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REFERENCE TITLE: homeowners' associations; disclosure documents; fees |
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State of Arizona House of Representatives Fifty-third Legislature First Regular Session 2017
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HB 2419 |
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Introduced by Representative Leach
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AN ACT
amending sections 33-1260 and 33-1806, Arizona Revised Statutes; relating to condominiums and planned communities.
(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:
Section 1. Section 33-1260, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:
33-1260. Resale of units; information required; fees; civil penalty; applicability; definition
A. For condominiums with fewer than fifty units, a unit owner shall mail or deliver to a purchaser or a purchaser's authorized agent within ten days after receipt of a written notice of a pending sale of the unit, and for condominiums with fifty or more units, the association shall mail or deliver to a purchaser or a purchaser's authorized agent within ten days after receipt of a written notice of a pending sale that contains the name and address of the purchaser all of the following in either paper or electronic format:
1. A copy of the bylaws and the rules of the association.
2. A copy of the declaration.
3. A dated statement containing:
(a) The telephone number and address of a principal contact for the association, which may be an association manager, an association management company, an officer of the association or any other person designated by the board of directors.
(b) The amount of the common expense assessment for the unit and any unpaid common expense assessment, special assessment or other assessment, fee or charge currently due and payable from the selling unit owner. If the request is made by a lienholder, escrow agent, unit owner or person designated by a unit owner pursuant to section 33‑1256, failure to provide the information pursuant to this subdivision within the time provided for in this subsection shall extinguish any lien for any unpaid assessment then due against that unit.
(c) A statement as to whether a portion of the unit is covered by insurance maintained by the association.
(d) The total amount of money held by the association as reserves.
(e) If the statement is being furnished by the association, a statement as to whether the records of the association reflect any alterations or improvements to the unit that violate the declaration. The association is not obligated to provide information regarding alterations or improvements that occurred more than six years before the proposed sale. Nothing in this subdivision relieves the seller of a unit from the obligation to disclose alterations or improvements to the unit that violate the declaration, nor precludes the association from taking action against the purchaser of a unit for violations that are apparent at the time of purchase and that are not reflected in the association's records.
(f) If the statement is being furnished by the unit owner, a statement as to whether the unit owner has any knowledge of any alterations or improvements to the unit that violate the declaration.
(g) A statement of case names and case numbers for pending litigation with respect to the unit filed by the association against the unit owner or filed by the unit owner against the association. The unit owner or the association shall not be required to disclose information concerning the pending litigation that would violate any applicable rule of attorney‑client privilege under Arizona law.
(h) A statement that provides "I hereby acknowledge that the declaration, bylaws and rules of the association constitute a contract between the association and me (the purchaser). By signing this statement, I acknowledge that I have read and understand the association's contract with me (the purchaser). I also understand that as a matter of Arizona law, if I fail to pay my association assessments, the association may foreclose on my property." The statement shall also include a signature line for the purchaser and shall be returned to the association within fourteen calendar days.
4. A copy of the current operating budget of the association.
5. A copy of the most recent annual financial report of the association. If the report is more than ten pages, the association may provide a summary of the report in lieu of the entire report.
6. A copy of the most recent reserve study of the association, if any.
7. A statement summarizing any pending lawsuits, except those relating to the collection of assessments owed by unit owners other than the selling unit owner, in which the association is a named party, including the amount of any money claimed.
B. A purchaser or seller who is damaged by the failure of the unit owner or the association to disclose the information required by subsection A of this section may pursue all remedies at law or in equity against the unit owner or the association, whichever failed to comply with subsection A of this section, including the recovery of reasonable attorney fees.
