by Raymond Daniel Burke | Mar 26, 2013
By a unanimous vote, the Maryland Senate approved SB 167, which would prevent residential condominium developers from including provisions in declarations, bylaws, sales contracts or other instruments that limit the rights of condominium councils and unit owners to bring claims, specifically targeting warranty claims against the developer. It would add new Section 11-134.1 to the Maryland Condominium Act, which would make certain provisions of this nature unenforceable, and would limit the scope of others.
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by Raymond Daniel Burke | Mar 26, 2013
By a vote of 37 – 7, the Maryland Senate passed SB 162, which provides for amendments to the current provisions applicable to the rights of condominiums and homeowners associations to terminate contracts that were entered into by the developer prior to the property owners having assumed control of the community. The legislation expands the developer contracts now subject to termination by a subsequently elected independent governing body to include contracts providing “telecommunications, internet, cable, or other video services” in addition to utility services and communications systems. (more…)
by Raymond Daniel Burke | Mar 26, 2013
By a unanimous vote, the Maryland House of Delegates passed HB 628, which amends and clarifies the Maryland Contract Lien Act. The legislation establishes that a party entitled to enforce a lien may also bring suit for money damages without waiving their rights with respect to the lien, and can bring an action to recover any deficiency after foreclosure, either in the foreclosure proceeding or as a separate suit. (more…)
by Raymond Daniel Burke | Mar 22, 2013
Bills passed in the Maryland House of Delegates and Senate would limit lien foreclosures to claims for delinquent assessments only, and would preclude foreclosure actions based fines and related fees imposed by an association. The House passed HB 286 by a unanimous vote of 138 – 0, and the Senate passed SB 161 by a vote of 37 – 7. The primary difference in the two bills is that the House version applies to condominiums and homeowners associations, while the Senate version would also apply to cooperative housing corporations. (more…)
by Raymond Daniel Burke | Mar 21, 2013
By a vote of 103 – 35, the Maryland House of Delegates has passed HB 576, which would establish a new regulatory agency for the licensing of community managers of condominiums, cooperative housing corporations, and homeowners associations. (more…)
by Raymond Daniel Burke | Mar 19, 2013
House Bill 388 and Senate Bill 197 have both been approved by unanimous votes in each house of the Maryland General Assembly. The identical enactments would amend Section 11-109.1 of the Maryland Condominium Act to provide that the board of directors of a condominium council of unit owners may meet in closed session for “consideration of the terms or conditions of a business transaction in the negotiation stage if disclosure could adversely affect the economic interests of the council of unit owners.” If approved by the Governor, the amendment would take effect on October 1, 2013. (more…)
