BILL NUMBER: AB 771AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 23, 2011 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 10, 2011 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 25, 2011 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 15, 2011 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Butler FEBRUARY 17, 2011 An act to amend Section 1368 of, and to add Section 1368.2 to, the Civil Code, relating to common interest developments. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 771, as amended, Butler. Common interest developments: requests for documents: fees. The Davis-Stirling Common Interest Development Act requires an owner of a separate interest in a common interest development to provide specified documents to a prospective purchaser of that interest. Existing law requires a homeowners' association to provide these documents to the owner of the separate interest within 10 days of the mailing or delivery of the request, and limits the amount of fees charged for the provision of the documents to the association's actual costs to procure, prepare, and reproduce the requested documents. This bill would require that the seller also provide a copy of specified minutes of the meetings of the association's board of directors. This bill would also require an association to provide to the seller a written or electronic estimate of the fees that will be assessed to provide the specified documents. The bill would permit the association to collect a reasonable fee for procuring, preparing, reproducing, and delivering the requested documents and would prohibit charging additional fees for electronic delivery of documents. The bill would permit the association to contract with any person or entity to provide the documents on behalf of the association, subject to the same standards required of the association. The bill would require the owner of a separate interest to also provide a form for billing disclosures, as specified, to a prospective purchaser, and would also require the association to provide this form to a recipient authorized by the owner of the separate interest. Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no. State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 1368 of the Civil Code is amended to read: 1368. (a) The owner of a separate interest, other than an owner subject to the requirements of Section 11018.6 of the Business and Professions Code, shall, as soon as practicable before transfer of title to the separate interest or execution of a real property sales contract therefor, as defined in Section 2985, provide the following to the prospective purchaser: (1) A copy of the governing documents of the common interest development, including any operating rules, and including a copy of the association's articles of incorporation, or, if not incorporated, a statement in writing from an authorized representative of the association that the association is not incorporated. (2) If there is a restriction in the governing documents limiting the occupancy, residency, or use of a separate interest on the basis of age in a manner different from that provided in Section 51.3, a statement that the restriction is only enforceable to the extent permitted by Section 51.3 and a statement specifying the applicable provisions of Section 51.3. (3) A copy of the most recent documents distributed pursuant to Section 1365. (4) A true statement in writing obtained from an authorized representative of the association as to the amount of the association' s current regular and special assessments and fees, any assessments levied upon the owner's interest in the common interest development that are unpaid on the date of the statement, and any monetary fines or penalties levied upon the owner's interest and unpaid on the date of the statement. The statement obtained from an authorized representative shall also include true information on late charges, interest, and costs of collection which, as of the date of the statement, are or may be made a lien upon the owner's interest in a common interest development pursuant to Section 1367 or 1367.1. (5) A copy or a summary of any notice previously sent to the owner pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1363 that sets forth any alleged violation of the governing documents that remains unresolved at the time of the request. The notice shall not be deemed a waiver of the association's right to enforce the governing documents against the owner or the prospective purchaser of the separate interest with respect to any violation. This paragraph shall not be construed to require an association to inspect an owner's separate interest. (6) A copy of the preliminary list of defects provided to each member of the association pursuant to Section 1375, unless the association and the builder subsequently enter into a settlement agreement or otherwise resolve the matter and the association complies with Section 1375.1. Disclosure of the preliminary list of defects pursuant to this paragraph does not waive any privilege attached to the document. The preliminary list of defects shall also include a statement that a final determination as to whether the list of defects is accurate and complete has not been made. (7) A copy of the latest information provided for in Section 1375.1. (8) Any change in the association's current regular and special assessments and fees which have been approved by the association's board of directors, but have not become due and payable as of the date disclosure is provided pursuant to this subdivision. (9) A copy of the most recent 12 months of minutes of the regular meetings of the association's board of directors that were approved by the association's board of directors. (b) (1) Upon written request, the association shall, within 10 days of the mailing or delivery of the request, provide the owner of a separate interest, or any other recipient authorized by the owner, with a copy of the requested documents specified in paragraphs (1) to (9), inclusive, of subdivision (a). Upon receipt of a written request, the association shall provide a written or electronic estimate of the fees that will be assessed for providing the requested documents. The documents required to be made available pursuant to this section may be maintained in electronic form, and may be posted on the association's Internet Web site. Requesting parties shall have the option of receiving the documents by electronic transmission if the association maintains the documents in electronic form. The association may collect a reasonable fee for the procurement, preparation, reproduction, and delivery of the documents requested pursuant to the provisions of this section. (2) No additional fees may be charged by the association for the electronic delivery of the documents requested. (3) Fees for any documents required by this section shall be distinguished from other fees, fines, or assessments billed as part