over the declaration, a common interest community
may be terminated only by agreement of unit owners of units to which at least eighty per
cent of the votes in the association are allocated, or any larger percentage the declaration
specifies. The declaration may specify a smaller percentage only if all of the units are
restricted exclusively to nonresidential uses.
(b) An agreement to terminate shall be evidenced by the execution of a termination
agreement, or ratifications thereof, in the same manner as a deed, by the requisite number
of unit owners. The termination agreement shall specify a date after which the agreement
will be void unless it is recorded before that date. A termination agreement and all
ratifications thereof shall be recorded in every town in which a portion of the common
interest community is situated and is effective only on recordation.
(c) In the case of a condominium or planned community containing only units having horizontal boundaries described in the declaration, a termination agreement may
provide that all of the common elements and units of the common interest community
shall be sold following termination. If, pursuant to the agreement, any real property in
the common interest community is to be sold following termination, the termination
agreement shall set forth the minimum terms of the sale.
(d) In the case of a condominium or planned community containing any units not
having horizontal boundaries described in the declaration, a termination agreement may
provide for sale of the common elements, but it may not require that the units be sold
following termination, unless the declaration as originally recorded provided otherwise
or all the unit owners consent to the sale.
(e) The association, on behalf of the unit owners, may contract for the sale of real
property in a common interest community, but the contract is not binding on the unit
owners until approved pursuant to subsections (a) and (b) of this section. If any real
property is to be sold following termination, title to that real property, on termination,
vests in the association as trustee for the holders of all interests in the units. Thereafter,
the association has all powers necessary and appropriate to effect the sale. Until the sale
has been concluded and the proceeds thereof distributed, the association continues in
existence with all powers it had before termination. Proceeds of the sale shall be distributed to unit owners and lien holders, as their interests may appear, in accordance with
subsections (h), (i) and (j) of this section. Unless otherwise specified in the termination
agreement, as long as the association holds title to the real property, each unit owner
and the unit owner's successors in interest have an exclusive right to occupancy of the
portion of the real property that formerly constituted the unit. During the period of that
occupancy, each unit owner and the unit owner's successors in interest remain liable
for all assessments and other obligations imposed on unit owners by this chapter or the
declaration.
(f) In a condominium or planned community, if the real property constituting the
common interest community is not to be sold following termination, title to the common
elements and, in a common interest community containing only units having horizontal
boundaries described in the declaration, title to all the real property in the common
interest community, vest in the unit owners on termination as tenants in common in
proportion to their respective interests as provided in subsection (j) of this section, and
liens on the units shift accordingly. While the tenancy in common exists, each unit owner
and the unit owner's successors in interest have an exclusive right to occupancy of the
portion of the real property that formerly constituted the unit.
(g) Following termination of the common interest community, the proceeds of any
sale of real property, together with the assets of the association, are held by the association as trustee for unit owners and holders of liens on the units as their interests may
appear.
(h) Following termination of a condominium or planned community, creditors of
the association holding liens on the units, which were recorded before termination, may
enforce those liens in the same manner as any lien holder. All other creditors of the
association are to be treated as if they had perfected liens on the units immediately before
termination.
(i) In a cooperative, the declaration may provide that all creditors of the association
have priority over any interests of unit owners and creditors of unit owners. In that event,
following termination, creditors of the association holding liens on the cooperative
which were recorded before termination may enforce their liens in the same manner as
any lien holder, and any other creditor of the association is to be treated as if he had
perfected a lien against the cooperative immediately before termination. Unless the
declaration provides that all creditors of the association have that priority:
(1) The lien of each creditor of the association which was perfected against the
association before termination becomes, on termination, a lien against each unit owner's
interest in the unit as of the date the lien was perfected;
(2) Any other creditor of the association is to be treated on termination as if the
creditor had perfected a lien against each unit owner's interest immediately before termination;
(3) The amount of the lien of an association's creditor described in subdivisions (1)
and (2) of this subsection against each of the unit owners' interest shall be proportionate
to the ratio which each unit's common expense liability bears to the common expense
liability of all of the units;
(4) The lien of each creditor of each unit owner which was perfected before termination continues as a lien against that unit owner's unit as of the date the lien was perfected; and
(5) The assets of the association shall be distributed to all unit owners and all lien
holders as their interests may appear in the order described above. Creditors of the
association are not entitled to payment from any unit owner in excess of the amount of
the creditor's lien against that unit owner's interest.
(j) The respective interests of unit owners referred to in subsections (e), (f), (g), (h)
and (i) of this section are as follows:
(1) Except as provided in subdivision (2) of this subsection, the respective interests
of unit owners are the fair market values of their units, allocated interests and any limited
common elements immediately before the termination, as determined by one or more
independent appraisers selected by the association. The decision of the independent
appraisers shall be distributed to the unit owners and becomes final unless disapproved
within thirty days after distribution by unit owners of units to which twenty-five per
cent of the votes in the association are allocated. The proportion of any unit owner's
interest to that of all unit owners is determined by dividing the fair market value of that
unit owner's unit and its allocated interests by the total fair market values of all the units
and their allocated interests.
(2) If any unit or any limited common element is destroyed to the extent that an
appraisal of the fair market value thereof before destruction cannot be made, the interests
of all unit owners are their respective common expense liabilities immediately before
the termination.
(k) In a condominium or planned community, except as provided in subsection (l)
of this section, foreclosure or enforcement of a lien or encumbrance against the entire
common interest community does not terminate, of itself, the common interest community, and foreclosure or enforcement of a lien or encumbrance against a portion of the
common interest community, other than withdrawable real property, does not withdraw
that portion from the common interest community. Foreclosure or enforcement of a lien
or encumbrance against withdrawable real property, or against common elements that
have been subjected to a security interest by the association under section 47-254, does
not withdraw, of itself, that real property from the common interest community, but the
person taking title thereto may require from the association, on request, an amendment
excluding the real property from the common interest community.
(l) In a condominium or planned community, if a lien or encumbrance against a
portion of the real property comprising the common interest community has priority
over the declaration and the lien or encumbrance has not been partially released, the
parties foreclosing the lien or encumbrance, on foreclosure, may record an instrument
excluding the real property subject to that lien or encumbrance from the common interest
community.
(P.A. 83-474, S. 38, 96; P.A. 95-187, S. 13; P.A. 05-288, S. 166.)
*Note: On and after July 1, 2010, this section, as amended by section 17 of public
act 09-225, is to read as follows:
"Sec. 47-237. Termination of common interest community. (a) Except in the
case of a taking of all the units by eminent domain, foreclosure against an entire cooperative of a security interest that has priority over the declaration, or in the circumstances
described in subsection (m) of this section, a common interest community may be terminated only by agreement of unit owners of units to which at least eighty per cent of the
votes in the association are allocated, or any larger percentage the declaration specifies,
and with any other approvals required by the declaration. The declaration may specify
a smaller percentage, but in no event less than a majority of the votes in the association,
only if all of the units are restricted exclusively to nonresidential uses.
(b) An agreement to terminate shall be evidenced by the execution of a termination
agreement, or ratifications thereof, in the same manner as a deed, by the requisite number
of unit owners. The termination agreement shall specify a date after which the agreement
will be void unless it is recorded before that date. A termination agreement and all
ratifications thereof shall be recorded in every town in which a portion of the common
interest community is situated and is effective only on recordation.
(c) In the case of a condominium or planned community containing only units having horizontal boundaries described in the declaration, a termination agreement may
provide that all of the common elements and units of the common interest community
shall be sold following termination. If, pursuant to the agreement, any real property in
the common interest community is to be sold following termination, the termination
agreement shall set forth the minimum terms of the sale.
(d) In the case of a condominium or planned community containing any units not
having horizontal boundaries described in the declaration, a termination agreement may
provide for sale of the common elements, but it may not require that the units be sold
following termination, unless the declaration as originally recorded provided otherwise
or all the unit owners consent to the sale.
(e) The association, on behalf of the unit owners, may contract for the sale of real
property in a common interest community, but the contract is not binding on the unit
owners until approved pursuant to subsections (a) and (b) of this section. If any real
property is to be sold following termination, title to that real property, on termination,
vests in the association as trustee for the holders of all interests in the units. Thereafter,
the association has all powers necessary and appropriate to effect the sale. Until the sale
has been concluded and the proceeds thereof distributed, the association continues in
existence with all powers it had before termination. Proceeds of the sale shall be distributed to unit owners and lien holders, as their interests may appear, in accordance with
subsections (h), (i) and (j) of this section. Unless otherwise specified in the termination
agreement, as long as the association holds title to the real property, each unit owner
and the unit owner's successors in interest have an exclusive right to occupancy of the
portion of the real property that formerly constituted the unit. During the period of that
occupancy, each unit owner and the unit owner's successors in interest remain liable
for all assessments and other obligations imposed on unit owners by this chapter or the
declaration.
(f) In a condominium or planned community, if the real property constituting the
common interest community is not to be sold following termination, title to the common
elements and, in a common interest community containing only units having horizontal
boundaries described in the declaration, title to all the real property in the common
interest community, vest in the unit owners on termination as tenants in common in
proportion to their respective interests as provided in subsection (j) of this section, and
liens on the units shift accordingly. While the tenancy in common exists, each unit owner
and the unit owner's successors in interest have an exclusive right to occupancy of the
portion of the real property that formerly constituted the unit.
(g) Following termination of the common interest community, the proceeds of any
sale of real property, together with the assets of the association, are held by the association as trustee for unit owners and holders of liens on the units as their interests may
appear.
(h) Following termination of a condominium or planned community, creditors of
the association holding liens on the units, which were recorded before termination, may
enforce those liens in the same manner as any lien holder. All other creditors of the
association are to be treated as if they had perfected liens on the units immediately before
termination.
(i) In a cooperative, the declaration may provide that all creditors of the association
have priority over any interests of unit owners and creditors of unit owners. In that event,
following termination, creditors of the association holding liens on the cooperative
which were recorded before termination may enforce their liens in the same manner as
any lien holder, and any other creditor of the association is to be treated as if he had
perfected a lien against the cooperative immediately before termination. Unless the
declaration provides that all creditors of the association have that priority:
(1) The lien of each creditor of the association which was perfected against the
association before termination becomes, on termination, a lien against each unit owner's
interest in the unit as of the date the lien was perfected;
(2) Any other creditor of the association is to be treated on termination as if the
creditor had perfected a lien against each unit owner's interest immediately before termination;
(3) The amount of the lien of an association's creditor described in subdivisions (1)
and (2) of this subsection against each of the unit owners' interest shall be proportionate
to the ratio which each unit's common expense liability bears to the common expense
liability of all of the units;
(4) The lien of each creditor of each unit owner which was perfected before termination continues as a lien against that unit owner's unit as of the date the lien was perfected; and
(5) The assets of the association shall be distributed to all unit owners and all lien
holders as their interests may appear in the order described above. Creditors of the
association are not entitled to payment from any unit owner in excess of the amount of
the creditor's lien against that unit owner's interest.
(j) The respective interests of unit owners referred to in subsections (e), (f), (g), (h)
and (i) of this section are as follows:
(1) Except as provided in subdivision (2) of this subsection, the respective interests
of unit owners are the fair market values of their units, allocated interests and any limited
common elements immediately before the termination, as determined by one or more
independent appraisers selected by the association. The decision of the independent
appraisers shall be distributed to the unit owners and becomes final unless disapproved
within thirty days after distribution by unit owners of units to which twenty-five per
cent of the votes in the association are allocated. The proportion of any unit owner's
interest to that of all unit owners is determined by dividing the fair market value of that
unit owner's unit and its allocated interests by the total fair market values of all the units
and their allocated interests.
(2) If any unit or any limited common element is destroyed to the extent that an
appraisal of the fair market value thereof before destruction cannot be made, the interests
of all unit owners are their respective common expense liabilities immediately before
the termination.
(k) In a condominium or planned community, except as provided in subsection (l)
of this section, foreclosure or enforcement of a lien or encumbrance against the entire
common interest community does not terminate, of itself, the common interest community, and foreclosure or enforcement of a lien or encumbrance against a portion of the
common interest community, other than withdrawable real property, does not withdraw
that portion from the common interest community. Foreclosure or enforcement of a lien
or encumbrance against withdrawable real property, or against common elements that
have been subjected to a security interest by the association under section 47-254, does
not withdraw, of itself, that real property from the common interest community, but the
person taking title thereto may require from the association, on request, an amendment
excluding the real property from the common interest community.
(l) In a condominium or planned community, if a lien or encumbrance against a
portion of the real property comprising the common interest community has priority
over the declaration and the lien or encumbrance has not been partially released, the
parties foreclosing the lien or encumbrance, on foreclosure, may record an instrument
excluding the real property subject to that lien or encumbrance from the common interest
community.
(m) If substantially all the units in a common interest community have been destroyed or abandoned or are uninhabitable and the available methods for giving notice
under section 47-261b of a meeting of unit owners to consider termination under this
section will not likely result in receipt of the notice, the executive board or any other
interested person may commence an action in the Superior Court seeking to terminate
the common interest community. During the pendency of the action, the court may issue
whatever orders it considers appropriate, including appointment of a receiver. After a
hearing, the court may terminate the common interest community or reduce its size
pursuant to this section, notwithstanding that eighty per cent of the unit owners did not
vote or agree to that action, and may issue any other order the court considers to be in
the best interest of the unit owners and persons holding a property interest in the common
interest community."
(P.A. 83-474, S. 38, 96; P.A. 95-187, S. 13; P.A. 05-288, S. 166; P.A. 09-225, S. 17.)
History: P.A. 95-187 amended Subsec. (k) to provide that foreclosure or enforcement of a lien or encumbrance "against
common elements that have been subjected to a security interest by the association under section 47-254" does not withdraw,
of itself, that real property from the community; P.A. 05-288 made technical changes in Subsec. (e), effective July 13,
2005; P.A. 09-225 amended Subsec. (a) to reference circumstances described in Subsec. (m), other approvals required by
declaration and "in no event less than a majority" re votes in association, and added Subsec. (m) re action in Superior Court
to terminate common interest community, effective July 1, 2010.
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Sec. 47-241a. *(See end of section for amended version and effective date.)
Master planned communities. (a) The declaration for a common interest community
may state that it is a master planned community if the declarant has reserved the development right to create at least five hundred units that may be used for residential purposes,
and at the time of the reservation such declarant owns or controls more than five hundred
acres on which the units may be built.
(b) If the requirements of subsection (a) of this section are satisfied, the declaration
for the master planned community need not state a maximum number of units and need
not contain any of the information required by subdivisions (3) to (14), inclusive, of
subsection (a) of section 47-224 until the declaration is amended under subsection (c)
of this section.
(c) When each unit in a master planned community is conveyed to a purchaser, the
declaration must contain (1) a sufficient legal description of the unit and all portions of
the master planned community in which any other units have been conveyed to a purchaser, and (2) all the information required by subdivisions (3) to (14), inclusive, of
subsection (a) of section 47-224 with respect to that real property.
(d) The only real property in a master planned community which is subject to this
chapter are units that have been declared or which are being offered for sale and any other
real property described pursuant to subsection (c) of this section. Other real property that
is or may become part of the master planned community is not subject to the provisions
of this chapter but is subject to any other restrictions and limitations that appear of
record.
(e) If the public offering statement conspicuously identifies the fact that the community is a master planned community, the disclosure requirements contained in sections
47-262 to 47-281, inclusive, apply only with respect to units that have been declared or
are being offered for sale in connection with the public offering statement and to the
real property described pursuant to subsection (c) of this section.
(f) Limitations in this chapter on the addition of unspecified real property do not
apply to a master planned community.
(g) The common interest community loses its status as a master planned community
if the aggregate amount of land which is either subject to the declaration or owned or
contractually controlled by the declarant ceases to total at least five hundred acres.
(P.A. 95-187, S. 15.)
*Note: On and after July 1, 2010, this section, as amended by section 18 of public
act 09-225, is to read as follows:
"Sec. 47-241a. Master planned communities. (a) The declaration for a common
interest community may state that it is a master planned community if the declarant has
reserved the development right to create at least five hundred units that may be used for
residential purposes, and at the time of the reservation such declarant owns or controls
more than five hundred acres on which the units may be built.
(b) If the requirements of subsection (a) of this section are satisfied, the declaration
for the master planned community need not state a maximum number of units and need
not contain any of the information required by subdivisions (3) to (14), inclusive, of
subsection (a) of section 47-224 until the declaration is amended under subsection (c)
of this section.
(c) When each unit in a master planned community is conveyed to a purchaser, the
declaration must contain (1) a sufficient legal description of the unit and all portions of
the master planned community in which any other units have been conveyed to a purchaser, and (2) all the information required by subdivisions (3) to (14), inclusive, of
subsection (a) of section 47-224 with respect to that real property.
(d) The only real property in a master planned community which is subject to this
chapter are units that have been declared or which are being offered for sale and any other
real property described pursuant to subsection (c) of this section. Other real property that
is or may become part of the master planned community is not subject to the provisions
of this chapter but is subject to any other restrictions and limitations that appear of
record.
(e) If the public offering statement conspicuously identifies the fact that the community is a master planned community, the disclosure requirements contained in sections
47-262 to 47-281, inclusive, apply only with respect to units that have been declared or
are being offered for sale in connection with the public offering statement and to the
real property described pursuant to subsection (c) of this section.
(f) Limitations in this chapter on the addition of unspecified real property do not
apply to a master planned community.
(g) The common interest community loses its status as a master planned community
if the aggregate amount of land which is either subject to the declaration or owned or
contractually controlled by the declarant ceases to total at least five hundred acres.
(h) The period of declarant control of the association for a master planned community terminates in accordance with any conditions specified in the declaration or otherwise at the time the declarant, in a recorded instrument and after giving notice in a
record to all unit owners, voluntarily surrenders all rights to control the activities of the
association."
(P.A. 95-187, S. 15; P.A. 09-225, S. 18.)
History: P.A. 09-225 added Subsec. (h) re termination of declarant control, effective July 1, 2010.
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Sec. 47-243. *(See end of section for amended version and effective date.) Organization of unit owners' association. A unit owners' association shall be organized
no later than the date the first unit in the common interest community is conveyed. The
membership of the association at all times shall consist exclusively of all unit owners
or, following termination of the common interest community, of all former unit owners
entitled to distributions of proceeds under section 47-237 or their heirs, successors or
assigns. The association shall be organized as a profit or nonprofit corporation, trust,
partnership or unincorporated association.
(P.A. 83-474, S. 44, 96.)
*Note: On and after July 1, 2010, this section, as amended by section 19 of public
act 09-225, is to read as follows:
"Sec. 47-243. Organization of unit owners' association. A unit owners' association shall be organized no later than the date the first unit in the common interest community is conveyed. The membership of the association at all times shall consist exclusively
of all unit owners or, following termination of the common interest community, of all
former unit owners entitled to distributions of proceeds under section 47-237 or their
heirs, successors or assigns. The association shall have an executive board. The association shall be organized as a business or nonstock corporation, trust, partnership or unincorporated association."
