SECTION 55-509.6. Fees for disclosure packet; professionally managed associations  

A. A professionally managed association or its common interest community manager may charge certain fees as authorized by this section for the inspection of the property, the preparation and issuance of the disclosure packet required by § 55-509.5 , and for such other services as set out in this section. The seller or the seller's authorized agent shall specify in writing whether the disclosure packet shall be delivered electronically or in hard copy, at the option of the seller or the seller's authorized agent, and shall specify the complete contact information for the parties to whom the disclosure packet shall be delivered.

B. A reasonable fee may be charged by the preparer as follows for:

1. The inspection of the exterior of the dwelling unit and the lot, as authorized in the declaration and as required to prepare the association disclosure packet, a fee not to exceed $100;

2. The preparation and delivery of the disclosure packet in (i) paper format, a fee not to exceed $150 for no more than two hard copies or (ii) electronic format, a fee not to exceed a total of $125 for an electronic copy to each of the following named in the request: the seller, the seller's authorized agent, the purchaser, the purchaser's authorized agent, and not more than one other person designated by the requester. The preparer of the disclosure packet shall provide the disclosure packet directly to the designated persons. Only one fee shall be charged for the preparation and delivery of the disclosure packet;

3. At the option of the seller or the seller's authorized agent, with the consent of the association or the common interest community manager, expediting the inspection, preparation and delivery of the disclosure packet, an additional expedite fee not to exceed $50;

4. At the option of the seller or the seller's authorized agent, an additional hard copy of the disclosure packet, a fee not to exceed $25 per hard copy;

5. At the option of the seller or the seller's authorized agent, a fee not to exceed an amount equal to the actual cost paid to a third-party commercial delivery service for hand delivery or overnight delivery of the association disclosure packet; and

6. A post-closing fee to the purchaser of the property, collected at settlement, for the purpose of establishing the purchaser as the owner of the property in the records of the association, a fee not to exceed $50.

Except as otherwise provided in subsection E, neither the association nor its common interest community manager shall require cash, check, certified funds or credit card payments at the time the request for the disclosure packet is made. The disclosure packet shall state that all fees and costs for the disclosure packet shall be the personal obligation of the lot owner and shall be an assessment against the lot and collectible as any other assessment in accordance with the provisions of the declaration and § 55-509.5 , if not paid at settlement or within 60 days of the delivery of the disclosure packet, whichever occurs first.

For purposes of this section, an expedite fee shall only be charged if the inspection and preparation of delivery of the disclosure packet are completed within five business days of the request for a disclosure packet.

C. No fees other than those specified in this section, and as limited by this section, shall be charged by the association or its common interest community manager for compliance with the duties and responsibilities of the association under this chapter. No additional fee shall be charged for access to the association's or common interest community manager's website. The association or its common interest community manager shall publish and make available in paper or electronic format, or both, a schedule of the applicable fees so the seller or the seller's authorized agent will know such fees at the time of requesting the packet.

D. Any fees charged pursuant to this section shall be collected at the time of settlement on the sale of the lot and shall be due and payable out of the settlement proceeds in accordance with this section. The settlement agent shall escrow a sum sufficient to pay such costs of the seller at settlement. The seller shall be responsible for all costs associated with the preparation and delivery of the association disclosure packet, except for the costs of any disclosure packet update or financial update, which costs shall be the responsibility of the requester, payable at settlement. Neither the association nor its common interest community manager shall require cash, check, certified funds, or credit card payments at the time of the request is made for the association disclosure packet.

E. If settlement does not occur within 60 days of the delivery of the disclosure packet, or funds are not collected at settlement and disbursed to the association or the common interest community manager, all fees, including those costs that would have otherwise been the responsibility of the purchaser or settlement agent, shall be (i) assessed within one year after delivery of the disclosure packet against the lot owner, (ii) the personal obligation of the lot owner, and (iii) an assessment against the lot and collectible as any other assessment in accordance with the provisions of the declaration and § 55-509.5 . The seller may pay the association by cash, check, certified funds, or credit card, if credit card payment is an option offered by the association. The association shall pay the common interest community manager the amount due from the lot owner within 30 days after invoice.

