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A09780 Summary:

BILL NOA09780
 
SAME ASNo Same As
 
SPONSORLavine
 
COSPNSR
 
MLTSPNSR
 
Amd 339-aa, RP L; add Art 20-A 2010, RPAP L
 
Requires notice to be provided ninety days prior to commencement of a foreclosure action by a homeowners' association or condominium board to enforce a lien for unpaid common charges, assessments, fines or fees.
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A09780 Actions:

BILL NOA09780
 
04/09/2024referred to judiciary
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A09780 Memo:

NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY
MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION
submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
 
BILL NUMBER: A9780
 
SPONSOR: Lavine
  TITLE OF BILL: An act to amend the real property law and the real property actions and proceedings law, in relation to the foreclosure of liens for unpaid assessments due to a homeowners' association or condominium board   PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL: To require homeowners' associations and condominium boards to provide at least ninety (90) days' notice prior to the commencement of a foreclo- sure action to enforce a lien for unpaid common charges, assessments, fees, or fines owed to a homeowners' association.   SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS: § 1: Amends Section 339-aa of the Real Property Law to require the board of managers to provide at least 90 days' notice of a foreclosure proceeding commencing and requires what is to be stated on that notice. § 2: Adds a new article 20-A to the Real Property Actions and Proceedings Law to require a notice 90 days prior to a foreclosure proceeding commencing from a homeowners' association in order to enforce a lien for unpaid common charges, assessments, fees, or fines owed to a homeowners' association and requires what is to be stated on that notice. § 3: Provides the effective date.   JUSTIFICATION: According to the United States Census Bureau, roughly 84% of newly built, single-family homes sold in 2022 belonged to homeowners' associ- ations. These associations can promote unity within a community. Howev- er, they can issue fines, assessments, common charges, and fees for various areas, pursuant to that associations' by-laws. If these go unpaid, a homeowners' association may decide to put a lien on the prop- erty. If enough time has passed with these charges going unpaid, a home- owners' association may decide to commence a foreclosure proceeding on the property. Currently, homeowners' associations are not statutorily required to give notice of the commencement of a foreclosure proceeding. For context, when dealing with a mortgage foreclosure proceeding, mortgage lenders are statutorily required to give ninety days' notice prior to the commencement of one (RPA § 1304). To the homeowners' surprise, they may suddenly lose their home or get paid out considerably below market value due to the HOA's foreclosure auction. A common misconception is resi- dents can sometimes think even though they are up to date on their mort- gage payments, they cannot be foreclosed on, but they can. Owning a home is a great achievement in our society. It should not be risked due to unpaid fines that a homeowner may not have known about or may not have been able to tend to right away (potentially because of loss of employment, physical injury, etc.). By requiring homeowners' associations to give notice cf foreclosure proceedings to residents pursuant to a lien for unpaid charges, it allows for additional due process for the resident, as well as notification of the charges and the amount owed.   PRIOR LEGISLATIVE EISOTRY: New bill.   FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS: None to the state.   EFFECTIVE DATE: This act shall take effect immediately and shall apply to actions commenced on and after such date.
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A09780 Text:



 
                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                          9780
 
                   IN ASSEMBLY
 
                                      April 9, 2024
                                       ___________
 
        Introduced by M. of A. LAVINE -- read once and referred to the Committee
          on Judiciary
 
        AN  ACT to amend the real property law and the real property actions and
          proceedings law, in relation to the foreclosure of  liens  for  unpaid
          assessments due to a homeowners' association or condominium board
 
