Maryland Code § RP-11-126

Section RP-11-126
Open in Lexace · Ask the AI about this section
(a) A contract for the initial sale of a unit to a member of the public is not
enforceable by the vendor unless:
(1) The purchaser is given on or before the time a contract is entered
into between the vendor and the purchaser, a current public offering statement as
amended and registered with the Secretary of State containing all of the information
set forth in subsection (b) of this section; and
(2) The contract of sale contains, in conspicuous type, a notice of:
(i) The purchaser's right to receive a public offering statement
and his rescission rights under this section;
(ii) 1. The warranties provided by § 11-131 of this title;
and
2. Whether the council of unit owners has entered into
any agreement that settles or releases the council of unit owners' claims related to
common element warranties under § 11-131 of this title; and
(iii) A statement as to whether the vendor has actual
knowledge of the presence of asbestos in the condominium, including a description of
the location of the asbestos, whether abatement has been performed, and the date of
any abatement.
(b) The public offering statement required by subsection (a) of this section
shall be sufficient for the purposes of this section if it contains at least the following:
(1) A copy of the proposed contract of sale for the unit;
(2) A copy of the proposed declaration, bylaws, and rules and
regulations;
(3) A copy of the proposed articles of incorporation of the council of
unit owners, if it is to be incorporated;

(4) A copy of any proposed management contract, insurance contract,
employment contract, or other contract affecting the use of, maintenance of, or access
to all or part of the condominium to which it is anticipated the unit owners or the
council of unit owners will be a party, and a statement of the right of the council of
unit owners to terminate contracts entered into during the developer control period
under § 11-133 of this title;
(5) A copy of the actual annual operating budget for the condominium
or, if no actual operating budget exists, a copy of the projected annual operating
budget for the condominium including reasonable details concerning:
(i) The estimated monthly payments by the purchaser for
assessments;
(ii) Monthly charges for the use, rental, or lease of any
facilities not part of the condominium;
(iii) The amount of the reserve fund for repair and replacement
and its intended use; and
(iv) Any initial capital contribution or similar fee, other than
assessments for common expenses, to be paid by unit owners to the council of unit
owners or vendor, and a statement of how the fees will be used;
(6) A plain language statement of the policy and procedures for
collecting assessments and handling collection of delinquencies, including reasonable
details concerning:
(i) The number and percentage of unit owners who are
delinquent or in arrears in an amount equal to or greater than 50% of the annual
assessment of the unit owner;
(ii) The number of unsatisfied liens currently recorded against
unit owners under the Maryland Contract Lien Act;
(iii) The number of unsatisfied judgments obtained against
unit owners for unpaid assessments; and
(iv) The total amount of arrearages among all unit owners;
(7) A copy of any lease to which it is anticipated the unit owners or
the council of unit owners will be a party following closing;

(8) A description of any contemplated expansion of the condominium
with a general description of each stage of expansion and the maximum number of
units that can be added to the condominium;
(9) A copy of the floor plan of the unit or the proposed condominium
plats;
(10) A description of any recreational or other facilities which are to
be used by the unit owners or maintained by them or by the council of unit owners,
and a statement as to whether or not they are to be part of the common elements;
(11) A statement as to whether streets within the condominium are to
be dedicated to public use or maintained by the council of unit owners;
(12) A statement of any judgments against the council of unit owners
and the existence of any pending suits to which the council of unit owners is a party;
(13) In the case of a condominium containing buildings substantially
completed more than 5 years prior to the filing of the application for registration
under § 11-127 of this title, a statement of the physical condition and state of repair
of the major structural, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing components of the
improvements, to the extent reasonably ascertainable, and estimated costs of repairs
for which a present need is disclosed in the statement and a statement of repairs
which the vendor intends to make. The vendor is entitled to rely on the reports of
architects or engineers authorized to practice their profession in this State;
(14) A description of any provision in the declaration or bylaws
limiting or providing for the duration of developer control or requiring the phasing-
in of unit owner participation, or a statement that there is no such provision;
(15) If the condominium is one which will be created by the conversion
of a rental facility, a copy of the notice and materials required by §§ 11-102.1 and 11-
137 of this title;
(16) A statement of whether the unit being purchased is subject to an
extended lease under § 11-137 of this title, or local law, and a copy of any extended
lease;
(17) A written notice of the unit owner's responsibility for the council
of unit owners' property insurance deductible and the amount of the deductible; and
(18) Any other information required by regulation duly adopted and
issued by the Secretary of State.

(c) A person may not advertise or represent that the Secretary of State has
approved or recommended the condominium, the public offering statement, or any of
the documents contained in the application for registration.
(d) (1) Following execution of a contract of sale by a purchaser, the
vendor may not amend any of the material required to be furnished by subsection (a)
of this section without the approval of the purchaser if the amendment would affect
materially the rights of the purchaser.
(2) Approval is not required if the amendment is required by any
governmental authority or public utility, or if the amendment is made as a result of
actions beyond the control of the vendor or in the ordinary course of affairs of the
council of unit owners.
(3) A copy of any amendments shall be delivered promptly to any
purchaser and to the Secretary of State.
(e) (1) Any purchaser may at any time (i) within 15 days following
receipt of all of the information required under subsection (b) of this section or the
signing of the contract, whichever is later; and (ii) within 5 days following receipt of
the information required under subsection (d) of this section, rescind in writing the
contract of sale without stating any reason and without any liability on his part, and
he shall be entitled to the return of any deposits made on account of the contract.
(2) The return of any deposits held in trust by a licensed real estate
broker to a purchaser under this subsection shall comply with the procedures set
forth in § 17-505 of the Business Occupations and Professions Article.
(f) Any vendor who, in disclosing the information required under
subsections (a) and (b) of this section, makes any untrue statement of a material fact,
or omits to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements made, in
the light of circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, shall be
liable to any person purchasing a unit from the vendor for those damages proximately
caused by the vendor's untrue statement or omission. However, an action may not be
maintained to enforce any liability created under this section unless brought within
1 year after the facts constituting the cause of action are or should have been
discovered.
(g) The rights of a purchaser under this section may not be waived in the
contract of sale and any attempted waiver is void. However, if any purchaser proceeds
to closing, his right under this section to rescind is terminated.
(h) This section does not apply to the sale of any unit which is to be occupied
and used for nonresidential purposes.

(i) This section applies to the sale of any unit offered for sale in the State
without regard to the location of the condominium.
(j) The provisions of this section do not apply to a sale of a unit in an action
to foreclose a mortgage or deed of trust.

‹ Prev All Maryland sections Next ›


Lexace provides legal information, not legal advice, and no attorney–client relationship is created. Statute text is provided for general information and may not reflect the most recent amendments; verify against the official state code.