(P.A. 83-474, S. 44, 96; P.A. 09-225, S. 19.)
History: P.A. 09-225 provided that association shall have an executive board and substituted "business or nonstock
corporation" for "profit or nonprofit corporation", effective July 1, 2010.
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Sec. 47-244. *(See end of section for amended version and effective date.) Powers and duties of unit owners' association. (a) Except as provided in subsection (b)
of this section, and subject to the provisions of the declaration, the association, even if
unincorporated:
(1) Shall adopt and may amend bylaws, and may adopt and amend rules;
(2) Shall adopt and may amend budgets, may adopt and amend special assessments,
may collect assessments for common expenses from unit owners and may invest funds
of the association;
(3) May hire and discharge managing agents and other employees, agents and independent contractors;
(4) May institute, defend or intervene in litigation or in arbitration, mediation or
administrative proceedings in its own name on behalf of itself or two or more unit owners
on matters affecting the common interest community, subject to section 47-261f;
(5) May make contracts and incur liabilities;
(6) May regulate the use, maintenance, repair, replacement and modification of
common elements;
(7) May cause additional improvements to be made as a part of the common elements;
(8) May acquire, hold, encumber and convey in its own name any right, title or
interest to real property or personal property, but (A) common elements in a condominium or planned community may be conveyed or subjected to a security interest only
pursuant to section 47-254, and (B) part of a cooperative may be conveyed, or all or
part of a cooperative may be subjected to a security interest, only pursuant to section
47-254;
(9) May grant easements, leases, licenses and concessions through or over the common elements;
(10) May impose and receive any payments, fees or charges for the use, rental or
operation of the common elements, other than limited common elements described in
subsections (2) and (4) of section 47-221, and for services provided to unit owners;
(11) May impose charges or interest or both for late payment of assessments and,
after notice and an opportunity to be heard, levy reasonable fines for violations of the
declaration, bylaws, rules and regulations of the association;
(12) May impose reasonable charges for the preparation and recordation of amendments to the declaration, resale certificates required by section 47-270 or statements of
unpaid assessments;
(13) May provide for the indemnification of its officers and executive board and
maintain directors' and officers' liability insurance;
(14) Subject to subsection (d) of section 47-261e, may assign its right to future
income, including the right to receive common expense assessments;
(15) May exercise any other powers conferred by the declaration or bylaws;
(16) May exercise all other powers that may be exercised in this state by legal entities
of the same type as the association;
(17) May exercise any other powers necessary and proper for the governance and
operation of the association;
(18) May require, by regulation, that disputes between the executive board and unit
owners or between two or more unit owners regarding the common interest community
must be submitted to nonbinding alternative dispute resolution in the manner described
in the regulation as a prerequisite to commencement of a judicial proceeding; and
(19) May suspend any right or privilege of a unit owner who fails to pay an assessment, but may not:
(A) Deny a unit owner or other occupant access to the owner's unit or its limited
common elements;
(B) Suspend a unit owner's right to vote or participate in meetings of the association;
(C) Prevent a unit owner from seeking election as a director or officer of the association; or
(D) Withhold services provided to a unit or a unit owner by the association if the
effect of withholding the service would be to endanger the health, safety or property of
any person.
(b) The declaration may not impose limitations on the power of the association to
deal with the declarant which are more restrictive than the limitations imposed on the
power of the association to deal with other persons.
(c) (1) Unless otherwise permitted by the declaration or this chapter, an association
may adopt rules and regulations that affect the use or occupancy of units that may be
used for residential purposes only to:
(A) Prevent any use of a unit which violates the declaration;
(B) Regulate any occupancy of a unit which violates the declaration or adversely
affects the use and enjoyment of other units or the common elements by other unit
owners; or
(C) Restrict the leasing of residential units to the extent those rules are reasonably
designed to meet first mortgage underwriting requirements of institutional lenders who
regularly purchase or insure first mortgages on units in common interest communities,
provided no such restrictions shall be enforceable unless notice thereof is recorded on
the land records of each town in which any part of the common interest community is
located. Such notice shall be indexed in the grantor index of such land records in the
name of the association.
(2) Except as provided in subdivision (1) of this subsection, the association may
not regulate any use or occupancy of units.
(d) If a tenant of a unit owner violates the declaration, bylaws or rules and regulations
of the association, in addition to exercising any of its powers against the unit owner,
the association may:
(1) Exercise directly against the tenant the powers described in subdivision (11) of
subsection (a) of this section;
(2) After giving notice to the tenant and the unit owner and an opportunity to be
heard, levy reasonable fines against the tenant or unit owner, or both, for the violation; and
(3) Enforce any other rights against the tenant for the violation which the unit owner
as landlord could lawfully have exercised under the lease, including any such right to
bring a summary process action under chapter 832.
(e) The rights granted under subdivision (3) of subsection (d) of this section may
only be exercised if the tenant or unit owner fails to cure the violation within ten days
after the association notifies the tenant and unit owner of that violation.
(f) Unless a lease otherwise provides, this section does not:
(1) Affect rights that the unit owner has to enforce the lease or that the association
has under other law; or
(2) Permit the association to enforce a lease to which it is not a party except to the
extent that there is a violation of the declaration, bylaws or rules and regulations.
(P.A. 83-474, S. 45, 96; P.A. 95-187, S. 16; P.A. 09-225, S. 20.)
*Note: On and after July 1, 2010, this section, as amended by section 21 of public
act 09-225, is to read as follows:
"Sec. 47-244. Powers and duties of unit owners' association. (a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, and subject to the provisions of the declaration,
the association, even if unincorporated:
(1) Shall adopt and may amend bylaws, and may adopt and amend rules;
(2) Shall adopt and may amend budgets, may adopt and amend special assessments,
may collect assessments for common expenses from unit owners and may invest funds
of the association;
(3) May hire and discharge managing agents and other employees, agents and independent contractors;
(4) May institute, defend or intervene in litigation or in arbitration, mediation or
administrative proceedings in its own name on behalf of itself or two or more unit owners
on matters affecting the common interest community, subject to section 47-261f;
(5) May make contracts and incur liabilities;
(6) May regulate the use, maintenance, repair, replacement and modification of
common elements;
(7) May cause additional improvements to be made as a part of the common elements;
(8) May acquire, hold, encumber and convey in its own name any right, title or
interest to real property or personal property, but (A) common elements in a condominium or planned community may be conveyed or subjected to a security interest only
pursuant to section 47-254, and (B) part of a cooperative may be conveyed, or all or
part of a cooperative may be subjected to a security interest, only pursuant to section
47-254;
(9) May grant easements, leases, licenses and concessions through or over the common elements;
(10) May impose and receive any payments, fees or charges for the use, rental or
operation of the common elements, other than limited common elements described in
subsections (2) and (4) of section 47-221, and for services provided to unit owners;
(11) May impose charges or interest or both for late payment of assessments and,
after notice and an opportunity to be heard, levy reasonable fines for violations of the
declaration, bylaws, rules and regulations of the association;
(12) May impose reasonable charges for the preparation and recordation of amendments to the declaration, resale certificates required by section 47-270 or statements of
unpaid assessments;
(13) May provide for the indemnification of its officers and executive board and
maintain directors' and officers' liability insurance;
(14) Subject to subsection (d) of section 47-261e, may assign its right to future
income, including the right to receive common expense assessments;
(15) May exercise any other powers conferred by the declaration or bylaws;
(16) May exercise all other powers that may be exercised in this state by legal entities
of the same type as the association;
(17) May exercise any other powers necessary and proper for the governance and
operation of the association;
(18) May require, by regulation, that disputes between the executive board and unit
owners or between two or more unit owners regarding the common interest community
must be submitted to nonbinding alternative dispute resolution in the manner described
in the regulation as a prerequisite to commencement of a judicial proceeding; and
(19) May suspend any right or privilege of a unit owner who fails to pay an assessment, but may not:
(A) Deny a unit owner or other occupant access to the owner's unit or its limited
common elements;
(B) Suspend a unit owner's right to vote or participate in meetings of the association;
(C) Prevent a unit owner from seeking election as a director or officer of the association; or
(D) Withhold services provided to a unit or a unit owner by the association if the
effect of withholding the service would be to endanger the health, safety or property of
any person.
(b) The declaration may not limit the power of the association, beyond the limit
authorized in subdivision (18) of subsection (a) of this section, to:
(1) Deal with the declarant if the limit is more restrictive than the limit imposed on
the power of the association to deal with other persons; or
(2) Institute litigation or an arbitration, mediation or administrative proceeding
against any person, except that the association shall comply with section 47-261f, if
applicable, before instituting any proceeding described in subsection (a) of section 47-261f, in connection with construction defects.
(c) The executive board promptly shall provide notice to the unit owners of any
legal proceeding in which the association is a party other than proceedings involving
enforcement of rules, recovery of unpaid assessments or other sums due the association,
or defense of the association's lien on a unit in a foreclosure action commenced by a
third party.
(d) If a tenant of a unit owner violates the declaration, bylaws or rules and regulations
of the association, in addition to exercising any of its powers against the unit owner,
the association may:
(1) Exercise directly against the tenant the powers described in subdivision (11) of
subsection (a) of this section;
(2) After giving notice to the tenant and the unit owner and an opportunity to be
heard, levy reasonable fines against the tenant or unit owner, or both, for the violation; and
(3) Enforce any other rights against the tenant for the violation which the unit owner
as landlord could lawfully have exercised under the lease, including any such right to
bring a summary process action under chapter 832.
(e) The rights referred to in subdivision (3) of subsection (d) of this section may
only be exercised if the tenant or unit owner fails to cure the violation within ten days
after the association notifies the tenant and unit owner of that violation.
(f) Unless a lease otherwise provides, this section does not:
(1) Affect rights that the unit owner has to enforce the lease or that the association
has under other law; or
(2) Permit the association to enforce a lease to which it is not a party except to the
extent that there is a violation of the declaration, bylaws or rules.
(g) The executive board may determine whether to take enforcement action by exercising the association's power to impose sanctions or commencing an action for a violation of the declaration, bylaws and rules, including whether to compromise any claim
for unpaid assessments or other claim made by or against it. The executive board does
not have a duty to take enforcement action if it determines that, under the facts and
circumstances presented:
(1) The association's legal position does not justify taking any or further enforcement action;
(2) The covenant, restriction or rule being enforced is, or is likely to be construed
as, inconsistent with law;
(3) Although a violation may exist or may have occurred, it is not so material as
to be objectionable to a reasonable person or to justify expending the association's
resources; or
(4) It is not in the association's best interests to pursue an enforcement action.
(h) The executive board's decision under subsection (g) of this section not to pursue
enforcement under one set of circumstances does not prevent the executive board from
taking enforcement action under another set of circumstances, except that the executive
board may not be arbitrary or capricious in taking enforcement action."
(P.A. 83-474, S. 45, 96; P.A. 95-187, S. 16; P.A. 09-225, S. 20, 21.)
History: P.A. 95-187 added Subsec. (a)(18) authorizing an association to require that disputes be submitted to nonbinding
alternative dispute resolution, added Subsec. (c) authorizing an association to regulate the use or occupancy of residential
units and specifying the purposes for which such regulations may be adopted, added Subsec. (d) re actions an association
may take against a tenant who violates the declaration, bylaws or rules and regulations of the association, added Subsec.
(e) limiting the exercise of the rights under Subsec. (d)(3) to where the tenant or unit owner has failed to cure the violation
in a timely manner and added Subsec. (f) specifying rights of a unit owner or association that are not affected by this section
and enforcement actions by an association that are not authorized by this section; P.A. 09-225 amended Subsec. (a) to
reorganize provisions, delete "regulations" in Subdiv. (1), authorize adopting and amending special assessments and investing funds of association and delete reference to "revenues, expenditures and reserves" re budgets in Subdiv. (2),
reference arbitration and mediation in Subdiv. (4) and make provisions thereat subject to Sec. 47-261f, make Subdiv. (14)
subject to Sec. 47-261e(d) and delete limitation therein to extent declaration expressly provides, and add Subdiv. (19) re
power to suspend any right or privilege of owner who fails to pay assessment, subject to enumerated limitations, effective
July 8, 2009, and applicable to common interest communities created before, on or after January 1, 1984, and rewrote and
reorganized Subsec. (b), inserted Subdiv. designator (1) and new provisions as Subdiv. (2) therein re instituting litigation
or arbitration, mediation or administrative proceeding, deleted former Subsec. (c) re rules and regulations that affect use
or occupancy of residential units, inserted new Subsec. (c) re notice to unit owners of legal proceedings, substituted "referred
to in" for "granted under" in Subsec. (e), deleted reference to regulations in Subsec. (f)(2), and added Subsecs. (g) and (h)
re executive board's determination to take enforcement action, effective July 1, 2010.
| (Return to Chapter Table of Contents) | (Return to List of Chapters) | (Return to List of Titles) |
Sec. 47-244a. Unincorporated unit owners' association's statutory agent for
service. (a) Not later than January 1, 1992, each unit owners' association, as defined in
section 47-202, that is not incorporated in this state shall have and maintain a statutory
agent for service in this state as provided in this section. A statutory agent for service
shall be either (1) a natural person who is a resident of this state, (2) a domestic corporation with or without capital stock, or (3) any corporation not organized under the laws
of this state which has procured a certificate of authority to transact business or conduct
affairs in this state.
(b) A statutory agent for service of a unit owners' association shall be appointed by
filing with the Secretary of the State a written appointment in such form as he prescribes
setting forth: (1) The name of the common interest community and of the association;
(2) the name of the statutory agent for service; and (3) if the statutory agent is a natural
person, the business and residence address thereof; if the statutory agent is a domestic
corporation, the address of the principal office thereof; if the statutory agent is a corporation not organized under the laws of this state, the address of the principal office thereof
in this state, if any. In each case the address shall include the street and number or other
particular designation.
(c) The written appointment shall be signed by the president, vice president or secretary of the appointing association. Each written appointment shall also be signed by the
statutory agent for service therein appointed.
(d) If a statutory agent for service dies, dissolves, withdraws from the state or resigns, the unit owners' association shall forthwith appoint another statutory agent for
service. If the statutory agent for service changes his or its address within the state from
that appearing upon the record in the office of the Secretary of the State, the unit owners'
association shall forthwith file with the Secretary of the State notice of the new address.
A statutory agent for service may resign by filing with the Secretary of the State a signed
statement in duplicate to that effect. The Secretary of the State shall forthwith file one
copy and mail the other copy of such statement to the unit owners' association at its
principal office. Upon the expiration of thirty days after such filing, the resignation shall
be effective and the authority of such statutory agent for service shall terminate. A unit
owners' association may revoke the appointment of a statutory agent for service by
making a new appointment as provided in this section and any new appointment so
made shall revoke all appointments theretofore made.
(e) The Secretary of the State shall charge and collect a fee of ninety dollars for
filing an appointment of a statutory agent, and a fee of eighteen dollars for filing a change
of address of statutory agent or change of statutory agent.
(P.A. 91-341, S. 16, 19; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3, S. 389.)
History: June Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3 amended Subsec. (e) to increase fee for filing appointment of statutory agent from
$45 to $90 and for filing change of address or change of statutory agent from $9 to $18.
| (Return to Chapter Table of Contents) | (Return to List of Chapters) | (Return to List of Titles) |
Sec. 47-245. *(See end of section for amended version and effective date.) Executive board members and officers. Duties. Ratification of budget. Period of declarant control. Delivery of property and documents by declarant. Current financial statement. (a) Except as provided in the declaration, the bylaws, subsection (b) of
this section, or other provisions of this chapter, the executive board may act in all instances on behalf of the association. In the performance of their duties, officers and
members of the executive board appointed by the declarant shall exercise the degree of
care and loyalty required of a trustee and officers and members of the executive board
not appointed by a declarant shall exercise the degree of care and loyalty required of an
officer or director of a corporation organized under chapter 602.
(b) The executive board may not act on behalf of the association to amend the
declaration, to terminate the common interest community or to elect members of the
executive board or determine the qualifications, powers and duties, or terms of office
of executive board members, but the executive board may fill vacancies in its membership for the unexpired portion of any term.
(c) Notwithstanding any provision of the declaration or bylaws to the contrary,
within thirty days after adoption of any proposed budget for the common interest community, the executive board shall provide a summary of the proposed budget to all the
unit owners and shall set a date for a meeting of the unit owners to consider ratification
of the proposed budget not less than fourteen or more than thirty days after hand-delivery
or mailing of the summary. At such meeting, or on a day prior to such meeting, the
executive board shall provide a reasonable opportunity for all unit owners to express
their views concerning the proposed budget before its ratification. At least one copy of
the proposed budget shall be available for inspection at such meeting. Unless at such
meeting a majority of all unit owners, or any larger vote specified in the declaration,
reject the proposed budget, the budget is ratified, whether or not a quorum is present.
In the event the proposed budget is rejected, the periodic budget last ratified by the unit
owners shall be continued until such time as the unit owners ratify a subsequent budget
proposed by the executive board as provided in this subsection.
(d) Subject to the provisions of subsection (e) of this section, the declaration may
provide for a period of declarant control of the association, during which a declarant,
or persons designated by him, may appoint and remove the officers and members of
the executive board. Regardless of the period provided in the declaration, a period of
declarant control terminates no later than the earlier of: (1) Sixty days after conveyance
of sixty per cent of the units that may be created to unit owners other than a declarant,
except that in the case of a master planned community, control terminates no later than
sixty days after conveyance to unit owners other than the declarant of sixty per cent of
the maximum number of units that may be built, if that number is specified, or, if no
such number is specified, after conveyance to unit owners other than the declarant of
three hundred units; (2) two years after all declarants have ceased to offer units for sale
in the ordinary course of business; (3) two years after any right to add new units was
last exercised; or (4) the date the declarant, after giving written notice to unit owners,
records an instrument voluntarily surrendering all rights to control activities of the association. A declarant may voluntarily surrender the right to appoint and remove officers
and members of the executive board before termination of that period, but in that event
the declarant may require, for the duration of the period of declarant control, that specified actions of the association or executive board, as described in a recorded instrument
executed by the declarant, be approved by the declarant before they become effective.
(e) Not later than sixty days after conveyance of one-third of the units that may be
created to unit owners other than a declarant, at least one member and not less than one-third of the members of the executive board shall be elected by unit owners other than
the declarant.
(f) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (e) of section 47-239, not later than
the termination of any period of declarant control, the unit owners shall elect an executive
board of at least three members, at least a majority of whom shall be unit owners. The
executive board shall elect the officers. The executive board members and officers shall
take office upon election.
