by Raymond Daniel Burke | Mar 10, 2017
House Bill 789, now pending in the Maryland General Assembly, would reduce the percentage of affirmative votes required to amend condominium bylaws. Under Section 11-104(e) of the Maryland Condominium Act, condominium bylaws may only be amended upon a vote of two-thirds (66 2/3 percent) of the unit owners. The proposed legislation would reduce this to 55 percent. Significantly, it would also permit the bylaws themselves to establish an even lower percentage. Additionally, the bill would limit the voting to members in “good standing, ” which is defined as not being more than 90 days in arrears as to assessments, and not in violation of any provision of the declaration, bylaws or rules and regulations. This, of course, could have the affect of further reducing the number of votes required for a bylaw amendment.
The proposed legislation contains similar provisions to reduce the percentage vote required for bylaw amendments under Section 11B-116 of the Maryland Homeowners Association Act.
by Raymond Daniel Burke | Mar 9, 2017
House Bill 651, now pending in the Maryland General Assembly, would require condominiums and homeowner associations to conduct reserve studies of the common elements and common areas.
It is proposed that new Section 11-109.4 be added to the Maryland Condominium Act, and require that, within 90-days of the meeting at which the unit owners assume control of the council, a reserve study must be conducted of the common elements, and the condominium must conduct a reserve study every five years thereafter. Condominiums established before October 1, 2017 that had a reserve study conducted on or after October 1, 2013 are required to undertake an additional reserve study five years after the previous one, and every five years thereafter. Condominiums established before October 1, 2017 that have not had a reserve study undertaken on or after October 1, 2013 must conduct a reserve study on or before October 1, 2018, and every five years thereafter.
New Section 11B-112.3 would be added to the Maryland Homeowner Association Act so as to provide similar reserve study requirements for the common areas in homeowner associations.
by Raymond Daniel Burke | Mar 9, 2017
I will be speaking today (March 9) at the Maryland Construction Law Institute seminar at the Ecker Business Training Center, 6751 Columbia Gateway Drive, Columbia, Maryland 21046. My subject we be “Condominium and New Home Warranties and Rights of Action.”
by Raymond Daniel Burke | Feb 28, 2017
House Bill 496, now pending in the Maryland General Assembly, would give express authority to Homeowner and Community Associations in Baltimore County to bring a court action seeking relief from or abatement of an alleged nuisance. Under current Section 14-125 of the Real Property Article, “community associations” have authority to seek injunctive or other relief in the Circuit Court for Baltimore County for abatement of a nuisance. However, a community association” is limited to a “non-profit corporation.” The proposed legislation would broadly expand the definition of a “community association” to include a “non-profit association, corporation, or other organization.” Current law also requires that “community associations” be comprised of “at least 20% of the total number of households as members, with a minimum of 40 or more individual households as defined by specific geographic boundaries in the bylaws or charter of the community association.” The proposed legislation would do away with these requirements, and simply require that the association, corporation or other organization be “composed of residents of a community defined by specific geographic boundaries.” As such, it could be read to apply to condominium councils of unit owners as well as homeowner associations.
by Raymond Daniel Burke | Feb 21, 2017
House Bill 500, now pending the Maryland General Assembly, provides for a proposed amendment to Section 11-104 of the Maryland Condominium Act that would allow a condominium’s bylaws to include “a restriction or prohibition on smoking tobacco products within the units or in the common elements.” The proposed legislation would also amend Section 11-111 to authorize a council of unit owners to adopt a rule imposing such a restriction or prohibition.
The bill also would also add new Section 11B-111.7 to the Maryland Homeowners Association Act, which would permit a homeowner association to “include in its declaration, bylaws, rules, or recorded covenants and restrictions a provision that restricts or prohibits the smoking of tobacco products in any multi-unit dwelling or in the common areas. A “multi-unit dwelling” is defined in the bill as “a town house, a row house, or any other individually owned dwelling unit that shares a common wall, floor, or ceiling with another individually owned dwelling unit.”
The proposed legislation would also amend Maryland Real Property Code Section 8-208 to permit landlords to include in written residential leases “a restriction or prohibition on smoking tobacco products within the dwelling unit or elsewhere on the premises.”
by Raymond Daniel Burke | Feb 13, 2017
House Bill 41 now pending in the Maryland General Assembly would require condominiums, homeowner associations and cooperative housing corporations to register annually with the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation. Similar to a bill that was filed during the 2016 session but did not pass, the proposed law would require registration information that includes the name and contact information for each officer, board member, and property manager. along with such other information as the Department might require. The bill proposes a $3 registration fee, and a $50 fine for failing to register.
