SF 1455

1st Engrossment - 90th Legislature (2017 - 2018) Posted on 05/11/2018 03:54pm

A bill for an act
relating to real property; amending the Minnesota Common Interest Ownership
Act to provide for construction defect claims; amending Minnesota Statutes 2016,
sections 515B.1-103; 515B.3-102; 515B.3-107; 515B.4-1021; 515B.4-113;
515B.4-116.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 515B.1-103, is amended to read:

515B.1-103 DEFINITIONS.

In the declaration and bylaws, unless specifically provided otherwise or the context
otherwise requires, and in this chapter:

(1) "Additional real estate" means real estate that may be added to a flexible common
interest community.

(2) "Affiliate of a declarant" means any person who controls, is controlled by, or is under
common control with a declarant.

(A) A person "controls" a declarant if the person (i) is a general partner, officer, director,
or employer of the declarant, (ii) directly or indirectly or acting in concert with one or more
other persons, or through one or more subsidiaries, owns, controls, holds with power to
vote, or holds proxies representing, more than 20 percent of the voting interest in the
declarant, (iii) controls in any manner the election of a majority of the directors of the
declarant, or (iv) has contributed more than 20 percent of the capital of the declarant.

(B) A person "is controlled by" a declarant if the declarant (i) is a general partner, officer,
director, or employer of the person, (ii) directly or indirectly or acting in concert with one
or more other persons, or through one or more subsidiaries, owns, controls, holds with
power to vote, or holds proxies representing, more than 20 percent of the voting interest in
the person, (iii) controls in any manner the election of a majority of the directors of the
person, or (iv) has contributed more than 20 percent of the capital of the person.

(C) Control does not exist if the powers described in this subsection are held solely as
a security interest and have not been exercised.

(3) "Allocated interests" means the following interests allocated to each unit: (i) in a
condominium, the undivided interest in the common elements, the common expense liability,
and votes in the association; (ii) in a cooperative, the common expense liability and the
ownership interest and votes in the association; and (iii) in a planned community, the common
expense liability and votes in the association.

(4) "Association" means the unit owners' association organized under section 515B.3-101.

(5) "Board" means the body, regardless of name, designated in the articles of
incorporation, bylaws or declaration to act on behalf of the association, or on behalf of a
master association when so identified.

(6) "CIC plat" means a common interest community plat described in section 515B.2-110.

(7) "Common elements" means all portions of the common interest community other
than the units.

(8) "Common expenses" means expenditures made or liabilities incurred by or on behalf
of the association, or master association when so identified, together with any allocations
to reserves.

(9) "Common expense liability" means the liability for common expenses allocated to
each unit pursuant to section 515B.2-108.

(10) "Common interest community" or "CIC" means contiguous or noncontiguous real
estate within Minnesota that is subject to an instrument which obligates persons owning a
separately described parcel of the real estate, or occupying a part of the real estate pursuant
to a proprietary lease, by reason of their ownership or occupancy, to pay for (i) real estate
taxes levied against; (ii) insurance premiums payable with respect to; (iii) maintenance of;
or (iv) construction, maintenance, repair or replacement of improvements located on, one
or more parcels or parts of the real estate other than the parcel or part that the person owns
or occupies. Real estate which satisfies the definition of a common interest community is
a common interest community whether or not it is subject to this chapter. Real estate subject
to a master declaration, regardless of when the master declaration was recorded, shall not
collectively constitute a separate common interest community unless so stated in the master
declaration.

