2024 -- H 7698

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LC004984

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2024

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO PROPERTY -- CONDOMINIUM LAW

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Speakman, Carson, Cotter, McGaw, Giraldo, and Potter

     Date Introduced: February 23, 2024

     Referred To: House Judiciary

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Sections 34-36.1-1.03, 34-36.1-2.07 and 34-36.1-3.03 of the General Laws

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in Chapter 34-36.1 entitled "Condominium Law" are hereby amended to read as follows:

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     34-36.1-1.03. Definitions.

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     In the declaration and bylaws, unless specifically provided otherwise or the context

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otherwise requires, and in this chapter:

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     (1) “Affiliate of a declarant” means any person who controls, is controlled by, or is under

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common control with a declarant.

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     (i) A person “controls” a declarant if the person:

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     (A) Is a general partner, officer, director, or employer of the declarant,

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     (B) Directly or indirectly or acting in concert with one or more other persons, or through

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one or more subsidiaries, owns, controls, holds with power to vote, or holds proxies representing,

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more than twenty percent (20%) of the voting interest in the declarant,

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     (C) Controls in any manner the election of a majority of the directors of the declarant, or

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     (D) Has contributed more than twenty percent (20%) of the capital of the declarant.

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     (ii) A person “is controlled by” a declarant if the declarant:

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     (A) Is a general partner, officer, director, or employer of the person,

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     (B) Directly or indirectly or acting in concert with one or more other persons, or through

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one or more subsidiaries, owns, controls, holds with power to vote, or holds proxies representing,

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more than twenty percent (20%) of the voting interest in the person,

 

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     (C) Controls in any manner the election of a majority of the directors of the person, or

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     (D) Has contributed more than twenty percent (20%) of the capital of the person.

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     (iii) Control does not exist if the powers described in this subdivision are held solely as

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security for an obligation and are not exercised.

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     (2) “Allocated interests” means the undivided interest in the common elements, the

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common expense liability, and votes in the association allocated to each unit.

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     (3) “Association” or “unit owners’ association” means the unit owners’ association

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organized under § 34-36.1-3.01.

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     (4) “Common elements” means all portions of a condominium other than the units.

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     (5) “Common expenses” means expenditures made by or financial liabilities of the

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association, together with any allocations to reserves.

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     (6) “Common expense liability” means the liability for common expenses allocated to each

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unit pursuant to § 34-36.1-2.07.

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     (7)(i) “Condominium” means real estate, portions of which are designated for separate

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ownership and the remainder of which is designated for common ownership solely by the owners

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of those portions. Real estate is not a condominium unless the undivided interests in the common

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elements are vested in the unit owners.

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     (ii) Provided that each unit owner has a vested, undivided interest in the common elements

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greater that 0.0 percent, no minimum percentage interest in the common elements is otherwise

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required by this chapter.

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     (8) “Conversion building” means a building that at any time before creation of the

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condominium was occupied wholly or partially by persons other than purchasers and persons who

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occupy with the consent of purchasers.

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     (9) “Declarant” means any person or group of persons acting in concert who:

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     (i) As part of a common promotional plan, offers to dispose of his, her or its interest in a

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unit not previously disposed of; or

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     (ii) Reserves or succeeds to any special declarant right.

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     (10) “Declaration” means any instruments, however denominated, that create a

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condominium, and any amendments to those instruments.

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     (11) “Development rights” means any right or combination of rights reserved by a declarant

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in the declaration to:

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     (A) Add real estate to a condominium,

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     (B) Create units, common elements, or limited common elements within a condominium,

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     (C) Subdivide units or convert units into common elements, or

 

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     (D) Withdraw real estate from a condominium.

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     (12) “Person with a disability” means any person who is unable to engage in any substantial

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gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment which can

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be expected to result in death or has lasted or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not

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less than twelve (12) months or any person having an impairment of mobility or vision which is

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expected to be of at least twelve (12) months duration, and is a substantial impediment to his or her

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ability to live independently.

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     (13) “Dispose” or “disposition” means a voluntary transfer to a purchaser of any legal or

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equitable interest in a unit, but does not include the transfer or release of a security interest.

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     (14) “Executive board” means the body, regardless of name, designated in the declaration

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to act on behalf of the association.

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     (15) [Deleted by P.L. 1999, ch. 83, § 80, and P.L. 1999, ch. 130, § 80 which enacted

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identical amendments to this section.]

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     (16) “Identifying number” means a symbol or address that identifies only one unit in a

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condominium.

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     (17) “Land only units” shall mean units designated as land only units on the plats and plans

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which units may be comprised entirely or partially of unimproved real property and the air space

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above the real property. The boundaries of a land only unit are to be described pursuant to § 34-

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36.1-2.05(a)(5). Land only units may, but need not, contain a physical structure. The declaration

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may provide for the conversion of land only units to other types of units and/or common elements

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provided the conversion shall be effective only upon the recording of an amendment to the

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declaration which amendment will include new plats and plans identifying any portion of the land

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only unit converted to another type of unit and/or common element.

