Bill Text: NJ A477 | 2014-2015 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Permits liens in favor of planned real estate development associations for unpaid assessments in planned real estate developments.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-01-16 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee [A477 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2014-A477-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
216th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2014 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman JERRY GREEN
District 22 (Middlesex, Somerset and Union)
SYNOPSIS
Permits liens in favor of planned real estate development associations for unpaid assessments in planned real estate developments.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel
An Act concerning liens in favor of planned real estate development associations, amending P.L.1969, c.257 and supplementing P.L.1993, c.30.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 3 of P.L.1969, c.257 (C.46:8B-3) is amended to read as follows:
3. The following words and phrases as used in this act shall have the meanings set forth in this section unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
a. "Assigns" means any person to whom rights of a unit owner have been validly transferred by lease, mortgage or otherwise.
b. "Association" means the incorporated or unincorporated entity that is responsible for the administration of a condominium, [which entity may be incorporated or unincorporated] or that is organized pursuant to section 1 of P.L.1993, c.30 (C.45:22A-43) for the management of common elements and facilities for a planned real estate development.
c. "Bylaws" means the governing regulations adopted under this act for the administration and management of the property.
d. "Common elements" means:
(i) the land described in the master deed;
(ii) as to any improvement, the foundations, structural and bearing parts, supports, main walls, roofs, basements, halls, corridors, lobbies, stairways, elevators, entrances, exits and other means of access, excluding any specifically reserved or limited to a particular unit or group of units;
(iii) yards, gardens, walkways, parking areas and driveways, excluding any specifically reserved or limited to a particular unit or group of units;
(iv) portions of the land or any improvement or appurtenance reserved exclusively for the management, operation or maintenance of the common elements or of the condominium property;
(v) installations of all central services and utilities;
(vi) all apparatus and installations existing or intended for common use;
(vii) all other elements of any improvement necessary or convenient to the existence, management, operation, maintenance and safety of the condominium property or normally in common use; and
(viii) such other elements and facilities as are designated in the master deed as common elements.
e. "Common expenses" means expenses for which the unit owners are proportionately liable, including but not limited to:
(i) all expenses of administration, maintenance, repair and replacement of the common elements;
(ii) expenses agreed upon as common by all unit owners; and
(iii) expenses declared common by provisions of this act or by the master deed or by the bylaws.
f. "Common receipts" means:
(i) rent and other charges derived from leasing or licensing the use of common elements;
(ii) funds collected from unit owners as common expenses or otherwise; and
(iii) receipts designated as common by the provisions of this act or by the master deed or the bylaws.
g. "Common surplus" means the excess of all common receipts over all common expenses.
h. "Condominium" means the form of ownership of real property under a master deed providing for ownership by one or more owners of units of improvements together with an undivided interest in common elements appurtenant to each such unit.
i. "Condominium property" means the land covered by the master deed, whether or not contiguous and all improvements thereon, all owned either in fee simple or under lease, and all easements, rights and appurtenances belonging thereto or intended for the benefit thereof.
j. "Developer" means the person or persons who create a condominium or lease, sell or offer to lease or sell a condominium or units of a condominium in the ordinary course of business, but does not include an owner or lessee of a unit who has acquired his unit for his own occupancy.
k. "Limited common elements" means those common elements which are for the use of one or more specified units to the exclusion of other units.
l. "Majority" or "majority of the unit owners" means the owners of more than 50% of the aggregate in interest of the undivided ownership of the common elements as specified in the master deed. If a different percentage of unit owners is required to be determined under this act or under the master deed or bylaws for any purpose, such different percentage of owners shall mean the owners of an equal percentage of the aggregate in interest of the undivided ownership of the common elements as so specified.
m. "Master deed" means the master deed recorded under the terms of section 8 of this act, as such master deed may be amended or supplemented from time to time, being the instrument by which the owner in fee simple or lessee of the property submits it to the provisions of this chapter.
n. "Person" means an individual, firm, corporation, partnership, association, trust or other legal entity, or any combination thereof.
o. "Unit" means a part of the condominium property designed or intended for any type of independent use, having a direct exit to a public street or way or to a common element or common elements leading to a public street or way or to an easement or right of way leading to a public street or way, and includes the proportionate undivided interest in the common elements and in any limited common elements assigned thereto in the master deed or any amendment thereof, and as defined pursuant to section 3 of P.L.1977, c.419 (C.45:22A-23).
p. "Unit deed" means a deed of conveyance of a unit in recordable form.
q. "Unit owner" means the person or persons owning a unit in fee simple.
r. "Planned real estate development" or "development" means any real property situated within the State, whether contiguous or not, which consists of or will consist of, separately owned areas, irrespective of form, be it lots, parcels, units, or interest, and which are offered or disposed of pursuant to a common promotional plan, and providing for common or shared elements or interests in real property. This definition shall not apply to any form of timesharing.
This definition shall include, but not be limited to, any form of homeowners' association, any housing cooperative, or any community trust or other trust device.
This definition shall be construed liberally to effectuate the purposes of P.L.1969, c.257 (C.46:8B-1 et seq.).