(g) Notwithstanding any provision of the declaration or bylaws to the contrary, the
unit owners, by a two-thirds vote of all persons present and entitled to vote at any meeting
of the unit owners at which a quorum is present, may remove any member of the executive board with or without cause, other than a member appointed by the declarant.
(h) Within thirty days after unit owners other than the declarant elect a majority of
the members of the executive board, the declarant shall deliver to the association all
property of the unit owners and of the association held by or controlled by the declarant,
including without limitation the following items: (1) The original or a certified copy of
the recorded declaration as amended; the association articles of incorporation, if the
association is incorporated; bylaws; minute books and other books and records of the
association; and any rules and regulations which may have been promulgated; (2) an
accounting for association funds and financial statements, from the date the association
received funds and ending on the date the period of declarant control ends. The financial
statements shall be audited by an independent certified public accountant and shall be
accompanied by the accountant's letter, expressing either (A) the opinion that the financial statements present fairly the financial position of the association in conformity with
generally accepted accounting principles or (B) a disclaimer of the accountant's ability
to attest to the fairness of the presentation of the financial information in conformity
with generally accepted accounting principles, and the reasons therefor. The expense
of the audit shall not be paid for or charged to the association; (3) association funds or
control thereof; (4) all of declarant's tangible personal property that has been represented
by the declarant to be the property of the association or, unless the declarant has disclosed
in the public offering statement that all such personal property used in the common
interest community will remain the declarant's property, all of the declarant's tangible
personal property that is necessary for, and has been used exclusively in, the operation
and enjoyment of the common elements, and inventories of these properties; (5) a copy
of any plans and specifications used in the construction of the improvements in the
common interest community which were completed within two years before the declaration was recorded; (6) all insurance policies then in force, in which the unit owners, the
association or its directors and officers are named as insured persons; (7) copies of any
certificates of occupancy that may have been issued with respect to any improvements
comprising the common interest community; (8) any other permits issued by governmental bodies applicable to the common interest community and which are currently
in force or which were issued within one year prior to the date on which unit owners
other than the declarant took control of the association; (9) written warranties of the
contractor, subcontractors, suppliers and manufacturers that are still effective; (10) a
roster of unit owners and mortgagees and their addresses and telephone numbers, if
known, as shown on the declarant's records; (11) employment contracts in which the
association is a contracting party; and (12) any service contract in which the association
is a contracting party or in which the association or the unit owners have any obligation
to pay a fee to the persons performing the services.
(i) During the period of declarant control, the declarant shall, at least every six
months, provide the unit owners with a current financial statement of the association.
The statement shall be on a cash basis and need not be audited by an independent accountant. It shall include, without limitation, (1) all income and expenses for the calendar
year to date; (2) all accounts payable and receivable, including the ages of those accounts
and showing all sums due to and from the declarant and affiliates of the declarant; (3)
the amount of any funded replacement reserves; and (4) the balance of any other funds
of the association.
(P.A. 83-474, S. 46, 96; P.A. 84-472, S. 12, 23; P.A. 95-187, S. 17; P.A. 96-180, S. 126, 166; 96-256, S. 204, 209; P.A.
05-288, S. 167; P.A. 07-243, S. 6.)
*Note: On and after July 1, 2010, this section, as amended by section 22 of public
act 09-225, is to read as follows:
"Sec. 47-245. Executive board members and officers. Duties. Period of declarant control: Delivery of property and documents by declarant; current financial
statement. (a) Except as provided in the declaration, the bylaws, subsection (b) of this
section, or other provisions of this chapter, the executive board may act in all instances
on behalf of the association. In the performance of their duties, officers and members
of the executive board appointed by the declarant shall exercise the degree of care and
loyalty to the association required of a trustee and officers and members of the executive
board not appointed by a declarant shall exercise the degree of care and loyalty to the
association required of an officer or director of a corporation organized under chapter
602, and are subject to the conflict of interest rules governing directors and officers
under chapter 602. The standards of care and loyalty described in this section apply
regardless of the form in which the association is organized.
(b) The executive board may not:
(1) Amend the declaration, except as provided in section 47-236;
(2) Terminate the common interest community;
(3) Elect members of the executive board, except that the executive board may fill
vacancies in its membership for the unexpired portion of any term or, if earlier, until
the next regularly scheduled election of executive board members; or
(4) Determine the qualifications, powers and duties, or terms of office of executive
board members.
(c) The executive board shall adopt budgets as provided in section 47-261e.
(d) Subject to the provisions of subsection (e) of this section, the declaration may
provide for a period of declarant control of the association, during which a declarant,
or persons designated by the declarant, may appoint and remove the officers and members of the executive board. A declarant may voluntarily surrender the right to appoint
and remove officers and members of the executive board before the period ends. In that
event, the declarant may require, during the remainder of the period, that specified
actions of the association or executive board, as described in a recorded instrument
executed by the declarant, be approved by the declarant before they become effective.
Regardless of the period provided in the declaration, a period of declarant control terminates no later than the earlier of: (1) Sixty days after conveyance of sixty per cent of
the units that may be created to unit owners other than a declarant, except that in the
case of a master planned community, control terminates no later than sixty days after
conveyance to unit owners other than the declarant of sixty per cent of the maximum
number of units that may be built, if that number is specified, or, if no such number is
specified, after conveyance to unit owners other than the declarant of three hundred
units; (2) two years after all declarants have ceased to offer units for sale in the ordinary
course of business; (3) two years after any right to add new units was last exercised; or
(4) the date the declarant, after giving notice in a record to unit owners, records an
instrument voluntarily surrendering all rights to control activities of the association.
(e) Not later than sixty days after conveyance of one-third of the units that may be
created to unit owners other than a declarant, at least one member and not less than one-third of the members of the executive board shall be elected by unit owners other than
the declarant.
(f) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (e) of section 47-239, not later than
the termination of any period of declarant control, the unit owners shall elect an executive
board of at least three members, at least a majority of whom shall be unit owners. Unless
the declaration or bylaws provides for the election of officers by the unit owners, the
executive board shall elect the officers. The executive board members and officers shall
take office upon election.
(g) A declaration may provide for the appointment of specified positions on the
executive board by either a governmental subdivision or agency or a nonstock corporation exempt from taxation as a public charity under 26 USC 501(c)(3) and 26 USC
4940(d)(2), as from time to time amended, during or after the period of declarant control.
A declaration may also provide a method for filling vacancies in those specified positions, other than by election by the unit owners, except that, after the period of declarant
control, appointed members (1) may not comprise more than one-third of the board,
and (2) have no greater authority than any other member of the board.
(h) Within thirty days after unit owners other than the declarant elect a majority of
the members of the executive board, the declarant shall deliver to the association all
property of the unit owners and of the association held by or controlled by the declarant,
including without limitation the following items: (1) The original or a certified copy of
the recorded declaration as amended; the association articles of incorporation, if the
association is incorporated; bylaws; minute books and other books and records of the
association; and any rules and regulations which may have been promulgated; (2) an
accounting for association funds and financial statements, from the date the association
received funds and ending on the date the period of declarant control ends. The financial
statements shall be audited by an independent certified public accountant and shall be
accompanied by the accountant's letter, expressing either (A) the opinion that the financial statements present fairly the financial position of the association in conformity with
generally accepted accounting principles or (B) a disclaimer of the accountant's ability
to attest to the fairness of the presentation of the financial information in conformity
with generally accepted accounting principles, and the reasons therefor. The expense
of the audit shall not be paid for or charged to the association; (3) association funds or
control thereof; (4) all of declarant's tangible personal property that has been represented
by the declarant to be the property of the association or, unless the declarant has disclosed
in the public offering statement that all such personal property used in the common
interest community will remain the declarant's property, all of the declarant's tangible
personal property that is necessary for, and has been used exclusively in, the operation
and enjoyment of the common elements, and inventories of these properties; (5) a copy
of any plans and specifications used in the construction of the improvements in the
common interest community which were completed within two years before the declaration was recorded; (6) all insurance policies then in force, in which the unit owners, the
association or its directors and officers are named as insured persons; (7) copies of any
certificates of occupancy that may have been issued with respect to any improvements
comprising the common interest community; (8) any other permits issued by governmental bodies applicable to the common interest community and which are currently
in force or which were issued within one year prior to the date on which unit owners
other than the declarant took control of the association; (9) written warranties of the
contractor, subcontractors, suppliers and manufacturers that are still effective; (10) a
roster of unit owners and mortgagees and their addresses and telephone numbers, if
known, as shown on the declarant's records; (11) employment contracts in which the
association is a contracting party; and (12) any service contract in which the association
is a contracting party or in which the association or the unit owners have any obligation
to pay a fee to the persons performing the services.
(i) During the period of declarant control, the declarant shall, at least every six
months, provide the unit owners with a current financial statement of the association.
The statement shall be on a cash basis and need not be audited by an independent accountant. It shall include, without limitation, (1) all income and expenses for the calendar
year to date; (2) all accounts payable and receivable, including the ages of those accounts
and showing all sums due to and from the declarant and affiliates of the declarant; (3)
the amount of any funded replacement reserves; and (4) the balance of any other funds
of the association."
(P.A. 83-474, S. 46, 96; P.A. 84-472, S. 12, 23; P.A. 95-187, S. 17; P.A. 96-180, S. 126, 166; 96-256, S. 204, 209; P.A.
05-288, S. 167; P.A. 07-243, S. 6; P.A. 09-225, S. 22.)
History: P.A. 84-472 added Subsec. (h) requiring the declarant to deliver to the association all property of unit owners
and of the association held by or controlled by the declarant within 30 days after unit owners other than the declarant elect
a majority of the members of the executive board and added Subsec. (i) requiring the declarant to provide the unit owners
with a current financial statement of the association at least every six months during the period of declarant control; P.A.
95-187 amended Subsec. (a) to revise and heighten the standard of care required of officers and members of the executive
board and amended Subsec. (d) to add exception re a master planned community in Subdiv. (1) and add Subdiv. (4) re the
date the declarant records an instrument voluntarily surrendering control; P.A. 96-180 made technical change in Subsec.
(a), effective June 3, 1996; P.A. 96-256 amended Subsec. (a) to replace reference to chapter 600 with chapter 602, effective
January 1, 1997; P.A. 05-288 made technical changes in Subsec. (d), effective July 13, 2005; P.A. 07-243 amended Subsec.
(c) by adding provisions re notwithstanding declaration or bylaws, re hand-delivery of summary, re opportunity for unit
owners to express views concerning proposed budget and re copy of budget available at meeting and by making technical
changes; P.A. 09-225 amended Subsec. (a) to insert "to the association" re loyalty and reference conflict of interest rules
in Ch. 602 and standards of care and loyalty described in section, reorganized and rewrote Subsec. (b), inserted Subdiv.
designators (1) to (4) therein, inserted exception re Sec. 47-236 in Subsec. (b)(1) and rewrote provisions re filling vacancies
in Subsec. (b)(3), replaced former provisions of Subsec. (c) re ratification of proposed budget with requirement that
executive board adopt budget as provided in Sec. 47-261e, reorganized Subsec. (d) and substituted "notice in a record"
for "written notice", amended Subsec. (f) to add provision re declaration or bylaws providing for election of officers by
unit owners, deleted former Subsec. (g) re removal of members, added new Subsec. (g) re appointment of specified positions
and method for filling vacancies, and made technical changes, effective July 1, 2010.
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Sec. 47-247. *(See end of section for amended version and effective date.) Termination of contracts and leases of declarant. (a) Except in the case of nonresidential
common interest communities as provided in section 47-215, if entered into before the
executive board elected by the unit owners pursuant to subsection (f) of section 47-245
takes office, (1) any management contract, employment contract or lease of recreational
or parking areas or facilities, (2) any other contract or lease between the association and
a declarant or an affiliate of a declarant, or (3) any contract or lease that is not bona fide
or was unconscionable or commercially unreasonable to the unit owners at the time
entered into under the circumstances then prevailing, may be terminated without penalty
by the association at any time after the executive board elected by the unit owners
pursuant to subsection (f) of section 47-245 takes office on not less than ninety days'
notice to the other party.
(b) This section does not apply to: (1) Any lease the termination of which would
terminate the common interest community or reduce its size, unless the real property
subject to that lease was included in the common interest community for the purpose
of avoiding the right of the association to terminate a lease under this section, or (2) a
proprietary lease.
(P.A. 83-474, S. 48, 96; P.A. 95-187, S. 19.)
*Note: On and after July 1, 2010, this section, as amended by section 23 of public
act 09-225, is to read as follows:
"Sec. 47-247. Termination of contracts and leases. (a) Except in the case of nonresidential common interest communities as provided in section 47-215, if entered into
before the executive board elected by the unit owners pursuant to subsection (f) of
section 47-245 takes office, the association may terminate without penalty upon not less
than ninety days' notice to the other party, any of the following: (1) Any management,
maintenance, operations or employment contract or lease of recreational or parking areas
or facilities; or (2) any other contract or lease between the association and a declarant
or an affiliate of a declarant, or (3) any contract or lease that is not bona fide or was
unconscionable or commercially unreasonable to the unit owners at the time entered
into under the circumstances then prevailing.
(b) This section does not apply to: (1) Any lease the termination of which would
terminate the common interest community or reduce its size, unless the real property
subject to that lease was included in the common interest community for the purpose
of avoiding the right of the association to terminate a lease under this section, or (2) a
proprietary lease."
(P.A. 83-474, S. 48, 96; P.A. 95-187, S. 19; P.A. 09-225, S. 23.)
History: P.A. 95-187 amended Subsec. (a) to add exception for nonresidential common interest communities; P.A. 09-225 rewrote and reorganized provisions in Subsec. (a) re termination of contracts, added maintenance and operations
contracts in Subsec. (a)(1) and made technical changes, effective July 1, 2010.
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Sec. 47-248. *(See end of section for amended version and effective date.) Bylaws. (a) The bylaws of the association shall provide for: (1) The number of members
of the executive board and the titles of the officers of the association; (2) election by
the executive board of a president, treasurer, secretary and any other officers of the
association the bylaws specify; (3) the qualifications, powers and duties, terms of office
and manner of electing and removing executive board members and officers and filling
vacancies; (4) which, if any, of its powers the executive board or officers may delegate
to other persons or to a managing agent; (5) which of its officers may prepare, execute,
certify and record amendments to the declaration on behalf of the association; and (6)
a method for amending the bylaws.
(b) Subject to the provisions of the declaration, the bylaws may provide for any
other matters the association deems necessary and appropriate.
(P.A. 83-474, S. 49, 96.)
*Note: On and after July 1, 2010, this section, as amended by section 24 of public
act 09-225, is to read as follows:
"Sec. 47-248. Bylaws. (a) The bylaws of the association shall: (1) Provide the
number of members of the executive board and the titles of the officers of the association;
(2) provide for election by the executive board of a president, treasurer, secretary and
any other officers of the association the bylaws specify; (3) specify the qualifications,
powers and duties, terms of office and manner of electing and removing executive board
members and officers and filling vacancies; (4) specify the powers the executive board
or officers may delegate to other persons or to a managing agent; (5) specify the officers
who may prepare, execute, certify and record amendments to the declaration on behalf of
the association; (6) specify a method for amending the bylaws; (7) contain any provision
necessary to satisfy requirements in this chapter or the declaration concerning meetings,
voting, quorums and other activities of the association; and (8) provide for any matter
required by the law of this state other than this chapter, which is not inconsistent with
this chapter, to appear in the bylaws of organizations of the same type as the association.
(b) Subject to the declaration and this chapter, the bylaws may provide for any other
necessary or appropriate matters including matters that could be adopted as rules."
(P.A. 83-474, S. 49, 96; P.A. 09-225, S. 24.)
History: P.A. 09-225 reorganized Subsec. (a) and added therein Subdiv. (7) re provisions necessary re meetings, voting,
quorums and other activities of association and Subdiv. (8) re any matter required by law of state other than chapter, and
amended Subsec. (b) to reference chapter and rewrite provisions re necessary and appropriate matters, effective July 1, 2010.
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Sec. 47-250. *(See end of section for amended version and effective date.)
Meeting of association. A meeting of the association shall be held at least once each
year. Special meetings of the association may be called by the president, a majority of
the executive board, or by unit owners having twenty per cent, or any lower percentage
specified in the bylaws, of the votes in the association. Not less than ten nor more than
sixty days in advance of any meeting, the secretary or other officer specified in the
bylaws shall cause notice to be hand-delivered or sent prepaid by United States mail to
the mailing address of each unit or to any other mailing address designated in writing
by the unit owner. The notice of any meeting shall state the time and place of the meeting
and the items on the agenda, including the general nature of any proposed amendment
to the declaration or bylaws, any budget changes and any proposal to remove an officer
or member of the executive board.
(P.A. 83-474, S. 51, 96.)
*Note: On and after July 1, 2010, this section, as amended by section 25 of public
act 09-225, is to read as follows:
"Sec. 47-250. Meetings. Rules. (a) The following requirements apply to unit
owner meetings:
(1) An association shall hold a meeting of unit owners annually at a time, date and
place stated in or fixed in accordance with the bylaws;
(2) An association shall hold a special meeting of unit owners if its president, a
majority of the executive board, or unit owners having at least twenty per cent, or any
lower percentage specified in the bylaws, of the votes in the association request that the
secretary call the meeting. If the association does not notify unit owners of a special
meeting within fifteen days after the requisite number or percentage of unit owners
request the secretary to do so, the requesting members may directly notify all the unit
owners of the meeting. Only matters described in the meeting notice required by subdivision (3) of this subsection may be considered at a special meeting;
(3) An association shall notify unit owners of the time, date and place of each annual
and special unit owners meeting not less than ten days or more than sixty days before
the meeting date. Notice may be by any means described in section 47-261c. The notice
of any meeting shall state the time, date and place of the meeting and the items on the
agenda, including (A) a statement of the general nature of any proposed amendment to
the declaration or bylaws, (B) any budget changes, and (C) any proposal to remove an
officer or member of the executive board;
(4) Unit owners shall be given a reasonable opportunity at any meeting to comment
regarding any matter affecting the common interest community or the association; and
(5) The declaration or bylaws may allow for meetings of unit owners to be conducted
by telephonic, video or other conferencing process if the alternative process is consistent
with subdivision (7) of subsection (b) of this section.
(b) The following requirements apply to meetings of the executive board and committees of the association authorized to act for the association:
(1) Meetings shall be open to the unit owners and to a representative designated
by any unit owner except during executive sessions. The executive board and those
committees may hold an executive session only during a regular or special meeting of
the board or a committee. No final vote or action may be taken during an executive
session. An executive session may be held only to: (A) Consult with the association's
attorney concerning legal matters; (B) discuss existing or potential litigation or mediation, arbitration or administrative proceedings; (C) discuss labor or personnel matters;
(D) discuss contracts, leases and other commercial transactions to purchase or provide
goods or services currently being negotiated, including the review of bids or proposals,
if premature general knowledge of those matters would place the association at a disadvantage; or (E) prevent public knowledge of the matter to be discussed if the executive
board or committee determines that public knowledge would violate the privacy of any
person.