C. The association may charge the unit owner a fee of no not more than an aggregate of four hundred dollars to compensate the association for the costs incurred in the preparation and delivery of a statement or other documents furnished by the association pursuant to this section for purposes of resale disclosure, lien estoppel and any other services related to the transfer or use of the property. In addition, the association may charge a rush fee of no not more than one hundred dollars if the rush services are required to be performed within seventy-two hours after the request for rush services, and may charge a statement or other documents update fee of no not more than fifty dollars if thirty days or more have passed since the date of the original disclosure statement or the date the documents were delivered. The association shall make available to any interested party the amount of any fee established from time to time by the association. If the aggregate fee for purposes of resale disclosure, lien estoppel and any other services related to the transfer or use of a property is less than four hundred dollars on January 1, 2010, the fee may increase at a rate of no not more than twenty per cent percent per year based on the immediately preceding fiscal year's amount not to exceed the four hundred dollar aggregate fee. The association may charge the same fee without regard to whether the association is furnishing the statement or other documents in paper or electronic format.
D. The fees prescribed by this section shall be collected no earlier than at the close of escrow and may only be charged once to a unit owner for that transaction between the parties specified in the notice required pursuant to subsection A of this section. An association shall not charge or collect a fee relating to services for resale disclosure, lien estoppel and any other services related to the transfer or use of a property except as specifically authorized in this section. An association that charges or collects a fee in violation of this section is subject to a civil penalty of no not more than one thousand two hundred dollars.
E. This section applies to a managing agent for an association that is acting on behalf of the association.
F. The following are exempt from this section:
1. A sale in which a public report is issued pursuant to sections section 32‑2183 and or 32‑2197.02.
2. A sale pursuant to section 32‑2181.02.
3. A conveyance by recorded deed that bears an exemption listed in section 11‑1134, subsection B, paragraph 3 or 7. On recordation of the deed and for no additional charge, the unit owner shall provide the association with the changes in ownership including the unit owner's name, billing address and phone number. Failure to provide the information shall not prevent the unit owner from qualifying for the exemption pursuant to this section.
G. This section does not apply to timeshare plans or associations that are subject to chapter 20 of this title.
H. For the purposes of this section, unless the context otherwise requires, "unit owner" means the seller of the condominium unit title and excludes any real estate salesperson or real estate broker who is licensed under title 32, chapter 20 and who is acting as a salesperson or broker, any escrow agent who is licensed under title 6, chapter 7 and who is acting as an escrow agent and also excludes a trustee of a deed of trust who is selling the property in a trustee's sale pursuant to chapter 6.1 of this title.
Sec. 2. Section 33-1806, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:
33-1806. Resale of units; information required; fees; civil penalty; definition
A. For planned communities with fewer than fifty units, a member shall mail or deliver to a purchaser or a purchaser's authorized agent within ten days after receipt of a written notice of a pending sale of the unit, and for planned communities with fifty or more units, the association shall mail or deliver to a purchaser or a purchaser's authorized agent within ten days after receipt of a written notice of a pending sale that contains the name and address of the purchaser all of the following in either paper or electronic format:
1. A copy of the bylaws and the rules of the association.
2. A copy of the declaration.
3. A dated statement containing:
(a) The telephone number and address of a principal contact for the association, which may be an association manager, an association management company, an officer of the association or any other person designated by the board of directors.
(b) The amount of the common regular assessment and the unpaid common regular assessment, special assessment or other assessment, fee or charge currently due and payable from the selling member. If the request is made by a lienholder, escrow agent, member or person designated by a member pursuant to section 33‑1807, failure to provide the information pursuant to this subdivision within the time provided for in this subsection shall extinguish any lien for any unpaid assessment then due against that property.
(c) A statement as to whether a portion of the unit is covered by insurance maintained by the association.
(d) The total amount of money held by the association as reserves.
(e) If the statement is being furnished by the association, a statement as to whether the records of the association reflect any alterations or improvements to the unit that violate the declaration. The association is not obligated to provide information regarding alterations or improvements that occurred more than six years before the proposed sale. Nothing in this subdivision relieves the seller of a unit from the obligation to disclose alterations or improvements to the unit that violate the declaration, nor precludes the association from taking action against the purchaser of a unit for violations that are apparent at the time of purchase and that are not reflected in the association's records.
