Maryland Condo Law Blog
An online resource for condominium and homeowner associations and their members, and for developers, builders, contractors, architects, engineers and others in the building industry.
JFK Remembrance
Please look for my opinion/commentary in remembrance of John F. Kennedy in Friday’s Baltimore Sun. Here is the link: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bs-ed-kennedy-burke-20131121,0,4993437.story
Maryland Attorney General Is Authorized To Address Violations Of The Condominium Act Affecting Consumers
The Maryland Condominium Act contains a somewhat unusual provision that expressly vests broad authority to address violations of the Act in the office of the Attorney General. Section 11-130 provides that, “[t]o the extent that a violation of any provision of this title affects a consumer, that violation shall be within the scope of the enforcement duties and powers of the Division of Consumer Protection of the Office of the Attorney General.” For purposes of this provision, a consumer is defined as “an actual or prospective purchaser, lessee, assignee or recipient of a condominium unit.” Also included as a consumer is any “co-oligor or surety for a consumer.” Accordingly, prospective purchasers and persons having an possessory interest in a condominium unit, alleged to be aggrieved by a violation of any provision of the Condominium Act, may seek the intervention of the Consumer Protection Division of the Attorney General’s Office.
Ocean City Condo Show This Weekend
The Ocean City Condo Show is this weekend at the R.E. Powell Ocean City Convention Center, Saturday, October 26 and Sunday, October 27. Please look for the ad for this blog in the show program and in this week’s edition of The Bayside Gazette and Ocean City Today.
Maryland Condo Law Blog To Be Featured In The Ocean City Spring Home,Condo and Outdoor Show Program
Ocean City area residents and visitors should look for information on this blog in the Ocean City Spring Home, Condo and Outdoor Show Program. The 28th annual show will take place at the R.E. Powell Ocean City Convention Center during the weekend of October 25 – 27. The program will be available at the show, and can also be found as an insert in that week’s edition of The Bayside Gazette and Ocean City Today.
Contracts For The Initial Sale of Condominium Units In Maryland Are Invalid If the Public Offering Statement Has Not Been Registered
Under Section 11-127 of the Maryland Condominium Act, devel0pers of condominiums are required to file a Public Offering Statement with the Maryland Secretary of State. Until the Public Offering Statement is registered, and until 10 days after all amendments have been filed, a contract for the sale of any unit may not be entered into, and any such contracts are void. Additionally, under Section 11-126 of the Maryland Condominium Act, the initial purchaser of a condominium unit must receive a copy of the Public Offering Statement at or before the time the contract of sale is entered into, or the contract is unenforceable by the seller. Such contracts of sale are also required to contain, in conspicuous type, a notice of the purchaser’s right to receive a Public Offering Statement.
Maryland Court Of Appeals Affirms Exclusion of “Differential Diagnosis” In Mold Exposure Claims
The Maryland Court of Appeals has affirmed a decsion of the Court of Special Appeals ruling that certain expert testimony is not admissible to support medical clams arising from exposure to mold and other environmental byproducts of damp buildings.
Such claims are often supported by a medical analysis known as “differential diagnosis” and sometimes referred to as “repetitive exposure protocol,” which as been used by physicians to attribute various medical symptoms to inhalation of mold in water-damaged buildings. Rather than demonstrating a specific exposure to a specific mold resulting in a specific reaction, differential diagnosis uses a process that “rules out” or “rules in” possible causes of symptoms a patient is experiencing to determine that their symptoms are related to exposure to mold. Differential diagnosis has been frequently used to show an association between exposure to mold in wet buildings and certain human health effects. In its opinion in the case of Montgomery Mutual Insurance Co. v. Chesson, the Maryland Court of Special Appeals held that this method is not sufficiently accepted in the scientific community so as to be used as a basis for medical testimony in mold cases. The Court of Special Appeals reversed a trial court ruling that found such medical testimony to be reliable and admissible. Maryland’s highest court, the Court of Appeals, has now affirmed the Court of Special Appeals decision. Chesson v. Montgomery Mutual Insurance Co., Case No. 97, Sept. Term 2012. read more…
New Maryland Law Limiting Liens And Related Fees And Charges Takes Effect October 1 — Only Delinquent Assessments Can Form the Basis For A Lien
An amendment to the Maryland Contract Lien Act, as it relates to the foreclosure of liens by condominiums and homeowners associations, takes effect on Tuesday, October 1, 2013. The new law modifies Section 14-204 of the Real Property Article of the Maryland Annotated Code to prohibit condominiums and homeowners associations from foreclosing on liens for anything other than delinquent periodic or special assessments. As a result, unpaid fines or other charges may not be the basis for a lien. Additionally, the new law requires that related costs and fees imposed in connection with the lien be limited to “reasonable costs and attorney’s fees directly related to the filing of the lien and not exceeding the amount of the delinquent assessments.” The law expressly provides that it is “to apply only prospectively and may not be applied or interpreted to have any effect on or application to any lien filed before the effective date.” read more…
New Maryland Law Providing For Closed Condominium Board Meetings Takes Effect October 1
A new Maryland law that permits closed condominium board meetings for the purpose of discussing business transactions takes effect this coming Tuesday, October 1, 2013. House Bill 388 and Senate Bill 197 were both approved by unanimous votes in each house of the Maryland General Assembly and signed by the Governor. The new law amends 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.” read more…
Notice and Materials To Be Provided By The Developer For Turnover Of Condominium Control
Under Section 11-109(c)(16) of the Condominium Act, the developer of a condominium is required to provide certain notices and materials in connection with the first meeting of the council of unit owners at which the unit owners assume control of the condominium. The developer must provide notice to all unit owners that the necessary percentage of units have been sold in order to pass control from the developer to the unit owners, and the specifics of a meeting to be held for the election of an independent board. Following the meeting, the developer is then required to turnover various materials, including (1) drawings, architectural plans or other documents setting forth the necessary information for location, maintenance, and repair of all condominium facilities; (2) the condominium funds, including operating funds, replacement reserves, investment accounts, and working capital; (3) the tangible property of the condominium; and (4) a roster of current unit owners, including mailing addresses, telephone numbers, and unit numbers. If the developer fails to comply with these requirements, any unit owner in the condominium may submit the dispute top the Consumer Protection Division of the Maryland Attorney General’s Office, which is expressly authorized under Section 11-109(c)(16)(vi) to resolve the issue. read more…
PED Suspensions – The Magic of Records and the Integrity of Baseball
Reprinted from the Baltimore Sun, August 11, 2013:
By Raymond Daniel Burke
Major League Baseball’s suspension of 13 players in its most recent attempt to address the use of performance enhancing drugs, including an unprecedented 211-game suspension of its highest paid player, Alex Rodriguez, is a welcome sign that the game is serious about re-establishing the legitimacy of player accomplishments The importance of such vigilance cannot be overestimated in a game where statistical comparison serves as a generational bond, and the integrity of those statistics is the adhesive that gives meaning to the experiences shared across time that are the game’s narrative. read more…
ABOUT
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.