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…)
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…)
Senate Bill 162, now pending in the Maryland General Assembly, would change 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. It would expand 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…)
The following are Maryland General Assembly Senate versions of House bills discussed in previous posts:
Licensing and regulation of property managers – SB 794
Precluding limits on causes of action – SB 167
Limiting liens to delinquent assessments and not fine – SB 161
Resale notice of potential special assessment – SB 176
Closed meetings to consider business transactions – SB 197
Senate Bill 136, now pending in the Maryland General Assembly, would make condominiums, cooperative housing corporations, and homeowners associations eligible to receive grants from the Maryland Solar Energy Grant Program to contribute to the cost of acquiring and installing photovoltaic and solar water heating equipment.
Legislation pending in the Maryland General Assembly would limit attorney’s fees recoverable by condominiums from unit owners, and by homeowners associations from lot owners, in connection with collecting assessments or fines. House Bill 1532 would add new Section 11-110.1 to the Maryland Condominium Act and new Section 11B-117.1 to the Homeowners Association Act. It would prohibit a council of unit owners or homeowners association from demanding, collecting or seeking to recover attorney’s fees from a unit owner “unless the amount of the attorney’s fees is reasonable in relation to the amount in controversy or the nature of the non-monetary violation. (more…)
The Maryland Condo Law Blog is written by Raymond Daniel Burke. One of the region's top construction and real estate development lawyers, Ray has more than 35 years of experience in matters relating to condominium and other multi-use development matters.