(2) For purposes of this section, a gathering of board members at which the board
members do not conduct association business is not a meeting of the executive board.
The executive board and its members may not use incidental or social gatherings of
board members or any other method to evade the open meeting requirements of this
section.
(3) Notwithstanding any actions taken by unanimous consent pursuant to subdivision (8) of subsection (b) of this section, during and after the period of declarant control,
the executive board shall meet at least two times a year at the common interest community or at a place convenient to the community. Those meetings, and after termination
of the period of declarant control, all executive board meetings, shall be at the common
interest community or at a place convenient to the community unless the bylaws are
amended to vary the location of those meetings.
(4) At each executive board meeting, the executive board shall provide a reasonable
opportunity for unit owners to comment regarding any matter affecting the common
interest community and the association.
(5) Unless the meeting is included in a schedule given to the unit owners or the
meeting is called to deal with an emergency, the secretary or other officer specified in
the bylaws shall give notice of each executive board meeting to each board member and
to the unit owners. The notice shall be given at least ten days before the meeting and
shall state the time, date, place and agenda of the meeting.
(6) If any materials are distributed to the executive board before the meeting, the
executive board at the same time shall make copies of those materials reasonably available to unit owners, except that the board need not make available copies of unapproved
minutes or materials that are to be considered in executive session.
(7) Unless prohibited by the declaration or bylaws, the executive board may meet
by telephonic, video or other conferencing process if (A) the meeting notice states the
conferencing process to be used and provides information explaining how unit owners
may participate in the conference directly or by meeting at a central location or conference connection; and (B) the process provides all unit owners the opportunity to hear
or perceive the discussion and offer comments as provided in subdivision (4) of this
subsection.
(8) Instead of meeting, the executive board may act by unanimous consent as documented in a record authenticated by all its members. The secretary promptly shall give
notice to all unit owners of any action taken by unanimous consent.
(9) Even if an action by the executive board is not in compliance with this section,
it is valid unless set aside by a court. A challenge to the validity of an action of the
executive board for failure to comply with this section may not be brought more than
sixty days after the minutes of the executive board of the meeting at which the action was
taken are approved or the record of that action is distributed to unit owners, whichever is
later.
(c) Meetings of the association shall be conducted in accordance with the most
recent edition of Roberts' Rules of Order Newly Revised unless (1) the declaration,
bylaws or other law otherwise provides, or (2) two-thirds of the votes allocated to owners
present at the meeting are cast to suspend those rules."
(P.A. 83-474, S. 51, 96; P.A. 09-225, S. 25.)
History: P.A. 09-225 designated existing provisions as Subsec. (a) and amended same by adding requirements for unit
owner meetings, added Subsec. (b) re executive board and committee meetings and added Subsec. (c) re conduct of
meetings, effective July 1, 2010.
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Sec. 47-251. *(See end of section for amended version and effective date.) Quorums. (a) Unless the bylaws provide otherwise, a quorum is present throughout any
meeting of the association if persons entitled to cast twenty per cent of the votes that
may be cast for election of the executive board are present in person or by proxy at the
beginning of the meeting.
(b) Unless the bylaws specify a larger percentage, a quorum is deemed present
throughout any meeting of the executive board if persons entitled to cast fifty per cent
of the votes on that board are present at the beginning of the meeting.
(P.A. 83-474, S. 52, 96.)
*Note: On and after July 1, 2010, this section, as amended by section 26 of public
act 09-225, is to read as follows:
"Sec. 47-251. Quorum. (a) Unless the bylaws otherwise provide, a quorum is present throughout any meeting of the unit owners if persons entitled to cast twenty per cent
of the votes in the association are present in person or by proxy at the beginning of the
meeting.
(b) Unless the bylaws specify a larger number, a quorum of the executive board is
present for purposes of determining the validity of any action taken at a meeting of the
executive board only if individuals entitled to cast a majority of the votes on that board
are present at the time a vote regarding that action is taken. If a quorum is present when
a vote is taken, the affirmative vote of a majority of the board members present is the
act of the executive board unless a greater vote is required by the declaration or bylaws."
(P.A. 83-474, S. 52, 96; P.A. 09-225, S. 26.)
History: P.A. 09-225 amended Subsec. (a) to substitute "otherwise provide" for "provide otherwise" and "unit owners"
for "association" re meeting, and apply 20% requirement to votes in the association, rather than votes that may be cast for
election of board, and amended Subsec. (b) to substitute "number" for "percentage" and "majority" for "fifty per cent",
add "executive board" re quorum and add provisions re validity of action and quorum at time vote is taken, effective July
1, 2010.
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Sec. 47-252. *(See end of action for amended version and effective date.) Voting at meetings of association. (a) If only one of several owners of a unit is present
at a meeting of the association, that owner is entitled to cast all the votes allocated to
that unit. If more than one of the owners are present, the votes allocated to that unit may
be cast only in accordance with the agreement of a majority in interest of the owners,
unless the declaration expressly provides otherwise. There is majority agreement if any
one of the owners casts the votes allocated to that unit without protest being made
promptly to the person presiding over the meeting by any of the other owners of the unit.
(b) Votes allocated to a unit may be cast pursuant to a proxy duly executed by a
unit owner. If a unit is owned by more than one person, each owner of the unit may vote
or register protest to the casting of votes by the other owners of the unit through a duly
executed proxy. A unit owner may revoke a proxy given pursuant to this section only
by actual notice of revocation to the person presiding over a meeting of the association.
A proxy is void if it is not dated or purports to be revocable without notice. A proxy
terminates one year after its date, unless it specifies a shorter term.
(c) If the declaration requires that votes on specified matters affecting the common
interest community be cast by lessees rather than unit owners of leased units: (1) The
provisions of subsections (a) and (b) of this section apply to lessees as if they were unit
owners; (2) unit owners who have leased their units to other persons may not cast votes
on those specified matters; and (3) lessees are entitled to notice of meetings, access to
records and other rights respecting those matters as if they were unit owners. Unit owners
shall also be given notice, in the manner provided in section 47-250, of all meetings at
which lessees are entitled to vote.
(d) No votes allocated to a unit owned by the association may be cast.
(P.A. 83-474, S. 53, 96.)
*Note: On and after July 1, 2010, this section, as amended by section 27 of public
act 09-225, is to read as follows:
"Sec. 47-252. Voting. Proxies. Ballots. (a) Unless prohibited or limited by the
declaration or bylaws, unit owners may vote at a meeting in person, by a proxy pursuant
to subsection (c) of this section or, when a vote is conducted without a meeting, by
electronic or paper ballot pursuant to subsection (d) of this section.
(b) At a meeting of unit owners the following requirements apply:
(1) If only one of several owners of a unit is present at a meeting of the association,
that owner is entitled to cast all the votes allocated to that unit. If more than one of the
owners are present, the votes allocated to that unit may be cast only in accordance with
the agreement of a majority in interest of the owners, unless the declaration expressly
provides otherwise. There is majority agreement if any one of the owners casts the votes
allocated to the unit without protest being made promptly to the person presiding over
the meeting by any of the other owners of the unit.
(2) Unless a greater number or fraction of the votes in the association is required
by this chapter or other law or the declaration, a majority of the votes cast is the decision
of the unit owners.
(c) Except as otherwise provided in the declaration or bylaws, the following requirements apply with respect to proxy voting:
(1) Votes allocated to a unit may be cast pursuant to a directed or undirected proxy
duly executed by a unit owner;
(2) If a unit is owned by more than one person, each owner of the unit may vote or
register protest to the casting of votes by the other owners of the unit through a duly
executed proxy;
(3) A unit owner may revoke a proxy given pursuant to this section only by actual
notice of revocation to the person presiding over a meeting of the association;
(4) A proxy is void if it is not dated or purports to be revocable without notice;
(5) A proxy terminates one year after its date, unless it specifies a shorter term; and
(6) A person may not cast votes representing more than fifteen per cent of the votes
in the association pursuant to undirected proxies.
(d) Unless prohibited or limited by the declaration or bylaws, an association may
conduct a vote without a meeting. In that event, the following requirements apply:
(1) The association shall notify the unit owners that the vote will be taken by ballot;
(2) The association shall deliver a paper or electronic ballot to every unit owner
entitled to vote on the matter;
(3) The ballot must set forth each proposed action or office to be filled and provide
an opportunity to vote for or against the action or the candidate for office;
(4) When the association delivers the ballots, it shall also: (A) Indicate the number
of responses needed to meet the quorum requirements; (B) state the percentage of votes
necessary to approve each matter other than election of directors; (C) specify the time
and date by which a ballot must be delivered to the association to be counted, which
time and date may not be fewer than three days after the date the association delivers
the ballot; and (D) describe the time, date and manner by which unit owners wishing
to deliver information to all unit owners regarding the subject of the vote may do so;
(5) Except as otherwise provided in the declaration or bylaws, a ballot is not revoked
after delivery to the association by death or disability or attempted revocation by the
person that cast that vote; and
(6) Approval by ballot pursuant to this subsection is valid only if the number of
votes cast by ballot equals or exceeds the quorum required to be present at a meeting
authorizing the action.
(e) If the declaration requires that votes on specified matters affecting the common
interest community be cast by lessees rather than unit owners of leased units: (1) This
section applies to lessees as if they were unit owners; (2) unit owners that have leased
their units to other persons may not cast votes on those specified matters; and (3) lessees
are entitled to notice of meetings, access to records and other rights respecting those
matters as if they were unit owners.
(f) Unit owners shall also be given notice of all meetings at which lessees are entitled
to vote.
(g) Votes allocated to a unit owned by the association shall be cast in any vote of
the unit owners in the same proportion as the votes cast on the matter by unit owners
other than the association.
(h) For the purposes of this chapter, "fraction or percentage", with respect to the
unit owners or the votes in the association, means the stated fraction or percentage of
unit owners of units to which at least the stated percentage or fraction of all the votes
in the association are allocated, unless the provisions of this chapter provides that the
"fraction or percentage" refers to a different group of unit owners or votes."
(P.A. 83-474, S. 53, 96; P.A. 09-225, S. 27.)
History: P.A. 09-225 redesignated existing Subsecs. (a) and (b) as Subsecs. (b)(1) and (c)(1) to (5), inserted new Subsec.
(a) re voting in person, by proxy or by ballot, inserted new Subsec. (b)(2) providing that majority of votes cast is decision
of unit owners unless otherwise required by chapter, other law or declaration, amended redesignated Subsec. (c) to add
language re other provisions in declaration or bylaws re proxy voting, insert "directed or undirected" re proxy in Subdiv.
(1), and insert new Subdiv. (6) limiting undirected proxies to 15% of votes, inserted new Subsec. (d) re vote without a
meeting, redesignated existing Subsec. (c) as Subsecs. (e) and (f), deleted reference to manner provided in Sec. 47-250 re
notice in said Subsec. (f), redesignated existing Subsec. (d) as Subsec. (g), inserted provision therein re proportion of votes,
added Subsec. (h) to define "fraction or percentage", and made technical changes, effective July 1, 2010.
| (Return to Chapter Table of Contents) | (Return to List of Chapters) | (Return to List of Titles) |
Sec. 47-254. *(See end of section for amended version and effective date.) Conveyance or encumbrance of common elements. (a) In a condominium or planned
community, portions of the common elements may be conveyed or subjected to a security interest by the association if persons entitled to cast at least eighty per cent of the
votes in the association, including eighty per cent of the votes allocated to units not
owned by a declarant, or any larger percentage the declaration specifies, agree to that
action; but all owners of units to which any limited common element is allocated must
agree in order to convey that limited common element or subject it to a security interest.
The declaration may specify a smaller percentage only if all of the units are restricted
exclusively to nonresidential uses. In a condominium, the common elements may be
conveyed or subjected to a security interest as provided in this subsection free of the
lien on the undivided interests in the common elements held by all mortgagees of the
units, if eighty per cent of the mortgagees consent in writing to the sale or encumbrance.
Proceeds of the sale are an asset of the association, but the proceeds of the sale of, or
attributed to, limited common elements must be distributed equitably among the owners
of units to which the limited common elements were allocated.
(b) Part of a cooperative may be conveyed and all or part of a cooperative may be
subjected to a security interest by the association if persons entitled to cast at least eighty
per cent of the votes in the association, including eighty per cent of the votes allocated
to units not owned by a declarant, or any larger percentage the declaration specifies,
agree to that action; but, if fewer than all of the units or limited common elements are
to be conveyed or subjected to a security interest, then all unit owners of those units, or
the units to which those limited common elements are allocated, must agree in order to
convey those units or limited common elements or subject them to a security interest.
The declaration may specify a smaller percentage only if all of the units are restricted
exclusively to nonresidential uses. Proceeds of the sale are an asset of the association.
Any purported conveyance or other voluntary transfer of an entire cooperative, unless
made pursuant to section 47-237 is void.
(c) An agreement to convey common elements in a condominium or planned community, or to subject them to a security interest, or in a cooperative, an agreement to
convey any part of a cooperative or subject it to a security interest, shall be evidenced
by the execution of an agreement or ratifications thereof, in the same manner as a deed,
by the requisite number of unit owners. The agreement shall specify a date after which
the agreement will be void unless recorded before that date. The agreement and all
ratifications thereof shall be recorded in every town in which a portion of the common
interest community is situated, and is effective only on recordation.
(d) The association, on behalf of the unit owners, may contract to convey an interest
in a common interest community pursuant to subsection (a) or (b) of this section, but
the contract is not enforceable against the association until approved pursuant to subsections (a), (b) and (c) of this section. Thereafter, the association has all powers necessary
and appropriate to effect the conveyance or encumbrance, including the power to execute
deeds or other instruments.
(e) Unless made pursuant to this section, any purported conveyance, encumbrance,
judicial sale or other voluntary transfer of common elements or of any other part of a
cooperative is void.
(f) A conveyance or encumbrance of common elements or of a cooperative pursuant
to this section does not deprive any unit of its rights of access and support.
(g) Unless the declaration otherwise provides and unless, in a condominium, eighty
per cent of the mortgagees have consented in writing to the sale as provided in subsection
(a) of this section, a conveyance or encumbrance of common elements pursuant to this
section does not affect the priority or validity of preexisting encumbrances.
(h) In a cooperative, the association may acquire, hold, encumber or convey a proprietary lease without complying with this section.
(P.A. 83-474, S. 55, 96; P.A. 84-546, S. 101, 173; P.A. 95-187, S. 21.)
*Note: On and after July 1, 2010, this section, as amended by section 28 of public
act 09-225, is to read as follows:
"Sec. 47-254. Conveyance or encumbrance of common elements. (a) In a condominium or planned community, portions of the common elements may be conveyed
or subjected to a security interest by the association if persons entitled to cast at least
eighty per cent of the votes in the association, including eighty per cent of the votes
allocated to units not owned by a declarant, or any larger percentage the declaration
specifies, agree to that action; but all owners of units to which any limited common
element is allocated must agree in order to convey that limited common element or
subject it to a security interest. The declaration may specify a smaller percentage only
if all of the units are restricted exclusively to nonresidential uses. In a condominium,
the common elements may be conveyed or subjected to a security interest as provided
in this subsection free of the lien on the undivided interests in the common elements
held by all mortgagees of the units, if eighty per cent of the mortgagees consent in a
record to the sale or encumbrance. Proceeds of the sale are an asset of the association,
but the proceeds of the sale of, or attributed to, limited common elements must be
distributed equitably among the owners of units to which the limited common elements
were allocated.
(b) Part of a cooperative may be conveyed and all or part of a cooperative may be
subjected to a security interest by the association if persons entitled to cast at least eighty
per cent of the votes in the association, including eighty per cent of the votes allocated
to units not owned by a declarant, or any larger percentage the declaration specifies,
agree to that action; but, if fewer than all of the units or limited common elements are
to be conveyed or subjected to a security interest, then all unit owners of those units, or
the units to which those limited common elements are allocated, must agree in order to
convey those units or limited common elements or subject them to a security interest.
The declaration may specify a smaller percentage only if all of the units are restricted
exclusively to nonresidential uses. Proceeds of the sale are an asset of the association.
Any purported conveyance or other voluntary transfer of an entire cooperative, unless
made pursuant to section 47-237 is void.
(c) An agreement to convey common elements in a condominium or planned community, or to subject them to a security interest, or in a cooperative, an agreement to
convey any part of a cooperative or subject it to a security interest, shall be evidenced
by the execution of an agreement or ratifications thereof, in the same manner as a deed,
by the requisite number of unit owners. The agreement shall specify a date after which
the agreement will be void unless recorded before that date. The agreement and all
ratifications thereof shall be recorded in every town in which a portion of the common
interest community is situated, and is effective only on recordation.
(d) The association, on behalf of the unit owners, may contract to convey an interest
in a common interest community pursuant to subsection (a) or (b) of this section, but
the contract is not enforceable against the association until approved pursuant to subsections (a), (b) and (c) of this section. Thereafter, the association has all powers necessary
and appropriate to effect the conveyance or encumbrance, including the power to execute
deeds or other instruments.
(e) Unless made pursuant to this section, any purported conveyance, encumbrance,
judicial sale or other voluntary transfer of common elements or of any other part of a
cooperative is void.
(f) A conveyance or encumbrance of common elements or of a cooperative pursuant
to this section does not deprive any unit of its rights of access and support.
(g) Unless the declaration otherwise provides and unless, in a condominium, eighty
per cent of the mortgagees have consented in a record to the sale as provided in subsection
(a) of this section, a conveyance or encumbrance of common elements pursuant to this
section does not affect the priority or validity of preexisting encumbrances.
(h) In a cooperative, the association may acquire, hold, encumber or convey a proprietary lease without complying with this section."
(P.A. 83-474, S. 55, 96; P.A. 84-546, S. 101, 173; P.A. 95-187, S. 21; P.A. 09-225, S. 28.)
History: P.A. 84-546 made technical change in Subsec. (a); P.A. 95-187 amended Subsec. (a) to add provision requiring
that proceeds of sale of, or attributed to, limited common elements be distributed equitably among owners of units to which
limited common elements were allocated; P.A. 09-225 substituted "in a record" for "in writing" re consent in Subsecs. (a)
and (g), effective July 1, 2010.
| (Return to Chapter Table of Contents) | (Return to List of Chapters) | (Return to List of Titles) |
Sec. 47-255. *(See end of section for amended version and effective date.) Insurance. (a) Commencing not later than the time of the first conveyance of a unit to a
person other than a declarant, the association shall maintain, to the extent reasonably
available: (1) Property insurance on the common elements and, in a planned community,
also on property that must become common elements, insuring against all risks of direct
physical loss commonly insured against or, in the case of a conversion building, against
fire and extended coverage perils. The total amount of insurance after application of
any deductibles shall be not less than eighty per cent of the actual cash value of the insured
property at the time the insurance is purchased and at each renewal date, exclusive of
land, excavations, foundations and other items normally excluded from property policies; (2) flood insurance in the event the condominium is located in a flood hazard area,
as defined and determined by the National Flood Insurance Act, as amended, USC 42
Section 4101, P.L. 93-234, and the unit owners by vote direct; and (3) liability insurance,
including medical payments insurance, in an amount determined by the executive board
but not less than any amount specified in the declaration, covering all occurrences commonly insured against for death, bodily injury and property damage arising out of or in
connection with the use, ownership or maintenance of the common elements and, in
cooperatives, also of all units.