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     (18) “Leasehold condominium” means a condominium in which all or a portion of the real

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estate is subject to a lease the expiration or termination of which will terminate the condominium

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or reduce its size.

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     (19) “Limited common element” means a portion of the common elements allocated by the

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declaration or by operation of § 34-36.1-2.02(2) or (4) for the exclusive use of one or more but

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fewer than all of the units.

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     (20) “Master association” means an organization described in § 34-36.1-2.20, whether or

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not it is also an association described in § 34-36.1-3.01.

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     (21) “Offering” means any advertisement, inducement, solicitation, or attempt to

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encourage any person to acquire any interest in a unit, other than as security for an obligation. An

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advertisement in a newspaper or other periodical of general circulation, or in any broadcast medium

 

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to the general public, of a condominium not located in this state, is not an offering if the

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advertisement states that an offering may be made only in compliance with the law of the

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jurisdiction in which the condominium is located.

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     (22) “Person” means a natural person, corporation, business trust, estate, trust, partnership,

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association, joint venture, government, governmental subdivision or agency, or other legal or

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commercial entity. (In the case of a land trust, however, “person” means the beneficiary of the trust

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rather than the trust or the trustee.)

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     (23) “Purchaser” means any person, other than a declarant or a person in the business of

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selling real estate for his or her own account, who by means of a voluntary transfer acquires a legal

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or equitable interest in a unit other than:

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     (i) A leasehold interest including renewal options of less than twenty (20) years, or

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     (ii) As security for an obligation.

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     (24) “Real estate” means any leasehold or other estate or interest in, over, or under land,

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including structures, fixtures, and other improvements and interests which by custom, usage, or law

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pass with a conveyance of land though not described in the contract of sale or instrument of

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conveyance. “Real estate” includes parcels with or without upper or lower boundaries, and spaces

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that may be filled with air or water.

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     (25) “Residential purposes” means use for dwelling or recreational purposes, or both.

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     (26) “Special declarant rights” means rights reserved for the benefit of a declarant to:

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     (i) Complete improvements indicated on plats and plans filed with the declaration, (§ 34-

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36.1-2.09),

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     (ii) To exercise any development right, (§ 34-36.1-2.10),

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     (iii) To maintain sales offices, management offices, signs advertising the condominium,

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and models, (§ 34-36.1-2.15),

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     (iv) To use easements through the common elements for the purpose of making

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improvements within the condominium or within real estate which may be added to the

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condominium, (§ 34-36.1-2.16),

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     (v) To make the condominium part of a larger condominium or a planned community, (§

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34-36.1-2.21),

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     (vi) To make the condominium subject to a master association, (§ 34-36.1-2.20),

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     (vii) Or to appoint or remove any officer of the association or any master association or

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any executive board member during any period of declarant control, (§ 34-36.1-3.03(d)).

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     (27) “Time share” means a right to occupy a unit or any of several units during five (5) or

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more separated time periods over a period of at least five (5) years, including renewal options,

 

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whether or not coupled with an estate or interest in a condominium or a specified portion thereof.

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     (28) “Unit” means a physical portion of the condominium designated for separate

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ownership or occupancy, the boundaries of which are described pursuant to § 34-36.1-2.05(a)(5).

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     (29) “Unit owner” means a declarant or other person who owns a unit, or a lessee of a unit

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in a leasehold condominium whose lease expires simultaneously with any lease, the expiration or

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termination of which will remove the unit from the condominium, but does not include a person

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having an interest in a unit solely as security for an obligation.

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     (30) "Deed restricted unit" means any unit that qualifies as low- and moderate-income

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housing as set forth in § 45-53-3.

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     34-36.1-2.07. Allocation of common element interest, votes, and common expense

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liabilities.

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     (a) The declaration shall allocate a fraction or percentage of undivided interests in the

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common elements and in the common expenses of the association, and a portion of the votes in the

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association, to each unit including land only units and state the formulas used to establish those

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allocations. Those allocations may not discriminate in favor of units owned by the declarant, but

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may discriminate in favor of units subject to a housing restriction as set forth in § 34-39.1-3. Except

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as set forth in § 34-36.1-1.03(7), no minimum percentage interest in the common elements is

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otherwise required. Notwithstanding the above, in associations where the minority, fifty-one

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percent (51%) or less, of the units are deed restricted units, increases in monthly common expenses

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may not exceed five percent (5%) of the proceeding year's monthly common expenses.

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     (b) If units may be added to or withdrawn from the condominium, the declaration must

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state the formulas to be used to reallocate the allocated interests among all units included in the

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condominium after the addition or withdrawal.

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     (c) The declaration may provide: (i) That different allocations of votes shall be made to the

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units on particular matters specified in the declaration; (ii) For cumulative voting only for the

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purpose of electing members of the executive board; and (iii) For the class voting on specified

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issues affecting the class if necessary to protect valid interests of the class. A declarant may not

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utilize cumulative or class voting for the purpose of evading any limitation imposed on declarants

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by this chapter, nor may units constitute a class because they are owned by a declarant.