(f) If the statement is being furnished by the member, a statement as to whether the member has any knowledge of any alterations or improvements to the unit that violate the declaration.
(g) A statement of case names and case numbers for pending litigation with respect to the unit filed by the association against the member or filed by the member against the association. The member shall not be required to disclose information concerning such pending litigation that would violate any applicable rule of attorney‑client privilege under Arizona law.
(h) A statement that provides "I hereby acknowledge that the declaration, bylaws and rules of the association constitute a contract between the association and me (the purchaser). By signing this statement, I acknowledge that I have read and understand the association's contract with me (the purchaser). I also understand that as a matter of Arizona law, if I fail to pay my association assessments, the association may foreclose on my property." The statement shall also include a signature line for the purchaser and shall be returned to the association within fourteen calendar days.
4. A copy of the current operating budget of the association.
5. A copy of the most recent annual financial report of the association. If the report is more than ten pages, the association may provide a summary of the report in lieu of the entire report.
6. A copy of the most recent reserve study of the association, if any.
7. A statement summarizing any pending lawsuits, except those relating to the collection of assessments owed by members other than the selling member, in which the association is a named party, including the amount of any money claimed.
B. A purchaser or seller who is damaged by the failure of the member or the association to disclose the information required by subsection A of this section may pursue all remedies at law or in equity against the member or the association, whichever failed to comply with subsection A of this section, including the recovery of reasonable attorney fees.
C. The association may charge the member a fee of no not more than an aggregate of four hundred dollars to compensate the association for the costs incurred in the preparation and delivery of a statement or other documents furnished by the association pursuant to this section for purposes of resale disclosure, lien estoppel and any other services related to the transfer or use of the property. In addition, the association may charge a rush fee of no not more than one hundred dollars if the rush services are required to be performed within seventy-two hours after the request for rush services, and may charge a statement or other documents update fee of no not more than fifty dollars if thirty days or more have passed since the date of the original disclosure statement or the date the documents were delivered. The association shall make available to any interested party the amount of any fee established from time to time by the association. If the aggregate fee for purposes of resale disclosure, lien estoppel and any other services related to the transfer or use of a property is less than four hundred dollars on January 1, 2010, the fee may increase at a rate of no not more than twenty per cent percent per year based on the immediately preceding fiscal year's amount not to exceed the four hundred dollar aggregate fee. The association may charge the same fee without regard to whether the association is furnishing the statement or other documents in paper or electronic format.
D. The fees prescribed by this section shall be collected no earlier than at the close of escrow and may only be charged once to a member for that transaction between the parties specified in the notice required pursuant to subsection A of this section. An association shall not charge or collect a fee relating to services for resale disclosure, lien estoppel and any other services related to the transfer or use of a property except as specifically authorized in this section. An association that charges or collects a fee in violation of this section is subject to a civil penalty of no not more than one thousand two hundred dollars.
E. This section applies to a managing agent for an association that is acting on behalf of the association.
F. The following are exempt from this section:
1. A sale in which a public report is issued pursuant to sections section 32‑2183 and or 32‑2197.02.
2. A sale pursuant to section 32‑2181.02.
3. A conveyance by recorded deed that bears an exemption listed in section 11-1134, subsection B, paragraph 3 or 7. On recordation of the deed and for no additional charge, the member shall provide the association with the changes in ownership including the member's name, billing address and phone number. Failure to provide the information shall not prevent the member from qualifying for the exemption pursuant to this section.
G. For the purposes of this section, unless the context otherwise requires, "member" means the seller of the unit title and excludes any real estate salesperson or real estate broker who is licensed under title 32, chapter 20 and who is acting as a salesperson or broker, any escrow agent who is licensed under title 6, chapter 7 and who is acting as an escrow agent and also excludes a trustee of a deed of trust who is selling the property in a trustee's sale pursuant to chapter 6.1 of this title.