(b) In the case of a building that is part of a cooperative or that contains units having
horizontal boundaries described in the declaration, the insurance maintained under subdivision (1) of subsection (a) of this section, to the extent reasonably available, shall
include the units, but need not include improvements and betterments installed by unit
owners.
(c) If the insurance described in subsections (a) and (b) of this section is not reasonably available, the association promptly shall cause notice of that fact to be hand-delivered or sent prepaid by United States mail to all unit owners. The declaration may require
the association to carry any other insurance, and the association in any event may carry
any other insurance it considers appropriate to protect the association or the unit owners.
(d) Insurance policies carried pursuant to subsections (a) and (b) of this section shall
provide that: (1) Each unit owner is an insured person under the policy with respect
to liability arising out of his interest in the common elements or membership in the
association; (2) the insurer waives its right to subrogation under the policy against any
unit owner or member of his household; (3) no act or omission by any unit owner, unless
acting within the scope of his authority on behalf of the association, will void the policy
or be a condition to recovery under the policy; and (4) if, at the time of a loss under the
policy, there is other insurance in the name of a unit owner covering the same risk
covered by the policy, the association's policy provides primary insurance.
(e) Any loss covered by the property policy under subdivision (1) of subsection (a)
and subsection (b) of this section shall be adjusted with the association, but the insurance
proceeds for that loss are payable to any insurance trustee designated for that purpose,
or otherwise to the association, and not to any holder of a security interest. The insurance
trustee or the association shall hold any insurance proceeds in trust for the association,
unit owners and lien holders as their interests may appear. Subject to the provisions of
subsection (h) of this section, the proceeds shall be disbursed first for the repair or
restoration of the damaged property, and the association, unit owners and lien holders
are not entitled to receive payment of any portion of the proceeds unless there is a surplus
of proceeds after the property has been completely repaired or restored, or the common
interest community is terminated.
(f) An insurance policy issued to the association does not prevent a unit owner from
obtaining insurance for his own benefit.
(g) An insurer that has issued an insurance policy under this section shall issue
certificates or memoranda of insurance to the association and, on written request, to any
unit owner or holder of a security interest. The insurer issuing the policy may not cancel
or refuse to renew it until sixty days after notice of the proposed cancellation or nonrenewal has been mailed to the association, each unit owner and each holder of a security
interest to whom a certificate or memorandum of insurance has been issued at their
respective last known addresses.
(h) (1) Any portion of the common interest community for which insurance is required under this section which is damaged or destroyed shall be repaired or replaced
promptly by the association unless (A) the common interest community is terminated,
in which case section 47-237 applies, (B) repair or replacement would be illegal under
any state or local statute or ordinance governing health or safety, or (C) eighty per cent
of the unit owners, including every owner of a unit or assigned limited common element
that will not be rebuilt, vote not to rebuild. The cost of repair or replacement in excess
of insurance proceeds and reserves, regardless of whether such excess is the result of
the application of a deductible under insurance coverage, is a common expense. (2) If
the entire common interest community is not repaired or replaced, (A) the insurance
proceeds attributable to the damaged common elements shall be used to restore the
damaged area to a condition compatible with the remainder of the common interest
community, and (B) except to the extent that other persons will be distributees, (i) the
insurance proceeds attributable to units and limited common elements that are not rebuilt
shall be distributed to the owners of those units and the owners of the units to which
those limited common elements were allocated, or to lien holders, as their interests may
appear, and (ii) the remainder of the proceeds shall be distributed to all the unit owners
or lien holders, as their interests may appear, in proportion to the common expense
liabilities of all the units. (3) If the unit owners vote not to rebuild any unit, that unit's
allocated interests are automatically reallocated on the vote as if the unit had been condemned under subsection (a) of section 47-206, and the association promptly shall prepare, execute and record an amendment to the declaration reflecting the reallocations.
(i) The provisions of this section may be varied or waived in the case of a common
interest community all of whose units are restricted to nonresidential use.
(P.A. 83-474, S. 56, 96; P.A. 93-239, S. 11; P.A. 07-68, S. 3.)
*Note: On and after July 1, 2010, this section, as amended by section 29 of public
act 09-225, is to read as follows:
"Sec. 47-255. Insurance. (a) Commencing not later than the time of the first conveyance of a unit to a person other than a declarant, the association shall maintain,
to the extent reasonably available and subject to reasonable deductibles: (1) Property
insurance on the common elements and, in a planned community, also on property that
must become common elements, insuring against those risks of direct physical loss
commonly insured against, which insurance, after application of any deductibles shall
be not less than eighty per cent of the actual cash value of the insured property at the
time the insurance is purchased and at each renewal date, exclusive of land, excavations,
foundations and other items normally excluded from property policies; (2) flood insurance in the event the condominium is located in a flood hazard area, as defined and
determined by the National Flood Insurance Act, as amended, USC 42 Section 4101, P.L.
93-234, and the unit owners by vote direct; (3) commercial general liability insurance,
including medical payments insurance, in an amount determined by the executive board
but not less than any amount specified in the declaration, covering all occurrences commonly insured against for bodily injury and property damage arising out of or in connection with the use, ownership or maintenance of the common elements and, in cooperatives, also of all units; and (4) fidelity insurance.
(b) In the case of a building that contains units divided by horizontal boundaries
described in the declaration, or by vertical boundaries that comprise or are located within
common walls between units, the insurance maintained under subdivision (1) of subsection (a) of this section, to the extent reasonably available, shall include the units, and
all improvements and betterments installed by unit owners, unless the declaration limits
the association's authority to insure all improvements and betterments or the executive
board decides, after giving notice and an opportunity for unit owners to comment, not to
insure such improvements and betterments. In the case of common interest communities
containing more than twelve units, unless the association insures all improvements and
betterments, the association shall:
(1) Prepare and maintain a schedule of the standard fixtures, improvements and
betterments in the units, including any standard wall, floor and ceiling coverings covered
by the association's insurance policy;
(2) Provide such schedule at least annually to the unit owners in order to enable
unit owners to coordinate their homeowners insurance coverage with the coverage afforded by the association's insurance policy; and
(3) Include such schedule in any resale certificate prepared pursuant to section
47-270.
(c) If the insurance described in subsections (a) and (b) of this section is not reasonably available, the association promptly shall cause notice of that fact to be given to all
unit owners pursuant to section 47-261c. The declaration may require the association to
carry any other insurance, and the association may carry any other insurance it considers
appropriate to protect the association or the unit owners.
(d) Insurance policies carried pursuant to subsections (a) and (b) of this section shall
provide that: (1) Each unit owner is an insured person under the policy with respect
to liability arising out of his interest in the common elements or membership in the
association; (2) the insurer waives its right to subrogation under the policy against any
unit owner or member of his household; (3) no act or omission by any unit owner, unless
acting within the scope of his authority on behalf of the association, will void the policy
or be a condition to recovery under the policy; and (4) if, at the time of a loss under the
policy, there is other insurance in the name of a unit owner covering the same risk
covered by the policy, the association's policy provides primary insurance.
(e) Any loss covered by the property policy under subdivision (1) of subsection (a)
and subsection (b) of this section shall be adjusted with the association, but the insurance
proceeds for that loss are payable to any insurance trustee designated for that purpose,
or otherwise to the association, and not to any holder of a security interest. The insurance
trustee or the association shall hold any insurance proceeds in trust for the association,
unit owners and lien holders as their interests may appear. Subject to the provisions of
subsection (h) of this section, the proceeds shall be disbursed first for the repair or
replacement of the damaged property, and the association, unit owners and lien holders
are not entitled to receive payment of any portion of the proceeds unless there is a surplus
of proceeds after the property has been completely repaired or replaced, or the common
interest community is terminated.
(f) An insurance policy issued to the association does not prevent a unit owner from
obtaining insurance for his own benefit.
(g) An insurer that has issued an insurance policy under this section shall issue
certificates or memoranda of insurance to the association and, on request made in a
record, to any unit owner or holder of a security interest. The insurer issuing the policy
may not cancel or refuse to renew it until sixty days after notice of the proposed cancellation or nonrenewal has been mailed to the association, each unit owner and each holder
of a security interest to whom a certificate or memorandum of insurance has been issued
at their respective last known addresses.
(h) (1) Any portion of the common interest community for which insurance is required under this section which is damaged or destroyed shall be repaired or replaced
promptly by the association unless (A) the common interest community is terminated,
in which case section 47-237 applies, (B) repair or replacement would be illegal under
any state or local statute or ordinance governing health or safety, or (C) eighty per cent
of the unit owners, including every owner of a unit or assigned limited common element
that will not be rebuilt, vote not to rebuild. The cost of repair or replacement in excess
of insurance proceeds and reserves, regardless of whether such excess is the result of
the application of a deductible under insurance coverage, is a common expense.
(2) If the entire common interest community is not repaired or replaced, (A) the
insurance proceeds attributable to the damaged common elements shall be used to restore
the damaged area to a condition compatible with the remainder of the common interest
community, and (B) except to the extent that other persons will be distributees, (i) the
insurance proceeds attributable to units and limited common elements that are not rebuilt
shall be distributed to the owners of those units and the owners of the units to which
those limited common elements were allocated, or to lien holders, as their interests may
appear, and (ii) the remainder of the proceeds shall be distributed to all the unit owners
or lien holders, as their interests may appear, in proportion to the common expense
liabilities of all the units.
(3) If the unit owners vote not to rebuild any unit, that unit's allocated interests are
automatically reallocated on the vote as if the unit had been condemned under subsection
(a) of section 47-206, and the association promptly shall prepare, execute and record
an amendment to the declaration reflecting the reallocations.
(i) The provisions of this section may be varied or waived in the case of a common
interest community all of whose units are restricted to nonresidential use."
(P.A. 83-474, S. 56, 96; P.A. 93-239, S. 11; P.A. 07-68, S. 3; P.A. 09-225, S. 29.)
History: P.A. 93-239 amended Subsec. (g) to require 60, rather than 30, days' notice of cancellation or renewal for
insurers issuing policies for condominium associations; P.A. 07-68 amended Subsec. (a) to insert new Subdiv. (2) requiring
association to maintain flood insurance in the event condominium is located in flood hazard area, as defined and determined
by National Flood Insurance Act and unit owners by vote direct, and redesignate existing Subdiv. (2) as Subdiv. (3), and
amended Subsec. (h)(1) to specify that common expenses include any excess resulting from applicable insurance deductible;
P.A. 09-225 amended Subsec. (a) to insert "and subject to reasonable deductibles" re required insurance coverage, delete
reference to coverage for conversion buildings and substitute "against those risks" for "against all risks" in Subdiv. (1),
insert "commercial general" and delete death re occurrences commonly insured against in Subdiv. (3), and add Subdiv.
(4) re fidelity insurance, amended Subsec. (b) to delete "that is part of a cooperative", substitute "divided by" for "having"
re horizontal boundaries and "all improvements" for "but need not include improvements" re insurance maintained, add
provision re vertical boundaries, add exceptions re limits in declaration and executive board decision not to insure, and
add provisions re association duties to communities containing more than 12 units, amended Subsec. (c) to substitute
"given" for "hand-delivered or sent prepaid by United States mail" re notice, reference Sec. 47-261c and delete "in any
event", amended Subsec. (e) to substitute "replacement" and "replaced" for "restoration" and "restored" and amended
Subsec. (g) to substitute "request made in a record" for "written request", effective July 1, 2010.
| (Return to Chapter Table of Contents) | (Return to List of Chapters) | (Return to List of Titles) |
Sec. 47-256. *(See end of section for amended version and effective date.) Surplus funds. Unless otherwise provided in the declaration, any surplus funds of the association remaining after payment of or provision for common expenses and any prepayment
of reserves shall be paid to the unit owners in proportion to their common expense
liabilities or credited to them to reduce their future common expense assessments.
(P.A. 83-474, S. 57, 96.)
*Note: On and after July 1, 2010, this section, as amended by section 30 of public
act 09-225, is to read as follows:
"Sec. 47-256. Surplus funds. Unless otherwise provided in the declaration, any
surplus funds of the association remaining after payment of or provision for common
expenses and any prepayment of reserves shall be paid annually to the unit owners in
proportion to their common expense liabilities or credited to them to reduce their future
common expense assessments."
(P.A. 83-474, S. 57, 96; P.A. 09-225, S. 30.)
History: P.A. 09-225 inserted "annually" re payment of surplus funds, effective July 1, 2010.
| (Return to Chapter Table of Contents) | (Return to List of Chapters) | (Return to List of Titles) |
Sec. 47-257. *(See end of section for amended version and effective date.) Assessments for common expenses. (a) Until the association makes a common expense
assessment, the declarant shall pay all common expenses. After an assessment has been
made by the association, assessments shall be made at least annually, based on a budget
adopted at least annually by the association.
(b) Except for assessments under subsections (c), (d) and (e) of this section, all
common expenses shall be assessed against all the units in accordance with the allocations set forth in the declaration pursuant to subsections (a) and (b) of section 47-226.
Any past due common expense assessment or installment thereof bears interest at the
rate established by the association not exceeding eighteen per cent per year.
(c) To the extent required by the declaration: (1) Any common expense associated
with the maintenance, repair or replacement of a limited common element shall be
assessed against the units to which that limited common element is assigned, equally,
or in any other proportion the declaration provides; (2) any common expense or portion
thereof benefiting fewer than all of the units shall be assessed exclusively against the
units benefited; and (3) the costs of insurance shall be assessed in proportion to risk and
the costs of utilities shall be assessed in proportion to usage.
(d) Assessments to pay a judgment against the association may be made only against
the units in the common interest community at the time the judgment was rendered, in
proportion to their common expense liabilities.
(e) If any common expense is caused by the misconduct of any unit owner, the
association may, after notice and hearing, assess that expense exclusively against his
unit.
(f) If common expense liabilities are reallocated, common expense assessments
and any installment thereof not yet due shall be recalculated in accordance with the
reallocated common expense liabilities.
(g) No unit owner may exempt himself from liability for payment of the common
expenses by waiver of the use or enjoyment of any of the common elements or by
abandonment of the unit against which the assessments are made.
(P.A. 83-474, S. 58, 96; P.A. 84-472, S. 15, 23.)
*Note: On and after July 1, 2010, this section, as amended by section 31 of public
act 09-225, is to read as follows:
"Sec. 47-257. Assessments for common expenses. Assessments due to wilful
misconduct, failure to comply with standards or gross negligence. (a) Until the association makes a common expense assessment, the declarant shall pay all common expenses. After an assessment has been made by the association, assessments shall be
made at least annually, based on a budget adopted at least annually by the association.
(b) Except for assessments under subsections (c), (d) and (e) of this section, or as
otherwise provided in this chapter, all common expenses shall be assessed against all
the units in accordance with the allocations set forth in the declaration pursuant to subsections (a) and (b) of section 47-226. The association may charge interest on any past due
assessment or portion thereof at the rate established by the association, not exceeding
eighteen per cent per year.
(c) To the extent required by the declaration: (1) Any common expense associated
with the maintenance, repair or replacement of a limited common element shall be
assessed against the units to which that limited common element is assigned, equally,
or in any other proportion the declaration provides; (2) any common expense or portion
thereof benefiting fewer than all of the units or their owners may be assessed exclusively
against the units benefited; and (3) the costs of insurance shall be assessed in proportion
to risk and the costs of utilities shall be assessed in proportion to usage.
(d) Assessments to pay a judgment against the association may be made only against
the units in the common interest community at the time the judgment was rendered, in
proportion to their common expense liabilities.
(e) If any common expense is caused by the wilful misconduct, failure to comply
with a written maintenance standard promulgated by the association or gross negligence
of any unit owner or tenant or a guest or invitee of a unit owner or tenant, the association
may, after notice and hearing, assess the portion of that common expense in excess of
any insurance proceeds received by the association under its insurance policy, whether
that portion results from the application of a deductible or otherwise, exclusively against
that owner's unit.
(f) If common expense liabilities are reallocated, common expense assessments
and any installment thereof not yet due shall be recalculated in accordance with the
reallocated common expense liabilities.
(g) No unit owner may exempt himself from liability for payment of the common
expenses by waiver of the use or enjoyment of any of the common elements or by
abandonment of the unit against which the assessments are made."
(P.A. 83-474, S. 58, 96; P.A. 84-472, S. 15, 23; P.A. 09-225, S. 31.)
History: P.A. 84-472 amended Subsec. (e) providing "notice and hearing" before assessment and added Subsec. (g)
prohibiting a unit owner from exempting himself from liability for payment of the common expenses by waiver of the use
or enjoyment of the common elements or by abandonment of the assessed unit, formerly Sec. 47-258(k); P.A. 09-225
amended Subsec. (b) to add "or as otherwise provided in this chapter", rewrite provisions re interest and delete "common
expense" re assessments subject to interest charge, amended Subsec. (c)(2) to substitute "or their owners may" for "shall",
and amended Subsec. (e) to add provisions re common expenses caused by wilful misconduct, failure to comply with a
written maintenance standard or gross negligence in excess of insurance proceeds received by association, effective July
1, 2010.
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Sec. 47-258. *(See end of section for amended version and effective date.) Lien
for assessments. (a) The association has a statutory lien on a unit for any assessment
levied against that unit or fines imposed against its unit owner. Unless the declaration
otherwise provides, fees, charges, late charges, fines and interest charged pursuant to
subdivisions (10), (11) and (12) of subsection (a) of section 47-244 are enforceable as
assessments under this section. If an assessment is payable in installments, the full
amount of the assessment is a lien from the time the first installment thereof becomes due.
(b) A lien under this section is prior to all other liens and encumbrances on a unit
except (1) liens and encumbrances recorded before the recordation of the declaration
and, in a cooperative, liens and encumbrances which the association creates, assumes
or takes subject to, (2) a first or second security interest on the unit recorded before
the date on which the assessment sought to be enforced became delinquent, or, in a
cooperative, a first or second security interest encumbering only the unit owner's interest
and perfected before the date on which the assessment sought to be enforced became
delinquent, and (3) liens for real property taxes and other governmental assessments or
charges against the unit or cooperative. The lien is also prior to all security interests
described in subdivision (2) of this subsection to the extent of (A) an amount equal to the
common expense assessments based on the periodic budget adopted by the association
pursuant to subsection (a) of section 47-257 which would have become due in the absence of acceleration during the six months immediately preceding institution of an
action to enforce either the association's lien or a security interest described in subdivision (2) of this subsection and (B) the association's costs and attorney's fees in enforcing
its lien. A lien for any assessment or fine specified in subsection (a) of this section shall
have the priority provided for in this subsection in an amount not to exceed the amount
specified in subparagraph (A) of this subsection. This subsection does not affect the
priority of mechanics' or materialmen's liens or the priority of liens for other assessments
made by the association.