(cf: P.L.1979, c.157, s.1)
2. (New section) a. The association shall have a lien on each unit for any unpaid assessment duly made by the association for a share of common expenses or otherwise, including any other moneys duly owed the association, upon proper notice to the appropriate unit owner, together with interest thereon and, if authorized by the master deed or bylaws, late fees, fines and reasonable attorney's fees; provided however that an association shall not record a lien in which the unpaid assessment consists solely of late fees. Such lien shall be effective from and after the time of recording in the public records of the county in which the unit is located of a claim of lien stating the description of the unit, the name of the record owner, the amount due and the date when due. Such claim of lien shall include only sums which are due and payable when the claim of lien is recorded and shall be signed and verified by an officer or agent of the association. Upon full payment of all sums secured by the lien, the party making payment shall be entitled to a recordable satisfaction of lien. Except as set forth in subsection b. of this section, all such liens shall be subordinate to any lien for past due and unpaid property taxes, the lien of any mortgage to which the unit is subject and to any other lien recorded prior to the time of recording of the claim of lien.
b. A lien recorded pursuant to subsection a. of this section shall have a limited priority over prior recorded mortgages and other liens, except for municipal liens or liens for federal taxes, to the extent provided in this subsection. This priority shall be limited as follows:
(1) To a lien which is the result of customary assessments as defined herein, the amount of which shall not exceed the aggregate customary assessment against the unit owner for the six-month period prior to the recording of the lien.
(2) With respect to a particular mortgage, to a lien recorded prior to: (a) the receipt by the association of a summons and complaint in an action to foreclose a mortgage on that unit; or (b) the filing with the proper county recording office of a lis pendens giving notice of an action to foreclose a mortgage on that unit.
(3) In the case of more than one association lien being filed, either because an association files more than one lien or multiple associations have filed liens, the total amount of the liens granted priority shall not be greater than the assessment for the six-month period specified in paragraph (1) of this subsection. Priority among multiple filings shall be determined by their date of recording with the earlier recorded liens having first use of the priority given herein.
(4) The priority granted to a lien pursuant to this subsection shall expire on the first day of the 60th month following the date of recording of an association's lien.
(5) A lien of an association shall not be granted priority over a prior recorded mortgage or mortgages under this subsection if a prior recorded lien of the association for unpaid assessments has obtained priority over the same recorded mortgage or mortgages as provided in this subsection, for a period of 60 months from the date of recording of the lien granted priority.
(6) When recording a lien which may be granted priority pursuant to this act, an association shall notify, in writing, any holder of a first mortgage lien on the property of the filing of the association lien. An association which exercises a good faith effort but is unable to ascertain the identity of a holder of a prior recorded mortgage on the property will be deemed to be in substantial compliance with this paragraph.
For the purpose of this section, an "assessment" shall mean an assessment for periodic payments, due the association for regular and usual operating and common area expenses pursuant to the association's annual budget and shall not include amounts for reserves for contingencies, nor shall it include any late charges, penalties, interest or any fees or costs for the collection or enforcement of the assessment or any lien arising from the assessment. The periodic payments due must be due monthly, or no less frequently than quarter-yearly, as may be acceptable to the Federal National Mortgage Association so as not to disqualify an otherwise superior mortgage on the property from purchase by the Federal National Mortgage Association as a first mortgage.
c. Upon any voluntary conveyance of a unit, the grantor and grantee of such unit shall be jointly and severally liable for all unpaid assessments pertaining to such unit duly made by the association or accrued up to the date of such conveyance without prejudice to the right of the grantee to recover from the grantor any amounts paid by the grantee, but the grantee shall be exclusively liable for those accruing while he is the unit owner.
d. Any unit owner or any purchaser of a unit prior to completion of a voluntary sale may require from the association a certificate showing the amount of unpaid assessments pertaining to such unit and the association shall provide such certificate within 10 days after request therefor. The holder of a mortgage or other lien on any unit may request a similar certificate with respect to such unit. Any person other than the unit owner at the time of issuance of any such certificate who relies upon such certificate shall be entitled to rely thereon and his liability shall be limited to the amounts set forth in such certificate.
e. If a mortgagee of a first mortgage of record or other purchaser of a unit obtains title to such unit as a result of foreclosure of the first mortgage, such acquirer of title, his successors and assigns shall not be liable for the share of common expenses or other assessments by the association pertaining to such unit or chargeable to the former unit owner which became due prior to acquisition of title as a result of the foreclosure. Any remaining unpaid share of common expenses and other assessments, except assessments derived from late fees or fines, shall be deemed to be common expenses collectible from all of the remaining unit owners including such acquirer, his successors and assigns.
f. Liens for unpaid assessments may be foreclosed by suit brought in the name of the association in the same manner as a foreclosure of a mortgage on real property. The association shall have the power, unless prohibited by the master deed or bylaws to bid on the unit at foreclosure sale, and to acquire, hold, lease, mortgage and convey the same. Suit to recover a money judgment for unpaid assessments may be maintained without waiving the lien securing the same. Nothing herein shall alter the status or priority of municipal liens under R.S.54:5-1 et seq.
3. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill would permit planned real estate development associations to record a lien with limited priority over prior recorded mortgages and other liens (except for municipal liens or liens for federal taxes) for unpaid assessments to planned real estate development associations. Under the provisions of the "Condominium Act," N.J.S.A.46:8B-21 provides a limited priority lien for unpaid condominium association assessments, but not for associations of other forms of common or community ownership.