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     (d) Except for minor variations due to rounding, the sum of the undivided interests in the

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common elements and common expense liabilities allocated at any time to all the units must each

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equal one if stated as fractions or one hundred percent (100%) if stated as percentages. In the event

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of discrepancy between an allocated interest and the results derived from application of the

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pertinent formula, the allocated interest prevails.

 

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     (e) The common elements are not subject to partition, and any purported conveyance,

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encumbrance, judicial sale, or other voluntary or involuntary transfer of an undivided interest in

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the common elements made without the unit to which that interest is allocated, is void.

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     (f) Subject to the provisions of the declaration and other provisions of law, and except as

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provided in § 34-36.1-2.12 which provides for the relocation of boundaries between adjoining units,

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the owners of any two (2) or more units may apply for a reallocation of their respective allocated

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interests to the executive board; but their application shall not attempt to alter common element

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interests except as they relate to the proposed reallocation of unit interests. Unless the executive

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board determines within thirty (30) days, that the reallocations are unreasonable, the association

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shall prepare an amendment that identifies the units involved, states the reallocations, is executed

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by those unit owners, contains words of conveyance between them, and upon recordation, is

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indexed in the name of the grantor and the grantee.

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     34-36.1-3.03. Executive board members and officers.

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     (a) Except as provided in the declaration, the bylaws, subsection (b), or in other provisions

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of this chapter, the executive board may act in all instances on behalf of the association. In the

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performance of their duties, the officers and members of the executive board are required to

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exercise:

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     (1) If appointed by the declarant, the care required of fiduciaries of the unit owners; and

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     (2) If elected by the unit owners, ordinary and reasonable care.

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     (b) The executive board may not act on behalf of the association to amend the declaration

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(§ 34-36.1-2.17), to terminate the condominium, or to elect members of the executive board or

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determine the qualifications, powers and duties, or terms of office of executive board members, but

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the executive board may fill vacancies in its membership for the unexpired portion of any term.

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     (c)(1) Within thirty (30) days after adoption of any proposed budget for the condominium,

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the executive board shall provide a summary of the budget to all the unit owners, and shall set a

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date for a meeting of the unit owners to consider ratification of the budget not less than fourteen

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(14) nor more than thirty (30) days after mailing of the summary. Unless at that meeting a majority

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of all the unit owners or any larger vote specified in the declaration reject the budget, the budget is

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ratified, whether or not a quorum is present. In the event the proposed budget is rejected, the

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periodic budget last ratified by the unit owners shall be continued until such time as the unit owners

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ratify a subsequent budget proposed by the executive board.

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     (2) Any provision in any declaration or bylaws which requires unit owner approval for any

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increase of the total amount of an association annual assessment, or any portions thereof, as

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proposed by the executive board pursuant to subsection (c)(1) of this section, above the total

 

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amount of the association annual assessment formulated for a deed restricted unit as set forth in §

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34-36.1-2.07, or any portions thereof, for the previous association fiscal year, shall be void.

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     (d)(1) Subject to subsection (e), the declaration may provide for a period of declarant

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control of the association, during which period a declarant, or persons designated by him, may

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appoint and remove the officers and members of the executive board. Regardless of the period

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provided in the declaration, a period of declarant control terminates no later than the earlier of:

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     (i) Sixty (60) days after conveyance of eighty percent (80%) of the units which may be

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created to unit owners other than a declarant;

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     (ii) Two (2) years after all declarants have ceased to offer units for sale in the ordinary

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course of business; or

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     (iii) Two (2) years after any development right to add new units was last exercised.

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     (2) A declarant may voluntarily surrender the right to appoint and remove officers and

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members of the executive board before terminations of that period, but in that event he or she may

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require, for the duration of the period of declarant control, that specified actions of the association

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or executive board, as described in a recorded instrument executed by the declarant, be approved

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by the declarant before they become effective.

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     (e) Not later than sixty (60) days after conveyance of twenty-five percent (25%) of the units

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which may be created to unit owners other than a declarant, at least one member and not less than

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twenty-five percent (25%) of the members of the executive board must be elected by unit owners

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other than the declarant. Not later than sixty (60) days after conveyance of fifty percent (50%) of

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the units which may be created to unit owners other than a declarant, not less than one-third (⅓) of

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the members of the executive board must be elected by unit owners other than the declarant.

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     (f) Not later than the termination of any period of declarant control, the unit owners shall

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elect an executive board of at least three (3) members, at least a majority of whom must be unit

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owners. The executive board shall elect the officers. The executive board members and officers

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shall take office upon election.

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     (g) Notwithstanding any provision of the declaration or bylaws to the contrary, the unit

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owners, by a two-thirds (⅔) vote of all persons present and entitled to vote at any meeting of the

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unit owners at which a quorum is present, may remove any member of the executive board with or

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without cause, other than a member appointed by the declarant.

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     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO PROPERTY -- CONDOMINIUM LAW

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     This act would define deed restricted unit. This act would further limit the increase in

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annual condominium fees for a deed restricted unit to five percent (5%) of the proceeding year's

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monthly common expenses.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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