(c) Unless the declaration otherwise provides, if two or more associations have liens
for assessments created at any time on the same property, those liens have equal priority.
(d) Recording of the declaration constitutes record notice and perfection of the lien.
No further recordation of any claim of lien for assessment under this section is required.
(e) A lien for unpaid assessments is extinguished unless proceedings to enforce the
lien are instituted within two years after the full amount of the assessments becomes
due; provided, that if an owner of a unit subject to a lien under this section files a petition
for relief under the United States Bankruptcy Code, the period of time for instituting
proceedings to enforce the association's lien shall be tolled until thirty days after the
automatic stay of proceedings under Section 362 of the Bankruptcy Code is lifted.
(f) This section does not prohibit actions to recover sums for which subsection (a)
of this section creates a lien or prohibit an association from taking a deed in lieu of
foreclosure.
(g) A judgment or decree in any action brought under this section shall include costs
and reasonable attorney's fees for the prevailing party.
(h) The association on written request shall furnish to a unit owner a statement in
recordable form setting forth the amount of unpaid assessments against the unit. The
statement shall be furnished within ten business days after receipt of the request and is
binding on the association, the executive board and every unit owner.
(i) In a cooperative, on nonpayment of an assessment on a unit, the unit owner may
be evicted in the same manner as provided by law in the case of an unlawful holdover
by a tenant, and the lien may be foreclosed as provided by this section.
(j) The association's lien may be foreclosed in like manner as a mortgage on real
property.
(k) In any action by the association to collect assessments or to foreclose a lien for
unpaid assessments, the court may appoint a receiver of the unit owner pursuant to
section 52-504 to collect all sums alleged to be due from that unit owner prior to or
during the pendency of the action. The court may order the receiver to pay any sums
held by the receiver to the association during the pendency of the action to the extent
of the association's common expense assessments based on a periodic budget adopted
by the association pursuant to subsection (a) of section 47-257.
(l) If a holder of a first or second security interest on a unit forecloses that security
interest, the purchaser at the foreclosure sale is not liable for any unpaid assessments
against that unit which became due before the sale, other than the assessments which
are prior to that security interest under subsection (b) of this section. Any unpaid assessments not satisfied from the proceeds of sale become common expenses collectible from
all the unit owners, including the purchaser.
(P.A. 83-474, S. 59, 96; P.A. 84-472, S. 16, 23; P.A. 89-254, S. 14; P.A. 91-341, S. 15, 19; 91-359, S. 1, 2; P.A. 95-187, S. 22.)
*Note: On and after July 1, 2010, this section, as amended by section 32 of public
act 09-225, is to read as follows:
"Sec. 47-258. Lien for assessments and other sums due association. Enforcements. (a) The association has a statutory lien on a unit for any assessment attributable
to that unit or fines imposed against its unit owner. Unless the declaration otherwise
provides, reasonable attorneys' fees and costs, other fees, charges, late charges, fines
and interest charged pursuant to subdivisions (10), (11) and (12) of subsection (a) of
section 47-244 and any other sums due to the association under the declaration, this
chapter, or as a result of an administrative, arbitration, mediation or judicial decision,
are enforceable in the same manner as unpaid assessments under this section. If an
assessment is payable in installments, the full amount of the assessment is a lien from
the time the first installment thereof becomes due.
(b) A lien under this section is prior to all other liens and encumbrances on a unit
except (1) liens and encumbrances recorded before the recordation of the declaration
and, in a cooperative, liens and encumbrances which the association creates, assumes
or takes subject to, (2) a first or second security interest on the unit recorded before
the date on which the assessment sought to be enforced became delinquent, or, in a
cooperative, a first or second security interest encumbering only the unit owner's interest
and perfected before the date on which the assessment sought to be enforced became
delinquent, and (3) liens for real property taxes and other governmental assessments or
charges against the unit or cooperative. The lien is also prior to all security interests
described in subdivision (2) of this subsection to the extent of (A) an amount equal to the
common expense assessments based on the periodic budget adopted by the association
pursuant to subsection (a) of section 47-257 which would have become due in the absence of acceleration during the six months immediately preceding institution of an
action to enforce either the association's lien or a security interest described in subdivision (2) of this subsection and (B) the association's costs and attorney's fees in enforcing
its lien. A lien for any assessment or fine specified in subsection (a) of this section shall
have the priority provided for in this subsection in an amount not to exceed the amount
specified in subparagraph (A) of this subsection. This subsection does not affect the
priority of mechanics' or materialmen's liens or the priority of liens for other assessments
made by the association.
(c) Unless the declaration otherwise provides, if two or more associations have liens
for assessments created at any time on the same property, those liens have equal priority.
(d) Recording of the declaration constitutes record notice and perfection of the lien.
No further recordation of any claim of lien for assessment under this section is required.
(e) A lien for unpaid assessments is extinguished unless proceedings to enforce the
lien are instituted within three years after the full amount of the assessments becomes
due; provided, that if an owner of a unit subject to a lien under this section files a petition
for relief under the United States Bankruptcy Code, the period of time for instituting
proceedings to enforce the association's lien shall be tolled until thirty days after the
automatic stay of proceedings under Section 362 of the Bankruptcy Code is lifted.
(f) This section does not prohibit actions against unit owners to recover sums for
which subsection (a) of this section creates a lien or prohibit an association from taking
a deed in lieu of foreclosure.
(g) A judgment or decree in any action brought under this section shall include costs
and reasonable attorney's fees for the prevailing party.
(h) The association on request made in a record shall furnish to a unit owner a
statement in recordable form setting forth the amount of unpaid assessments against the
unit. The statement shall be furnished within ten business days after receipt of the request
and is binding on the association, the executive board and every unit owner.
(i) In a cooperative, on nonpayment of an assessment on a unit, the unit owner may
be evicted in the same manner as provided by law in the case of an unlawful holdover
by a tenant, and the lien may be foreclosed as provided by this section.
(j) The association's lien may be foreclosed in like manner as a mortgage on real
property.
(k) In any action by the association to collect assessments or to foreclose a lien for
unpaid assessments, the court may appoint a receiver of the unit owner pursuant to
section 52-504 to collect all sums alleged to be due from that unit owner prior to or
during the pendency of the action. The court may order the receiver to pay any sums
held by the receiver to the association during the pendency of the action to the extent
of the association's common expense assessments based on a periodic budget adopted
by the association pursuant to subsection (a) of section 47-257.
(l) If a holder of a first or second security interest on a unit forecloses that security
interest, the purchaser at the foreclosure sale is not liable for any unpaid assessments
against that unit which became due before the sale, other than the assessments which
are prior to that security interest under subsection (b) of this section. Any unpaid assessments not satisfied from the proceeds of sale become common expenses collectible from
all the unit owners, including the purchaser.
(m) An association may not commence an action to foreclose a lien on a unit under
this section unless: (1) The unit owner, at the time the action is commenced, owes a
sum equal to at least two months of common expense assessments based on the periodic
budget last adopted by the association pursuant to subsection (a) of section 47-257; (2)
the association has made a demand for payment in a record; and (3) the executive board
has either voted to commence a foreclosure action specifically against that unit or has
adopted a standard policy that provides for foreclosure against that unit.
(n) Every aspect of a foreclosure, sale or other disposition under this section, including the method, advertising, time, date, place and terms, shall be commercially reasonable."
(P.A. 83-474, S. 59, 96; P.A. 84-472, S. 16, 23; P.A. 89-254, S. 14; P.A. 91-341, S. 15, 19; 91-359, S. 1, 2; P.A. 95-187, S. 22; P.A. 09-225, S. 32.)
History: P.A. 84-472 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing "due" with "delinquent", amended Subsec. (b) by adding "or
a security interest described in subdivision (2) of this subsection", deleted former Subsec. (k) prohibiting a unit owner
exempting himself from liability for payment of common expenses and reenacted such provision as part of Sec. 47-257,
and added new Subsec. (k) re the appointment of a receiver, new Subsec. (l) re the treatment of a statutory lien for assessments
in determining if a security interest held by a savings bank is a first lien, and new Subsec. (m) re the liability for unpaid
assessments against a unit sold at a foreclosure sale; P.A. 89-254 amended Subsec. (i) by deleting "commercial" before
"tenant"; P.A. 91-341 amended Subsec. (b) to provide that the lien has priority to the extent of (A) an amount equal to 12
months', rather than 6 months', common expense assessments and (B) the association's court costs and attorney's fees,
and to provide that the lien for any assessment or fine specified in Subsec. (a) shall have priority in an amount not to exceed
the amount specified in Subpara. (A) of this Subsec.; P.A. 91-359 amended Subsec. (b) by replacing "twelve months" with
"six months" in Subpara. (A) and "association's court costs" with "association's costs" in Subpara. (B); P.A. 95-187
amended Subsec. (a) to delete provision specifying that the lien in favor of the association runs "from the time the assessment
or fine becomes delinquent" and deleted former Subsec. (l) which had required that statutory lien for assessments be treated
as a tax lien for purposes of determining whether a security interest held by a savings bank is a first lien under section 36-99(1)(d)(1), relettering former Subsec. (m) as Subsec. (l); P.A. 09-225 amended Subsec. (a) to substitute "attributable to"
for "levied against" re any assessment, add reasonable attorneys' fees and costs and any other sums due the association
under the declaration, this chapter or as result of administrative, arbitration, mediation or judicial decision, and substitute
"enforceable in the same manner as unpaid assessments" for "enforceable as assessments", substituted "three years" for
"two years" in Subsec. (e), added "against unit owners" re actions in Subsec. (f), substituted "request made in a record"
for "written request" in Subsec. (h), and added Subsec. (m) re association's power to commence action to foreclose a lien
on a unit and Subsec. (n) re commercially reasonable standard, effective July 1, 2010.
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Sec. 47-260. *(See end of section for amended version and effective date.) Association records. Availability. Loan disclosure and comments. (a) The association
shall keep financial records sufficiently detailed to enable the association to comply with
section 47-270. All accounting, financial and other books and records of the association,
including, but not limited to, minutes of meetings and voting records of the executive
board, shall be made reasonably available by the executive board or a managing agent
of the association for examination and copying by any unit owner, or the unit owner's
authorized agent, upon the request of such unit owner or agent.
(b) Notwithstanding any provision of the declaration or bylaws to the contrary, at
least fourteen days prior to entering into any loan agreement on behalf of the association,
the executive board shall (1) disclose in writing to all unit owners the amount and terms
of the loan and the estimated effect of such loan on any common expense assessment,
and (2) afford the unit owners a reasonable opportunity to submit written comments to
the executive board with respect to such loan.
(P.A. 83-474, S. 61, 96; P.A. 07-243, S. 7.)
*Note: On and after July 1, 2010, this section, as amended by section 33 of public
act 09-225, is to read as follows:
"Sec. 47-260. Association records. Copies. Fees. (a) An association shall retain
the following:
(1) Detailed records of receipts and expenditures affecting the operation and administration of the association and other appropriate accounting records;
(2) Minutes of all meetings of its unit owners and executive board other than executive sessions, a record of all actions taken by the unit owners or executive board without
a meeting, and a record of all actions taken by a committee in place of the executive
board on behalf of the association;
(3) The names of unit owners in a form that permits preparation of a list of the
names of all owners and the addresses at which the association communicates with them,
in alphabetical order showing the number of votes each owner is entitled to cast;
(4) The association's original or restated organizational documents, if required by
law other than this chapter, bylaws and all amendments to them, and all rules currently
in effect;
(5) All financial statements and tax returns of the association for the past three years;
(6) A list of the names and addresses of its current executive board members and
officers;
(7) The association's most recent annual report delivered to the Secretary of the
State, if any;
(8) Financial and other records sufficiently detailed to enable the association to
comply with section 47-270;
(9) Copies of current contracts to which the association is a party;
(10) Records of executive board or committee actions to approve or deny any requests for design or architectural approval from unit owners; and
(11) Ballots, proxies and other records related to voting by unit owners for one year
after the election, action or vote to which they relate.
(b) Subject to subsections (c) and (d) of this section, all records retained by an
association shall be available for examination and copying by a unit owner or the owner's
authorized agent:
(1) During reasonable business hours or at a mutually convenient time and location; and
(2) Upon five days' notice in a record reasonably identifying the specific records
of the association requested.
(c) Records retained by an association shall be withheld from inspection and copying to the extent that they concern:
(1) Personnel, salary and medical records relating to specific individuals, unless
waived by the persons to whom such records relate; or
(2) Information the disclosure of which would violate any law other than this
chapter.
(d) Records retained by an association may be withheld from inspection and copying
to the extent that they concern:
(1) Contracts, leases and other commercial transactions to purchase or provide
goods or services, currently being negotiated;
(2) Existing or potential litigation or mediation, arbitration or administrative proceedings;
(3) Existing or potential matters involving federal, state or local administrative or
other formal proceedings before a governmental tribunal for enforcement of the declaration, bylaws or rules;
(4) Communications with the association's attorney which are otherwise protected
by the attorney-client privilege or the attorney work-product doctrine;
(5) Records of an executive session of the executive board; or
(6) Individual unit files other than those of the requesting owner.
(e) An association may charge a reasonable fee for providing copies of any records
under this section and for supervising the unit owner's inspection.
(f) A right to copy records under this section includes the right to receive copies by
photocopying or other means, including copies through an electronic transmission if
available upon request by the unit owner.
(g) An association is not obligated to compile or synthesize information.
(h) Information provided pursuant to this section may not be used for commercial
purposes."
(P.A. 83-474, S. 61, 96; P.A. 07-243, S. 7; P.A. 09-225, S. 33.)
History: P.A. 07-243 designated existing provisions as Subsec. (a) and amended same by adding provisions re accounting
records, books and minutes of meetings and voting records of the executive board, re records to be made available by the
board or a managing agent, re copying and re request of unit owner or agent and by making technical changes, and added
Subsec. (b) re loan disclosure and comments; P.A. 09-225 deleted former Subsecs. (a) and (b) and inserted new Subsecs.
(a) to (h) re association records, copies and fees, effective July 1, 2010.
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Sec. 47-261b. (Note: This section is effective July 1, 2010.) Rules. (a) At least
ten days before adopting, amending or repealing any rule, the executive board shall give
all unit owners notice of: (1) Its intention to adopt, amend or repeal a rule and shall
provide the text of the rule or the proposed change; and (2) a date on which the executive
board will act on the proposed rule or amendment after considering comments from
unit owners.
(b) Following adoption, amendment or repeal of a rule, the association shall notify
the unit owners of its action and provide a copy of any new or revised rule.
(c) Subject to the provisions of the declaration, an association may adopt rules to
establish and enforce construction and design criteria and aesthetic standards. If an
association adopts such rules, the association shall adopt procedures for enforcement
of those rules and for approval of construction applications, including a reasonable
time within which the association must act after an application is submitted and the
consequences of its failure to act.
(d) A rule regulating display of the flag of the United States must be consistent with
federal law. In addition, the association may not prohibit display, on a unit or on a limited
common element adjoining a unit, of the flag of this state, or signs regarding candidates
for public or association office or ballot questions, but the association may adopt rules
governing the time, place, size, number and manner of those displays.
(e) Unit owners may peacefully assemble on the common elements to consider
matters related to the common interest community, but the association may adopt rules
governing the time, place and manner of those assemblies.
(f) An association may adopt rules that affect the use of or behavior in units that
may be used for residential purposes, only to:
(1) Implement a provision of the declaration;
(2) Regulate any behavior in or occupancy of a unit which violates the declaration
or adversely affects the use and enjoyment of other units or the common elements by
other unit owners; or
(3) Restrict the leasing of residential units to the extent those rules are reasonably
designed to meet underwriting requirements of institutional lenders that regularly make
loans secured by first mortgages on units in common interest communities or regularly
purchase those mortgages.
(g) An association's internal business operating procedures need not be adopted
as rules.
(h) Each rule of the association must be reasonable.
(P.A. 09-225, S. 34.)
History: P.A. 09-225 effective July 1, 2010.
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Sec. 47-261c. (Note: This section is effective July 1, 2010.) Notice to unit owners. (a) An association shall deliver any notice required to be given by the association
under this chapter to any mailing or electronic mail address a unit owner designates,
except that the association may also deliver notices by: (1) Hand delivery to each unit
owner; (2) hand delivery, United States mail postage paid, or commercially reasonable
delivery service to the mailing address of each unit; (3) electronic means, if the unit
owner has given the association an electronic address; or (4) any other method reasonably calculated to provide notice to the unit owner.
(b) Notices required by section 47-202, subdivision (6) of subsection (e) of section
47-204, sections 47-213a, 47-214 to 47-216, inclusive, 47-218 to 47-219b, inclusive,
and 47-222, subsection (e) of section 47-225, subsection (h) of section 47-226 and
sections 47-232, 47-235 to 47-237, inclusive, 47-241a, 47-243, 47-244, 47-245, 47-247,
47-248, 47-250 to 47-252, inclusive, 47-254 to 47-258, inclusive, 47-260, 47-261b to
47-261f, inclusive, 47-263, 47-264, 47-270, 47-274 and 47-278 are effective when sent.
The ineffectiveness of a good faith effort to deliver notice by an authorized means does
not invalidate action taken at or without a meeting.
(P.A. 09-225, S. 35.)
History: P.A. 09-225 effective July 1, 2010.
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Sec. 47-261d. (Note: This section is effective July 1, 2010.) Removal of officers
and directors. (a) Notwithstanding any provision of the declaration or bylaws to the
contrary, unit owners present in person or by proxy at any meeting of the unit owners
at which a quorum is present, or voting by ballot pursuant to subsection (d) of section
47-252, may remove any member of the executive board and any officer elected by the
unit owners, with or without cause, if the number of votes cast in favor of removal
exceeds the number of votes cast in opposition to removal, except that: (1) A member
appointed by the declarant may not be removed by a unit owner vote during the period
of declarant control; (2) a member appointed under subsection (g) of section 47-245
may be removed only by the person that appointed that member; and (3) the unit owners
may not consider whether to remove a member of the executive board or an officer
elected by the unit owners at a meeting of the unit owners unless that subject was listed
in the notice of the meeting or in the notice of the vote by ballot.