          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
 
     1    Section 1. Section 339-aa of the real  property  law,  as  amended  by
     2  chapter 104 of the laws of 1992, is amended to read as follows:
     3    §  339-aa.  Lien  for  common charges; duration; foreclosure. The lien
     4  provided for in [the immediately preceding] section three hundred  thir-
     5  ty-nine-z  of  this article shall be effective from and after the filing
     6  in the office of the recording officer in which the declaration is filed
     7  a verified notice of lien stating the name (if any) and address  of  the
     8  property,  the  liber and page of record of the declaration, the name of
     9  the record owner of the unit,  the  unit  designation,  the  amount  and
    10  purpose  for  which  due,  and  the date when due; and shall continue in
    11  effect until all sums secured thereby, with the interest thereon,  shall
    12  have  been  fully  paid  or  until expiration six years from the date of
    13  filing, whichever occurs sooner. In the event that unpaid common charges
    14  are due, any member of the board of managers may file a notice  of  lien
    15  as  described  herein  if  no notice of lien has been filed within sixty
    16  days after the unpaid charges are due. Upon such payment the unit  owner
    17  shall be entitled to an instrument duly executed and acknowledged certi-
    18  fying  to  the  fact  of  payment.  Such  lien may be foreclosed by suit
    19  authorized by and brought in the name of the board of  managers,  acting
    20  on behalf of the unit owners, in like manner as a mortgage of real prop-
    21  erty  pursuant  to  article  thirteen  of  the real property actions and
    22  proceedings law, without the necessity, however, of naming  as  a  party
    23  defendant  any  person  solely by reason of his owning a common interest
    24  with respect to the property.  The board of managers shall  be  required
    25  to  provide  notice  to the unit owner at least ninety days prior to the
    26  commencement of a foreclosure proceeding at the property address and any
    27  other address of record. Such notice shall be in fourteen-point type and
 
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD15049-01-4

        A. 9780                             2
 
     1  shall inform the owner that the board intends  to  file  an  action  for
     2  foreclosure to enforce the lien and shall state the address of the prop-
     3  erty and the specific amount due. In any such foreclosure the unit owner
     4  shall be required to pay a reasonable rental for the unit for any period
     5  prior  to  sale  pursuant  to  judgment  of  foreclosure and sale, if so
     6  provided in the by-laws, and the plaintiff in such foreclosure shall  be
     7  entitled to the appointment of a receiver to collect the same. The board
     8  of  managers,  acting  on  behalf  of the unit owners, shall have power,
     9  unless prohibited by the by-laws, to bid  in  the  unit  at  foreclosure
    10  sale, and to acquire and hold, lease, mortgage and convey the same. Suit
    11  to recover a money judgment for unpaid common charges shall be maintain-
    12  able  without  foreclosing  or  waiving  the lien securing the same, and
    13  foreclosure shall be maintainable notwithstanding the pendency  of  suit
    14  to recover a money judgment.
    15    Notwithstanding  any  other  provision of this article, if a municipal
    16  corporation acquires title to a unit as  a  result  of  tax  enforcement
    17  proceedings,  such  municipal  corporation  shall  not be liable for and
    18  shall not be subject to suit for recovery of the common charges applica-
    19  ble to such unit during the period while title to such unit is  held  by
    20  the  municipal corporation or for the payment of any rental for the unit
    21  under the provisions of this section, except to the extent of  any  rent
    22  arising  from  such  unit  received by such municipal corporation during
    23  such period.
    24    Except as herein specifically provided, nothing contained herein shall
    25  affect or impair or release the unit  from  the  lien  for  such  common
    26  charges  or impair or diminish the rights of the manager or the board of
    27  managers on behalf of the unit owners under  this  section  and  section
    28  three hundred thirty-nine-z.
    29    §  2.  The  real  property  actions  and proceedings law is amended by
    30  adding a new article 20-A to read as follows:
    31                                 ARTICLE 20-A
    32              ENFORCEMENT OF LIENS BY A HOMEOWNERS' ASSOCIATION
 
    33  Section 2010. Enforcement of liens by a homeowners' association.
    34    § 2010. Enforcement of liens by a homeowners'  association.  At  least
    35  ninety days prior to the commencement of a foreclosure action to enforce
    36  a  lien for unpaid common charges, assessments, fees or fines owed to an
    37  incorporated homeowners' association, which is permitted pursuant to the
    38  governing documents of such  association,  the  board  or  other  entity
    39  representing  the  association  shall provide notice to the owner at the
    40  property address and any other address of record, in at least  fourteen-
    41  point  type, that the association intends to file an action for foreclo-
    42  sure to enforce the lien and shall state the address of the property and
    43  the specific amount due.
    44    § 3. This act shall take effect immediately and shall apply to actions
    45  commenced on and after such date.
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