of the transfer or sales transaction. Delivery of the documents required by this section shall not be conditioned upon, or required to be combined with, any other documents, items, or services. (4) An association may contract with any person or entity to facilitate compliance with the requirements of this subdivision on behalf of the association, subject to the same standards required of the association. (5) The association shall also provide a recipient authorized by the owner of a separate interest with a copy of the completed form specified in Section 1368.2 at the time the required documents are delivered. (c) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), neither an association nor a community service organization or similar entity may impose or collect any assessment, penalty, or fee in connection with a transfer of title or any other interest except for the following: (A) An amount not to exceed the association's actual costs to change its records. (B) An amount authorized by subdivision (b). (2) The prohibition in paragraph (1) does not apply to a community service organization or similar entity, or to a nonprofit entity that provides services to a common interest development under a declaration of trust, that is described in subparagraph (A) or (B): (A) The community service organization or similar entity satisfies both of the following requirements: (i) The community service organization or similar entity was established prior to February 20, 2003. (ii) The community service organization or similar entity exists and operates, in whole or in part, to fund or perform environmental mitigation or to restore or maintain wetlands or native habitat, as required by the state or local government as an express written condition of development. (B) The community service organization or similar entity, or a nonprofit entity that provides services to a common interest development under a declaration of trust, satisfies all of the following requirements: (i) The organization or entity is not an organization or entity described in subparagraph (A). (ii) The organization or entity was established and received a transfer fee prior to January 1, 2004. (iii) On and after January 1, 2006, the organization or entity offers a purchaser the following payment options for the fee or charge it collects at time of transfer: (I) Paying the fee or charge at the time of transfer. (II) Paying the fee or charge pursuant to an installment payment plan for a period of not less than seven years. If the purchaser elects to pay the fee or charge in installment payments, the organization or entity may also collect additional amounts that do not exceed the actual costs for billing and financing on the amount owed. If the purchaser sells the separate interest before the end of the installment payment plan period, he or she shall pay the remaining balance prior to transfer. (3) For the purposes of this subdivision, a "community service organization or similar entity" means a nonprofit entity, other than an association, that is organized to provide services to residents of the common interest development or to the public in addition to the residents, to the extent community common areas or facilities are available to the public. A "community service organization or similar entity" does not include an entity that has been organized solely to raise moneys and contribute to other nonprofit organizations that are qualified as tax exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and that provide housing or housing assistance. (d) Any person or entity who willfully violates this section is liable to the purchaser of a separate interest that is subject to this section for actual damages occasioned thereby and, in addition, shall pay a civil penalty in an amount not to exceed five hundred dollars ($500). In an action to enforce this liability, the prevailing party shall be awarded reasonable attorneys' fees. (e) Nothing in this section affects the validity of title to real property transferred in violation of this section. (f) In addition to the requirements of this section, an owner transferring title to a separate interest shall comply with applicable requirements of Sections 1133 and 1134. (g) For the purposes of this section, a person who acts as a community association manager is an agent, as defined in Section 2297, of the association. SEC. 2. Section 1368.2 is added to the Civil Code, to read: 1368.2. The form for billing disclosures required by Section 1368 shall be in substantially the following form: CHARGES FOR DOCUMENTS PROVIDED AS REQUIRED BY SECTION 1368 *Property Address __________________________________ Owner of Property _________________________________ Owner's Mailing Address ______________________ (If known or different _______________________ from property address.) Provider of the Section 1368 Items: _________________________________________________ Print Name Position or Title Association or Agent ___________________ Date Form Completed Check or Complete Applicable Column or Columns Below Not Available Document Civil Code Included (N/A) or Fees Section Not Applicable (N/App) Articles of Incorporation Section or statement 1368(a)(1) ________ __________ ____ that not incorporated CC&Rs Section ________ __________ ____ 1368(a)(1) Bylaws Section ________ __________ ____ 1368(a)(1) Operating Section ________ __________ ____ Rules 1368(a)(1) Age Section restrictions, 1368(a)(2) ________ __________ ____ if any Pro forma operating Sections budget or 1365 and ________ __________ ____ summary, 1368(a)(3) including reserve study Assessment and reserve Sections funding 1365 and ________ __________ ____ disclosure 1368(a)(4) summary Financial Sections statement 1365 and ________ __________ ____ review 1368(a)(3) Assessment Sections enforcement 1365 and ________ __________ ____ policy 1368(a)(4) Insurance Sections summary 1365 and ________ __________ ____ 1368(a)(3) Regular Section ________ __________ ____ assessment 1368(a)(4) Special Section ________ __________ ____ assessment 1368(a)(4) Emergency Section ________ __________ ____ assessment 1368(a)(4) Other unpaid Sections obligations 1367.1 and ________ __________ ____ of seller 1368(a)(4) Approved Section changes to 1365 and ________ __________ ____ assessments 1368(a)(4), (8) Settlement Sections notice 1368(a)(6), regarding (7) and ________ __________ ____ common area 1375.1 defects Preliminary Sections list of 1368(a)(6), ________ __________ ____ defects 1375, and 1375.1 Notice(s) of Sections violation 1363 and ________ __________ ____ 1368(a)(5) Required Section statement of 1368 ________ __________ ____ fees Most recent Section 12 months of 1368(a)(9) ________ __________ ____ minutes Total fees for these ________ documents: * The information provided by this form may not include all fees that may be imposed before the close of escrow. Additional fees that are not related to the requirements of Section 1368 may be charged separately.