(b) At any meeting at which a vote to remove a member of the executive board or
an officer is to be taken, the member or officer being considered for removal must have
a reasonable opportunity to speak before the vote. If the vote is taken by ballot pursuant
to subsection (d) of section 47-252, the member or officer being considered for removal
shall be given a reasonable opportunity to deliver information to unit owners as provided
in said subsection.
(P.A. 09-225, S. 36.)
History: P.A. 09-225 effective July 1, 2010.
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Sec. 47-261e. (Note: This section is effective July 1, 2010.) Adoption of budgets.
Special assessments. Loan agreements. (a) The executive board, at least annually,
shall adopt a proposed budget for the common interest community for consideration by
the unit owners. Not later than thirty days after adoption of a proposed budget, the
executive board shall provide to all the unit owners a summary of the budget, including
any reserves, and a statement of the basis on which any reserves are calculated and
funded. Simultaneously, the board shall set a date not less than ten days or more than
sixty days after providing the summary for either a meeting of the unit owners or a vote
by ballot without a meeting to consider approval of the budget. If, at that meeting or in
the vote by ballot, a majority of all unit owners, or any larger number specified in the
declaration votes to reject the budget, the budget is rejected; otherwise the budget is
approved. The absence of a quorum at such meeting or participating in the vote by ballot
shall not affect rejection or approval of the budget. If a proposed budget is rejected, the
budget last approved by the unit owners continues until unit owners approve a subsequent budget.
(b) The executive board, at any time, may propose a special assessment. Not later
than thirty days after adoption of a proposed special assessment, the executive board
shall provide to all unit owners a summary of the assessment. Unless the declaration or
bylaws otherwise provide, if such special assessment, together with all other special
and emergency assessments proposed by the executive board in the same calendar year,
do not exceed fifteen per cent of the association's last adopted periodic budget for that
calendar year, the special assessment is effective without approval of the unit owners.
Otherwise, the board shall set a date not less than ten days or more than sixty days after
providing the summary for either a meeting of the unit owners or a vote by ballot without
a meeting to consider approval of the special assessment. If, at such meeting or in the
balloting, a majority of all unit owners, or any larger number specified in the declaration,
votes to reject the assessment, the assessment shall be rejected; otherwise the assessment
shall be approved. The absence of a quorum at such meeting or participating in the vote
by ballot shall not affect the rejection or approval of the budget.
(c) If the executive board determines by a two-thirds vote that a special assessment
is necessary to respond to an emergency: (1) The special assessment becomes effective
immediately in accordance with the terms of the vote; (2) notice of the emergency
assessment must be provided promptly to all unit owners; and (3) the executive board
may spend the funds paid on account of the emergency assessment only for the purposes
described in the vote.
(d) Notwithstanding any provision of the declaration or bylaws to the contrary, at
least fourteen days prior to entering into any loan agreement on behalf of the association,
the executive board shall (1) disclose in a record to all unit owners the amount and terms
of the loan and the estimated effect of such loan on any common expense assessment,
and (2) afford the unit owners a reasonable opportunity to submit comments in a record
to the executive board with respect to such loan.
(e) Unless prohibited or otherwise limited in the declaration, if the executive board
proposes to enter into a loan agreement on behalf of the association and to assign its
right to future income as security for such loan pursuant to subdivision (14) of subsection
(a) of section 47-244, then, in addition to satisfying the requirements of subsection (d)
of this section, unit owners of units to which at least a majority of the votes in the
association are allocated, or any larger percentage or fraction stated in the declaration,
must vote in favor of or agree to such assignment.
(P.A. 09-225, S. 37.)
History: P.A. 09-225 effective July 1, 2010.
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Sec. 47-261f. (Note: This section is effective July 1, 2010.) Litigation involving
declarant. (a) The following requirements apply to an association's authority under
subdivision (4) of subsection (a) of section 47-244 to institute and maintain a proceeding
alleging a construction defect with respect to the common interest community, whether
by litigation, mediation, arbitration or administratively, against a declarant or an employee, independent contractor or other person directly or indirectly providing labor or
materials to a declarant:
(1) Subject to subsections (e) and (f) of this section, before the association institutes
a proceeding described in this section, it shall provide notice in a record of its claims
to the declarant and those persons that the association seeks to hold liable for the claimed
defects. The text of the notice may be in any form reasonably calculated to give notice
of the general nature of the association's claims, including a list of the claimed defects.
The notice may be delivered by any method of service and may be addressed to any
person if the method of service used: (A) Provides actual notice to the person named in
the claim; or (B) would be sufficient to give notice to the person in connection with
commencement of an action by the association against the person.
(2) Subject to subsection (e) of this section, the association may not institute a proceeding against a person until forty-five days after the association sends notice of its
claim to that person.
(3) During the period described in subdivision (2) of this subsection, the declarant
and any other person to which the association gave notice may present to the association
a plan to repair or otherwise remedy the construction defects described in the notice. If
the association does not receive a timely remediation plan from a person to which it
gave notice, or if the association does not accept the terms of any plan submitted, the
association may institute a proceeding against the person.
(4) If the association receives one or more timely remediation plans, the executive
board shall consider promptly those plans and notify the persons to which it directed
notice whether the plan is acceptable as presented, acceptable with stated conditions,
or not accepted.
(5) If the association accepts a remediation plan from a person the association seeks
to hold liable for the claimed defect, or if a person agrees to stated conditions to an
otherwise acceptable plan, the parties shall agree on a period for implementation of the
plan. The association may not institute a proceeding against the person during the time
the plan is being diligently implemented.
(6) Any statute of limitation affecting the association's right of action against a
declarant or other person is tolled during the period described in subdivision (2) of this
subsection and during any extension of that time because a person to which notice was
directed has commenced and is diligently pursuing the remediation plan.
(b) After the time described in subdivision (2) of subsection (a) of this section expires, whether or not the association agrees to any remediation plan, a proceeding may
be instituted by: (1) The association against a person to which notice was directed which
fails to submit a timely remediation plan, the plan of which is not acceptable, or which
fails to pursue diligent implementation of that plan; or (2) a unit owner with respect to
the owner's unit and any limited common elements assigned to that unit, regardless of
any action of the association.
(c) This section does not preclude the association from making repairs necessary
to mitigate damages or to correct any defect that poses a significant and immediate
health or safety risk.
(d) Subject to the other provisions of this section, the determination of whether and
when the association may institute a proceeding described in this section may be made
by the executive board. The declaration may not require a vote by any number or per
cent of unit owners as a condition to institution of a proceeding.
(e) This section does not prevent an association from seeking equitable relief, a
remedy in aid of arbitration or a prejudgment remedy under chapter 903a at any time
without complying with subdivision (1) or (2) of subsection (a) of this section.
(f) If the time for termination of any period of declarant control occurs and the
declarant has failed to comply with subsection (d), (f) or (h) of section 47-245, the
limitations set forth in this section or the association's authority to institute litigation
shall not apply.
(P.A. 09-225, S. 38.)
History: P.A. 09-225 effective July 1, 2010.
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Sec. 47-263. *(See end of section for amended version and effective date.)
Preparation of public offering statement. Liability. (a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, a declarant, before offering any interest in a unit to the public,
shall prepare a public offering statement conforming to the requirements of sections 47-264 to 47-267, inclusive.
(b) A declarant may transfer responsibility for preparation of all or a part of the
public offering statement to a successor declarant. In the event of any such transfer, the
transferor shall provide the transferee with any information necessary to enable the
transferee to fulfill the requirements of subsection (a) of this section.
(c) A declarant or successor declarant who offers a unit to a purchaser shall deliver
a public offering statement in the manner prescribed in subsection (a) of section 47-269. The declarant or successor declarant who prepared all or a part of the public offering
statement is liable to all persons claiming an interest in the common interest community
under section 47-269 for failure to deliver the public offering statement and under section
47-278 for any false or misleading statement set forth therein or for any omission of a
material fact therefrom with respect to that portion of the public offering statement
which he prepared. If a declarant did not prepare any part of a public offering statement
that he delivers, he is not liable for any false or misleading statement set forth therein
or for any omission of a material fact therefrom unless he had actual knowledge of the
statement or omission or, in the exercise of reasonable care, should have known of the
statement or omission.
(d) If a unit is part of a common interest community and is part of any other real
property regime in connection with the sale of which the delivery of a public offering
statement is required under the general statutes, a single public offering statement conforming to the requirements of sections 47-264 to 47-267, inclusive, as those requirements relate to each regime in which the unit is located, and to any other requirements
imposed under the general statutes, may be prepared and delivered in lieu of providing
two or more public offering statements.
(P.A. 83-474, S. 64, 96.)
*Note: On and after July 1, 2010, this section, as amended by section 39 of public
act 09-225, is to read as follows:
"Sec. 47-263. Public offering statement requirements. Liability. (a) Except as
provided in subsection (b) of this section, a declarant, before offering any interest in a unit
to the public, shall prepare a public offering statement conforming to the requirements of
sections 47-264 to 47-267, inclusive.
(b) A declarant may transfer responsibility for preparation of all or a part of the
public offering statement to a successor declarant. In the event of any such transfer, the
transferor shall provide the transferee with any information necessary to enable the
transferee to fulfill the requirements of subsection (a) of this section.
(c) A declarant or successor declarant or a dealer who offers a unit to a purchaser
shall deliver a public offering statement in the manner prescribed in subsection (a) of
section 47-269. The declarant or successor declarant who prepared all or a part of the
public offering statement is liable to all persons claiming an interest in the common
interest community under section 47-269 for failure to deliver the public offering statement and under section 47-278 for any false or misleading statement set forth therein
or for any omission of a material fact therefrom.
(d) If a unit is part of a common interest community and is part of any other real
property regime in connection with the sale of which the delivery of a public offering
statement is required under the general statutes, a single public offering statement conforming to the requirements of sections 47-264 to 47-267, inclusive, as those requirements relate to each regime in which the unit is located, and to any other requirements
imposed under the general statutes, may be prepared and delivered in lieu of providing
two or more public offering statements."
(P.A. 83-474, S. 64, 96; P.A. 09-225, S. 39.)
History: P.A. 09-225 amended Subsec. (c) to add "or a dealer" and delete provisions re liability for portion of statement
prepared and for statements or omissions made with actual or constructive knowledge, effective July 1, 2010.
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Sec. 47-264. *(See end of section for amended version and effective date.) Public offering statement. General provisions and requirements. (a) Except as provided
in subsection (b) of this section, a public offering statement shall contain or fully and
accurately disclose:
(1) The name and principal address of the declarant and of the common interest
community, and a statement that the common interest community is either a condominium, cooperative or planned community;
(2) A general description of the common interest community, including to the extent
known, the types, number and declarant's schedule of commencement and completion
of construction of buildings and amenities that the declarant anticipates including in the
common interest community;
(3) The number of units in the common interest community;
(4) Copies of the declaration, including any surveys and plans, and any other recorded covenants, conditions, restrictions and reservations created by the declarant affecting the common interest community; the bylaws, and any rules or regulations of the
association; any deeds, contracts and leases to be signed by or delivered to purchasers
at closing, and copies of and a brief narrative description of any contracts or leases that
will or may be subject to cancellation by the association under section 47-247;
(5) A projected budget for the association, either within or as an exhibit to the public
offering statement, for one year after the date of the first conveyance to a purchaser,
and thereafter the current budget of the association, a statement of who prepared the
budget, and a statement of the budget's assumptions concerning occupancy and inflation
factors. The budget shall include, without limitation: (A) A statement of the amount, or
a statement that there is no amount, included in the budget as a reserve for repairs and
replacement; (B) a statement of any other reserves; (C) the projected common expense
assessment by category of expenditures for the association; and (D) the projected
monthly common expense assessment for each type of unit;
(6) Any services not reflected in the budget that the declarant provides, or expenses
that he pays and which he expects may become at any subsequent time a common
expense of the association and the projected common expense assessment attributable
to each of those services or expenses for the association and for each type of unit;
(7) Any initial or special fee due from the purchaser at closing, together with a
description of the purpose and method of calculating the fee;
(8) A brief narrative description of any liens, defects or encumbrances on or affecting the title to the common interest community not otherwise disclosed under subdivision (4) of this subsection;
(9) A description of any financing offered or arranged by the declarant;
(10) The terms and significant limitations of any warranties provided by the declarant, including statutory warranties and limitations on the enforcement thereof or on
damages;
(11) A statement that: (A) Within fifteen days after receipt of a public offering
statement a purchaser, before conveyance, may cancel any contract for purchase of a
unit from a declarant, and (B) if a declarant fails to provide a public offering statement
to a purchaser before conveying a unit, that purchaser may recover from the declarant
ten per cent of the sales price of the unit plus ten per cent of the share, proportionate to
his common expense liability, of any indebtedness of the association secured by security
interests encumbering the common interest community;
(12) A statement of any unsatisfied judgments or pending suits against the association, and the status of any pending suits material to the common interest community of
which a declarant has actual knowledge;
(13) A statement that any deposit made in connection with the purchase of a unit
will be held in an escrow account until closing and will be returned to the purchaser if
the purchaser cancels the contract pursuant to section 47-269, together with the name
and address of the escrow agent;
(14) Any restraints on alienation of any portion of the common interest community
and any restrictions (A) on use, occupancy and alienation of the units, and (B) on the
amount for which a unit may be sold or on the amount that may be received by a unit
owner on sale, condemnation or casualty loss to the unit or to the common interest
community, or on termination of the common interest community;
(15) A description of the insurance coverage provided for the benefit of unit owners;
(16) Any current or expected fees or charges to be paid by unit owners for the use
of the common elements and other facilities related to the common interest community;
(17) The extent to which financial arrangements have been provided for completion
of all improvements that the declarant is obligated to build pursuant to section 47-280;
(18) A brief narrative description of any zoning and other land use requirements
affecting the common interest community;
(19) All unusual and material circumstances, features and characteristics of the
common interest community and the units; and
(20) In a cooperative, (A) either a statement that the unit owners will be entitled,
for federal, state and local income tax purposes, to a pass-through of deductions for
payments made by the association for real property taxes and interest paid the holder
of a security interest encumbering the cooperative, or a statement that no assurances are
made in that regard, and (B) a statement as to the effect on every unit owner if the
association fails to pay real property taxes or payments due the holder of a security
interest encumbering the cooperative.
(b) A declarant promptly shall amend the public offering statement to report any
material change in the information required to be included in the public offering
statement.
(P.A. 83-474, S. 65, 96; P.A. 84-472, S. 18, 23.)
*Note: On and after July 1, 2010, this section, as amended by section 40 of public
act 09-225, is to read as follows:
"Sec. 47-264. Public offering statement. General provisions and requirements. (a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, a public offering statement shall contain or fully and accurately disclose:
(1) The name and principal address of the declarant and of the common interest
community, and a statement that the common interest community is either a condominium, cooperative or planned community;
(2) A general description of the common interest community, including to the extent
known, the types, number and declarant's schedule of commencement and completion
of construction of buildings and amenities that the declarant anticipates including in the
common interest community;
(3) The number of units in the common interest community;
(4) Copies of the declaration, including any surveys and plans, and any other recorded covenants, conditions, restrictions and reservations created by the declarant affecting the common interest community; the bylaws, and any rules or regulations of the
association; any deeds, contracts and leases to be signed by or delivered to purchasers
at closing, and copies of and a brief narrative description of any contracts or leases that
will or may be subject to cancellation by the association under section 47-247;
(5) A projected budget for the association, either within or as an exhibit to the public
offering statement, for one year after the date of the first conveyance to a purchaser,
and thereafter the current budget of the association, a statement of who prepared the
budget, and a statement of the budget's assumptions concerning occupancy and inflation
factors. The budget shall include, without limitation: (A) A statement of the amount, or
a statement that there is no amount, included in the budget as a reserve for repairs and
replacement; (B) a statement of any other reserves; (C) the projected common expense
assessment by category of expenditures for the association; and (D) the projected
monthly common expense assessment for each type of unit;
(6) Any services not reflected in the budget that the declarant provides, or expenses
that he pays and which he expects may become at any subsequent time a common
expense of the association and the projected common expense assessment attributable
to each of those services or expenses for the association and for each type of unit;
(7) Any initial or special fee due from the purchaser at closing, together with a
description of the purpose and method of calculating the fee;
(8) A brief narrative description of any liens, defects or encumbrances on or affecting the title to the common interest community not otherwise disclosed under subdivision (4) of this subsection;
(9) A description of any financing offered or arranged by the declarant;
(10) The terms and significant limitations of any warranties provided by the declarant, including statutory warranties and limitations on the enforcement thereof or on
damages;
(11) A statement that: (A) Within fifteen days after receipt of a public offering
statement a purchaser, before conveyance, may cancel any contract for purchase of a
unit from a declarant, and (B) if a declarant fails to provide a public offering statement
to a purchaser before conveying a unit, that purchaser may recover from the declarant
ten per cent of the sales price of the unit plus ten per cent of the share, proportionate to
his common expense liability, of any indebtedness of the association secured by security
interests encumbering the common interest community;
(12) A statement of any unsatisfied judgments or pending suits against the association, and the status of any pending suits material to the common interest community of
which a declarant has actual knowledge;
(13) A statement that any deposit made in connection with the purchase of a unit
will be held in an escrow account until closing and will be returned to the purchaser if
the purchaser cancels the contract pursuant to section 47-269, together with the name
and address of the escrow agent;
(14) Any restraints on alienation of any portion of the common interest community
and any restrictions (A) on use, occupancy and alienation of the units, and (B) on the
amount for which a unit may be sold or on the amount that may be received by a unit
owner on sale, condemnation or casualty loss to the unit or to the common interest
community, or on termination of the common interest community;
(15) A description of the insurance coverage provided for the benefit of unit owners;
(16) Any current or expected fees or charges to be paid by unit owners for the use
of the common elements and other facilities related to the common interest community;
(17) The extent to which financial arrangements have been provided for completion
of all improvements that the declarant is obligated to build pursuant to section 47-280;
(18) A brief narrative description of any zoning and other land use requirements
affecting the common interest community;
(19) All unusual and material circumstances, features and characteristics of the
common interest community and the units;
(20) In a cooperative, (A) either a statement that the unit owners will be entitled,
for federal, state and local income tax purposes, to a pass-through of deductions for
payments made by the association for real property taxes and interest paid the holder
of a security interest encumbering the cooperative, or a statement that no assurances are
made in that regard, and (B) a statement as to the effect on every unit owner if the
association fails to pay real property taxes or payments due the holder of a security
interest encumbering the cooperative; and
(21) A description of any arrangement described in section 47-219a.
(b) A declarant promptly shall amend the public offering statement to report any
material change in the information required to be included in the public offering
statement."
(P.A. 83-474, S. 65, 96; P.A. 84-472, S. 18, 23; P.A. 09-225, S. 40.)
History: P.A. 84-472 amended Subsec. (a)(4) by adding "created by the declarant" and amended Subsec. (a)(8) by
providing that the description be a "brief narrative" of any liens, defects or encumbrances on or affecting the title "not
otherwise disclosed under subdivision (4) of this subsection"; P.A. 09-225 added Subsec. (a)(21) re arrangements described
in Sec. 47-219a, effective July 1, 2010.