F. The maximum allowable fees charged in accordance with this section shall adjust every five years, as of January 1 of that year, in an amount equal to the annual increases for that five-year period in the United States Average Consumer Price Index for all items, all urban consumers (CPI-U), as published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor.

G. If an association disclosure packet has been issued for a lot within the preceding 12-month period, a person specified in the written instructions of the seller or the seller's authorized agent, including the seller or the seller's authorized agent, or the purchaser or his authorized agent may request a disclosure packet update. The requester shall specify whether the disclosure packet update shall be delivered electronically or in hard copy, and shall specify the complete contact information of the parties to whom the update shall be delivered. The disclosure packet update shall be delivered within 10 days of the written request.

H. The settlement agent may request a financial update. The requester shall specify whether the financial update shall be delivered electronically or in hard copy, and shall specify the complete contact information of the parties to whom the update shall be delivered. The financial update shall be delivered within three business days of the written request.

I. A reasonable fee for the disclosure packet update or financial update may be charged by the preparer not to exceed $50. At the option of the purchaser or the purchaser's authorized agent, the requester may request that the association or the common interest community manager perform an additional inspection of the exterior of the dwelling unit and the lot, as authorized in the declaration, for a fee not to exceed $100. Any fees charged for the specified update shall be collected at the time settlement occurs on the sale of the property. The settlement agent shall escrow a sum sufficient to pay such costs of the seller at settlement. Neither the association nor its common interest community manager, if any, shall require cash, check, certified funds, or credit card payments at the time the request is made for the disclosure packet update. The requester may request that the specified update be provided in hard copy or in electronic form.

J. No association or common interest community manager may require the requester to request the specified update electronically. The seller or the seller's authorized agent shall continue to have the right to request a hard copy of the specified update in person at the principal place of business of the association. If the requester asks that the specified update be provided in electronic format, neither the association nor its common interest community manager may require the requester to pay any fees to use the provider's electronic network or system. A copy of the specified update shall be provided to the seller or the seller's authorized agent.

K. When an association disclosure packet has been delivered as required by § 55-509.5 , the association shall, as to the purchaser, be bound by the statements set forth therein as to the status of the assessment account and the status of the lot with respect to any violation of the declaration, bylaws, rules and regulations, architectural guidelines and articles of incorporation, if any, of the association as of the date of the statement unless the purchaser had actual knowledge that the contents of the disclosure packet were in error.

L. If the association or its common interest community manager has been requested in writing to furnish the association disclosure packet required by § 55-509.5 , failure to provide the association disclosure packet substantially in the form provided in this section shall be deemed a waiver of any claim for delinquent assessments or of any violation of the declaration, bylaws, rules and regulations, or architectural guidelines existing as of the date of the request with respect to the subject lot. The preparer of the association disclosure packet shall be liable to the seller in an amount equal to the actual damages sustained by the seller in an amount not to exceed $1,000. The purchaser shall nevertheless be obligated to abide by the declaration, bylaws, rules and regulations, and architectural guidelines of the association as to all matters arising after the date of the settlement of the sale.

M. The Common Interest Community Board may assess a monetary penalty for failure to deliver the association disclosure packet within 14 days against any (i) property owners' association pursuant to § 55-509.5 or (ii) common interest community manager pursuant to § 55-509.5 and regulations promulgated thereto, and may issue a cease and desist order pursuant to § 55-509.5 or 55-509.5 , as applicable.

N. No association may collect fees authorized by this section unless the association (i) is registered with the Common Interest Community Board, (ii) is current in filing the most recent annual report with the Common Interest Community Board, (iii) is current in paying the annual payment to the Common Interest Community Board pursuant to § 55-509.5 and any assessment made by the Common Interest Community Board pursuant to § 55-509.5 , and (iv) provides the disclosure packet electronically if so requested by the requester.

2008, cc. 55-509.5 , 55-509.5 ; 2009, c. 55-509.5 ; 2011, cc. 55-509.5 , 55-509.5 , 55-509.5 ; 2014, c. 55-509.5 ; 2015, c. 55-509.5 ; 2016, c. 55-509.5 ; 2017, cc. 55-509.5 , 55-509.5 ; 2018, c. 55-509.5 .