Rhode Island HB 7864: AN ACT RELATING TO PROPERTY -- CONDOMINIUM LAW

Bill Text

2024 -- H 7864
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LC005614
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S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2024
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A N A C T
RELATING TO PROPERTY -- CONDOMINIUM LAW
Introduced By: Representative Patricia A. Serpa
Date Introduced: March 04, 2024
Referred To: House Corporations

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
SECTION 1. Sections 34-36.1-1.02 and 34-36.1-2.19 of the General Laws in Chapter 34-1
36.1 entitled "Condominium Law" are hereby amended to read as follows: 2
34-36.1-1.02. Applicability. 3
(a)(1) This chapter applies to all condominiums created within this state after July 1, 1982, 4
except that any condominium created within this state prior to July 1, 1982, may voluntarily accept 5
the provisions of this chapter in lieu of the provisions under which it was originally organized. 6
Acceptance shall be evidenced by an agreement in writing executed by and in behalf of the 7
condominium association and by all of the owners of all of the individual condominium units within 8
the condominium, in which agreement it is clearly stated that they all accept the provisions of this 9
chapter in lieu of those in the statute under which the condominium was organized and wish to be 10
governed in the future by the provisions of this chapter. The agreement shall be recorded in the 11
land evidence records of each and every town or city where all or any part of the land in the 12
condominium concerned may be located and shall become effective when first so recorded. The 13
acceptance shall only apply to the governance of the condominium concerned as to all matters 14
which are prospective or executory in nature; and nothing herein shall be deemed to abrogate, 15
amend, limit, effect, or impair the continued effectiveness, legality, or validity of all actions 16
lawfully taken by or in behalf of the condominium prior to the effective date of the acceptance, 17
including, but without limitation, the condominium declaration and all amendments thereto, the by-18
laws of the condominium and/or of its association, all deeds, mortgages, leases and any further 19

LC005614 - Page 2 of 4
documents affecting the titles or rights of unit owners, or of the condominium or the prior lawful 1
acts or deeds of any kind, of the condominium association, its officers, directors, or members. 2
(2) Sections 34-36.1-1.05 (separate titles and taxation), 34-36.1-1.06 (applicability of local 3
ordinances, regulations, and building codes), 34-36.1-1.07 (eminent domain), 34-36.1-2.03 4
(construction and validity of declaration and bylaws), 34-36.1-2.04 (description of units), 34-36.1-5
2.19 (rights of secured lenders), 34-36.1-3.02(a)(1) — (6) and (11) — (17) (powers of unit owners’ 6
association), 34-36.1-3.11 (tort and contract liability), 34-36.1-3.16 (lien for assessments), 34-36.1-7
3.18 (association records), 34-36.1-4.09 (resale of units), and 34-36.1-4.17 (effect of violation on 8
rights of action; attorney’s fees), § 34-36.1-3.20 (enforcement of declaration, bylaws and rules), 9
and 34-36.1-1.03 (definitions), to the extent necessary in construing any of those sections, apply to 10
all condominiums created in this state before July 1, 1982; but those sections apply only with 11
respect to events and circumstances occurring after July 1, 1982 and do not invalidate existing 12
provisions of the declaration, bylaws, plats, or plans of those condominiums. 13
(3) A condominium created as an additional phase by amendment of a condominium 14
created prior to July 1, 1982, if the original declaration contemplated the amendment, shall be 15
deemed to be a condominium created prior to July 1, 1982; provided, however, the provisions of 16
subdivision (a)(2) shall apply as defined therein. 17
(4) Section 34-36.1-3.21 (foreclosure of condominium lien) applies, with respect to all 18
condominiums created in this state prior to June 19, 1991, only with respect to events and 19
circumstances occurring after June 18, 1991, does not invalidate existing provisions of the 20
declarations, bylaws, plats, or plans of those condominiums, and applies in all respects to all 21
condominiums created in this state after June 18, 1991. 22
(b) The provisions of the Condominium Ownership Act, chapter 36 of this title, do not 23
apply to condominiums created after July 1, 1982 and do not invalidate any amendment to the 24
declaration, bylaws, plats, and plans of any condominium created before July 1, 1982 if the 25
amendment would be permitted by this chapter. The amendment must be adopted in conformity 26
with the procedures and requirements specified by those instruments and by chapter 36 of this title. 27
If the amendment grants to any person any rights, powers, or privileges permitted by this chapter, 28
all correlative obligations, liabilities, and restrictions in this chapter also apply to that person. 29
(c) This chapter does not apply to condominiums or units located outside this state, but the 30
public offering state