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Sec. 47-266. Requirements for public offering statement when ownership or
occupancy is by time shares. (a) If the declaration provides that ownership or occupancy of any units, is or may be in time shares, the public offering statement shall
disclose, in addition to the information required by section 47-264: (1) The number and
identity of units in which time shares may be created; (2) the total number of time shares
that may be created; (3) the minimum duration of any time shares that may be created;
and (4) the extent to which the creation of time shares will or may affect the enforceability
of the association's lien for assessments provided in section 47-258.
(b) The requirements of this section are in addition to the requirements of section
42-103mm.
(P.A. 83-474, S. 67, 96; P.A. 09-156, S. 29.)
History: P.A. 09-156 amended Subsec. (b) by changing citation from Ch. 734b to Sec. 42-103, effective January 1, 2010.
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Sec. 47-270. *(See end of section for amended version and effective date.) Resales of units. (a) Except in the case of a sale in which delivery of a public offering
statement is required under either this chapter or chapter 825, or unless exempt under
subsection (b) of section 47-262, a unit owner shall furnish to a purchaser or such purchaser's attorney, before the earlier of conveyance or transfer of the right to possession
of a unit, a copy of the declaration, other than any surveys and plans, the bylaws, the
rules or regulations of the association, and a certificate containing: (1) A statement
disclosing the effect on the proposed disposition of any right of first refusal or other
restraint on the free alienability of the unit held by the association; (2) a statement setting
forth the amount of the periodic common expense assessment and any unpaid common
expense or special assessment currently due and payable from the selling unit owner;
(3) a statement of any other fees payable by the owner of the unit being sold; (4) a
statement of any capital expenditures in excess of one thousand dollars approved by the
executive board for the current and next succeeding fiscal year; (5) a statement of the
amount of any reserves for capital expenditures; (6) the current operating budget of the
association; (7) a statement of any unsatisfied judgments against the association and the
existence of any pending suits in which the association is a defendant; (8) a statement
of the insurance coverage provided for the benefit of unit owners; (9) a statement of
any restrictions in the declaration affecting the amount that may be received by a unit
owner on sale, condemnation, casualty loss to the unit or the common interest community
or termination of the common interest community; (10) in a cooperative, an accountant's
statement, if any was prepared, as to the deductibility for federal income tax purposes
by the unit owner of real property taxes and interest paid by the association; (11) if the
association is unincorporated, the name of the statutory agent for service of process filed
with the Secretary of the State pursuant to section 47-244a; (12) a statement describing
any pending sale or encumbrance of common elements; and (13) a statement disclosing
the effect on the unit to be conveyed of any restrictions on the owner's right to use or
occupy the unit or to lease the unit to another person.
(b) (1) Not later than ten business days after receipt of a written request from a unit
owner and payment by the unit owner of a fee established by the association that reflects
the actual printing, photocopying and related costs, but in no event in excess of one
hundred twenty-five dollars, for the preparation of the certificate and other documents,
the association shall furnish a certificate containing the information necessary to enable
the unit owner to comply with this section and any other documents required by this
section. The association shall itemize the actual printing, photocopying and related costs
and provide a list of the itemized costs to the unit owner with the certificate and documents. An additional fee of not more than ten dollars for expedited preparation may be
established if the certificate and all required documents are furnished to the unit owner
not later than three business days after the written request is received by the association.
No fee under this subsection may include costs for services provided by an attorney or
paralegal.
(2) A unit owner providing a certificate and documents pursuant to subsection (a)
of this section is not liable to the purchaser for any erroneous information provided by
the association and included in the certificate and documents.
(c) A purchaser is not liable for any unpaid assessment or fee greater than the amount
set forth in the certificate prepared by the association. A unit owner is not liable to a
purchaser for the failure or delay of the association to provide the certificate and documents in a timely manner, but the purchase contract is voidable by the purchaser until
(1) the expiration of five days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays, after
the certificate and documents have been delivered to such purchaser or such purchaser's
attorney, or seven days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays, after the
certificate and documents have been sent by registered or certified mail or mail evidenced by a certificate of mailing to such purchaser or such purchaser's attorney, or (2)
conveyance, whichever first occurs.
(d) A dealer who offers a unit which he owns shall, in addition to the material
provided to a purchaser or such purchaser's attorney under subsection (a) of this section,
furnish to such purchaser or such purchaser's attorney a copy of any public offering
statement that the dealer received at the time he purchased his unit.
(e) The association shall, during the month of January in each year, file in the office
of the town clerk of the municipality or municipalities where such common interest
community is located a certificate setting forth the name and mailing address of the
officer of the association or the managing agent from whom a resale certificate may be
requested, and shall, thereafter, file such a certificate within thirty days of any change
in the name or address of such officer or agent. The town clerk shall record such certificate in the land records.
(P.A. 83-474, S. 71, 96; P.A. 84-472, S. 19, 23; 84-546, S. 104, 173; P.A. 88-322, S. 1; P.A. 91-341, S. 18, 19; P.A.
95-187, S. 24; P.A. 05-125, S. 1; P.A. 09-213, S. 4.)
*Note: On and after July 1, 2010, this section, as amended by section 41 of public
act 09-225, is to read as follows:
"Sec. 47-270. Resales of units. (a) Except in the case of a sale in which delivery
of a public offering statement is required under either this chapter or chapter 825, or
unless exempt under subsection (b) of section 47-262, a unit owner shall furnish to a
purchaser or such purchaser's attorney, before the earlier of conveyance or transfer of
the right to possession of a unit, a copy of the declaration, other than any surveys and
plans, the bylaws, the rules or regulations of the association, and a certificate containing:
(1) A statement disclosing the effect on the proposed disposition of any right of first
refusal or other restraint on the free alienability of the unit held by the association; (2)
a statement setting forth the amount of the periodic common expense assessment and
any unpaid common expense or special assessment currently due and payable from the
selling unit owner; (3) a statement of any other fees payable by the owner of the unit
being sold; (4) a statement of any capital expenditures in excess of one thousand dollars
approved by the executive board for the current and next succeeding fiscal year; (5) a
statement of the amount of any reserves for capital expenditures; (6) the current operating
budget of the association; (7) a statement of any unsatisfied judgments against the association and the existence of any pending suits or administrative proceedings in which the
association is a party, including foreclosures but excluding other collection matters; (8)
a statement of the insurance coverage provided for the benefit of unit owners, including
any schedule of standard fixtures, improvements and betterments in the units covered
by the association's insurance that the association prepared pursuant to subsection (b)
of section 47-255; (9) a statement of any restrictions in the declaration affecting the
amount that may be received by a unit owner on sale, condemnation, casualty loss
to the unit or the common interest community or termination of the common interest
community; (10) in a cooperative, an accountant's statement, if any was prepared, as
to the deductibility for federal income tax purposes by the unit owner of real property
taxes and interest paid by the association; (11) if the association is unincorporated, the
name of the statutory agent for service of process filed with the Secretary of the State
pursuant to section 47-244a; (12) a statement describing any pending sale or encumbrance of common elements; (13) a statement disclosing the effect on the unit to be
conveyed of any restrictions on the owner's right to use or occupy the unit or to lease
the unit to another person; (14) a statement disclosing the number of units whose owners
are at least sixty days' delinquent in paying their common charges on the date of the
statement; (15) a statement disclosing the number of foreclosure actions brought by the
association during the past twelve months and the number of such actions pending on
a specified date within sixty days of the date of the statement; and (16) any established
maintenance standards adopted by the association pursuant to subsection (e) of section
47-257.
(b) (1) Not later than ten business days after receipt of a request in a record from
a unit owner and payment by the unit owner of a fee established by the association that
does not exceed one hundred twenty-five dollars plus either five cents for each page of
document copies provided by the association pursuant to this section or a flat fee of ten
dollars for an electronic version of those documents, for the preparation of the certificate
and other documents, the association shall furnish a certificate containing the information necessary to enable the unit owner to comply with this section and any other documents required by this section. The association shall itemize the actual printing, photocopying and related costs and provide a list of the itemized costs to the unit owner
with the certificate and documents. An additional fee of not more than ten dollars for
expedited preparation may be established if the certificate and all required documents
are furnished to the unit owner not later than three business days after the request in a
record is received by the association. No fee under this subsection may include costs
for services provided by an attorney or paralegal.
(2) A unit owner providing a certificate and documents pursuant to subsection (a)
of this section is not liable to the purchaser for any erroneous information provided by
the association and included in the certificate and documents.
(c) A purchaser is not liable for any unpaid assessment or fee greater than the amount
set forth in the certificate prepared by the association. A unit owner is not liable to a
purchaser for the failure or delay of the association to provide the certificate and documents in a timely manner, but the purchase contract is voidable by the purchaser until
(1) the expiration of five days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays, after
the certificate and documents have been delivered to such purchaser or such purchaser's
attorney, or seven days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays, after the
certificate and documents have been sent by registered or certified mail or mail evidenced by a certificate of mailing to such purchaser or such purchaser's attorney, or (2)
conveyance, whichever first occurs.
(d) A dealer who offers a unit which he owns shall, in addition to the material
provided to a purchaser or such purchaser's attorney under subsection (a) of this section,
furnish to such purchaser or such purchaser's attorney a copy of any public offering
statement that the dealer received at the time he purchased his unit.
(e) The association shall, during the month of January in each year, file in the office
of the town clerk of the municipality or municipalities where such common interest
community is located a certificate setting forth the name and mailing address of the
officer of the association or the managing agent from whom a resale certificate may be
requested, and shall, thereafter, file such a certificate within thirty days of any change
in the name or address of such officer or agent. The town clerk shall record such certificate in the land records."
(P.A. 83-474, S. 71, 96; P.A. 84-472, S. 19, 23; 84-546, S. 104, 173; P.A. 88-322, S. 1; P.A. 91-341, S. 18, 19; P.A.
95-187, S. 24; P.A. 05-125, S. 1; P.A. 09-213, S. 4; 09-225, S. 41.)
History: P.A. 84-472 amended Subsec. (a) by adding "under either this chapter or chapter 825", deleting provision
allowing unit owner to furnish a purchaser certain documents "before execution of any contract for sale of a unit", deleting
requirement that unit owner furnish a purchaser with "the most current public offering statement of any person still holds
special declarant rights", and replacing in Subdiv. (4) "anticipated by the association" with "in excess of one thousand
dollars approved by the executive board", amended Subsec. (b) by replacing "within ten days after a request" with "within
ten business days after receipt of a written request", adding a provision for the "payment by the unit owner of any reasonable
fee for preparation of the certificate and other materials" and adding "and documents" and amended Subsec. (c) by adding
"and documents" and excluding Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays from the five-day period during which the contract
is voidable; P.A. 84-546 made technical change in Subsec. (d); P.A. 88-322 amended Subsec. (a) to provide option of
furnishing the documents to "such purchaser's attorney", amended Subsec. (b) to provide that for the preparation of the
certificate and other materials the unit owner pay a fee of not more than $75, including printing, photocopying and related
costs rather than "any reasonable fee", amended Subsec. (c) to rephrase the provisions re the voidability of contracts and
to add provision that the contract is voidable until the expiration of "seven days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and legal
holidays, after the certificate and documents have been sent by registered or certified mail or mail evidenced by a certificate
of mailing to such purchaser or such purchaser's attorney", amended Subsec. (d) to add references to "such purchaser's
attorney" and added Subsec. (e) re the filing in the town clerk's office of a certificate with the name and address of the
officer of the association or managing agent from whom a resale certificate may be requested; P.A. 91-341 amended
Subsec. (a) to add Subdiv. (11) re the name of an unincorporated association's statutory agent for service of process; P.A.
95-187 amended Subsec. (a) to require unit owner to furnish the documents "before the earlier of conveyance or transfer
of the right to possession of a unit" rather than "before conveyance", add in Subdiv. (1) "held by the association", replace
in Subdiv. (2) "monthly" with "periodic", replace in Subdiv. (3) "selling unit owner" with "owner of the unit being sold",
add Subdiv. (12) re a statement describing any pending sale or encumbrance of common elements and add Subdiv. (13)
re a statement disclosing the effect on the unit to be conveyed of any restrictions on the use or occupancy or leasing of the
unit; P.A. 05-125 amended Subsec. (b) to revise provisions re allowed costs, substitute $125 for $75, allow an expedited
preparation fee of not more than $10, prohibit fees for services provided by an attorney or paralegal, insert Subdiv. designators (1) and (2) and make technical changes; P.A. 09-213 amended Subsec. (e) to replace requirement that town clerk "keep
such certificate on file in his office and make it available for inspection" with requirement that town clerk "record such
certificate in the land records"; P.A. 09-225 amended Subsec. (a)(7) to reference administrative proceedings, including
foreclosures but excluding other collection matters, and substitute "party" for "defendant", amended Subsec. (a)(8) to
include any schedule of standard fixtures, improvements and betterments covered by association's insurance prepared
pursuant to Sec. 47-255(b), and added Subsecs. (a)(14) re statement of delinquencies, (a)(15) re statement of number of
foreclosure actions, and (a)(16) re established maintenance standards, and amended Subsec. (b)(1) to substitute "request
in a record" for "written request" and rewrite provisions re costs for copies and electronic version of documents, effective
July 1, 2010.
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Sec. 47-274. *(See end of section for amended version and effective date.) Express warranties of quality. (a) Express warranties made by any seller to a purchaser
of a unit, if relied on by the purchaser, are created as follows:
(1) Any affirmation of fact or promise which relates to the unit, its use, or rights
appurtenant thereto, area improvements to the common interest community that would
directly benefit the unit, or the right to use or have the benefit of facilities not located
in the common interest community, creates an express warranty that the unit, area improvements and related rights and uses will conform to the affirmation or promise;
(2) Any model or description of the physical characteristics of the common interest
community, including plans and specifications of or for improvements, creates an express warranty that the common interest community will substantially conform to the
model or description;
(3) Any description of the quantity or extent of the real property comprising the
common interest community, including surveys, creates an express warranty that the
common interest community will conform to the description, subject to customary tolerances; and
(4) A provision that a purchaser may put a unit only to a specified use is an express
warranty that the specified use is lawful.
(b) Neither formal words, such as "warranty" or "guarantee", nor a specific intention
to make a warranty, are necessary to create an express warranty of quality, but a statement
purporting to be merely an opinion or commendation of the real property or its value
does not create a warranty.
(c) Any conveyance of a unit transfers to the purchaser all express warranties of
quality made by previous sellers only to the extent such a conveyance would transfer
warranties pursuant to chapter 827.
(P.A. 83-474, S. 75, 96.)
*Note: On and after July 1, 2010, this section, as amended by section 42 of public
act 09-225, is to read as follows:
"Sec. 47-274. Express warranties of quality. (a) Express warranties made by any
seller to a purchaser of a unit, if relied on by the purchaser, are created as follows:
(1) Any affirmation of fact or promise which relates to the unit, its use, or rights
appurtenant thereto, area improvements to the common interest community that would
directly benefit the unit, or the right to use or have the benefit of facilities not located
in the common interest community, creates an express warranty that the unit, area improvements and related rights and uses will conform to the affirmation or promise;
(2) Any model or description of the physical characteristics of the common interest
community, including plans and specifications of or for improvements, creates an express warranty that the common interest community will substantially conform to the
model or description unless the model or description clearly discloses that it is only
proposed or is subject to change;
(3) Any description of the quantity or extent of the real property comprising the
common interest community, including surveys, creates an express warranty that the
common interest community will conform to the description, subject to customary tolerances; and
(4) A provision that a purchaser may put a unit only to a specified use is an express
warranty that the specified use is lawful.
(b) Neither formal words, such as "warranty" or "guarantee", nor a specific intention
to make a warranty, are necessary to create an express warranty of quality, but a statement
purporting to be merely an opinion or commendation of the real property or its value
does not create a warranty.
(c) Any conveyance of a unit transfers to the purchaser all express warranties of
quality made by previous sellers only to the extent such a conveyance would transfer
warranties pursuant to chapter 827."
(P.A. 83-474, S. 75, 96; P.A. 09-225, S. 42.)
History: P.A. 09-225 added "unless the model or description clearly discloses that it is only proposed or is subject to
change" in Subsec. (a)(2), effective July 1, 2010.
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Sec. 47-278. *(See end of section for amended version and effective date.)
Cause of action for violation of chapter. Punitive damages, court costs and attorney's fees. Alternative dispute resolution. (a) If a declarant or any other person subject
to this chapter fails to comply with any of its provisions or any provision of the declaration or bylaws, any person or class of persons adversely affected by the failure to comply
has a claim for appropriate relief. Punitive damages may be awarded for a wilful failure
to comply with this chapter. The court may award court costs together with reasonable
attorney's fees.
(b) Parties to a dispute arising under this chapter, the declaration or the bylaws may
agree to resolve the dispute by any form of binding or nonbinding alternative dispute
resolution, provided: (1) A declarant may agree with the association to do so only after
the period of declarant control passes; and (2) an agreement to submit to any form of
binding alternative dispute resolution must be in a writing signed by the parties.
(P.A. 83-474, S. 79, 96; P.A. 95-187, S. 26.)
*Note: On and after July 1, 2010, this section, as amended by section 43 of public
act 09-225, is to read as follows:
"Sec. 47-278. Cause of action to enforce chapter, declaration or bylaws. Attorney's fees and costs. Alternative dispute resolution. (a) A declarant, association, unit
owner or any other person subject to this chapter may bring an action to enforce a right
granted or obligation imposed by this chapter, the declaration or the bylaws. The court
may award reasonable attorney's fees and costs.
(b) Parties to a dispute arising under this chapter, the declaration or the bylaws may
agree to resolve the dispute by any form of binding or nonbinding alternative dispute
resolution, provided: (1) A declarant may agree with the association to do so only after
the period of declarant control has expired; and (2) an agreement to submit to any form
of binding alternative dispute resolution must be in a record authenticated by the parties."
(P.A. 83-474, S. 79, 96; P.A. 95-187, S. 26; P.A. 09-225, S. 43.)
History: P.A. 95-187 designated existing provisions as Subsec. (a) and amended said Subsec. to authorize court to
award court costs and delete provision that authorized award of reasonable attorney's fees "in an appropriate case" and
added Subsec. (b) to authorize parties to resolve a dispute by any form of binding or nonbinding alternative dispute
resolution, subject to certain conditions; P.A. 09-225 amended Subsec. (a) to replace provisions re claim for failure to
comply and punitive damages with provisions re action to enforce right or obligation under chapter, declaration or bylaws
and substitute "costs" for "court costs", and amended Subsec. (b) to substitute "has expired" for "passes" and "record
authenticated" for "writing signed", effective July 1, 2010.
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