(11) "Condominium" means a common interest community in which (i) portions of the
real estate are designated as units, (ii) the remainder of the real estate is designated for
common ownership solely by the owners of the units, and (iii) undivided interests in the
common elements are vested in the unit owners.

new text begin (11a) "Construction defect claim" means a civil action or an arbitration proceeding based
on any legal theory including, but not limited to, claims under chapter 327A for damages,
indemnity, or contribution brought against a development party to assert a claim,
counterclaim, cross-claim, or third-party claim for damages or loss to, or the loss of use of,
real or personal property caused by a defect in the initial design or construction of an
improvement to real property that is part of a common interest community, including an
improvement that is constructed on additional real estate pursuant to article 2 of this chapter.
"Construction defect claim" does not include claims related to subsequent maintenance,
repairs, alterations, or modifications to, or the addition of, improvements that are part of
the common interest community, and that are contracted for by the association or a unit
owner.
new text end

(12) "Conversion property" means real estate on which is located a building that at any
time within two years before creation of the common interest community was occupied for
residential use wholly or partially by persons other than purchasers and persons who occupy
with the consent of purchasers.

(13) "Cooperative" means a common interest community in which the real estate is
owned by an association, each of whose members is entitled to a proprietary lease by virtue
of the member's ownership interest in the association.

(14) "Dealer" means a person in the business of selling units for the person's own account.

(15) "Declarant" means:

(i) if the common interest community has been created, (A) any person who has executed
a declaration, or a supplemental declaration or amendment to a declaration adding additional
real estate, except secured parties, a spouse holding only an inchoate interest, persons whose
interests in the real estate will not be transferred to unit owners, or, in the case of a leasehold
common interest community, a lessor who possesses no special declarant rights and who
is not an affiliate of a declarant who possesses special declarant rights, or (B) any person
who reserves, or succeeds under section 515B.3-104 to any special declarant rights; or

(ii) any person or persons acting in concert who have offered prior to creation of the
common interest community to transfer their interest in a unit to be created and not previously
transferred.

(16) "Declaration" means any instrument, however denominated, that creates a common
interest community.

new text begin (16a) "Development party" means an architect, contractor, construction manager,
subcontractor, developer, declarant, engineer, or private inspector performing or furnishing
the design, supervision, inspection, construction, coordination, or observation of the
construction of any improvement to real property that is part of a common interest
community, or any of the person's affiliates, officers, directors, shareholders, members, or
employees.
new text end

(17) "Dispose" or "disposition" means a voluntary transfer to a purchaser of any legal
or equitable interest in the common interest community, but the term does not include the
transfer or release of a security interest.

(18) "Flexible common interest community" means a common interest community to
which additional real estate may be added.

(19) "Leasehold common interest community" means a common interest community in
which all or a portion of the real estate is subject to a lease the expiration or termination of
which will terminate the common interest community or reduce its size.

(20) "Limited common element" means a portion of the common elements allocated by
the declaration or by operation of section 515B.2-109(c) or (d) for the exclusive use of one
or more but fewer than all of the units.

(21) "Master association" means an entity created on or after June 1, 1994, that directly
or indirectly exercises any of the powers set forth in section 515B.3-102 on behalf of one
or more members described in section 515B.2-121(b), (i), (ii) or (iii), whether or not it also
exercises those powers on behalf of one or more property owners' associations described
in section 515B.2-121(b)(iv). A person (i) hired by an association to perform maintenance,
repair, accounting, bookkeeping or management services, or (ii) granted authority under an
instrument recorded primarily for the purpose of creating rights or obligations with respect
to utilities, access, drainage, or recreational amenities, is not, solely by reason of that
relationship, a master association.

(22) "Master declaration" means a written instrument, however named, (i) recorded on
or after June 1, 1994, and (ii) complying with section 515B.2-121, subsection (e).

(23) "Master developer" means a person who is designated in the master declaration as
a master developer or, in the absence of such a designation, the owner or owners of the real
estate subject to the master declaration at the time the master declaration is recorded, except
(i) secured parties and (ii) a spouse holding only an inchoate interest. A master developer
is not a declarant unless the master declaration states that the real estate subject to the master
declaration collectively is or collectively will be a separate common interest community.

(24) "Period of declarant control" means the time period provided for in section
515B.3-103(c) during which the declarant may appoint and remove officers and directors
of the association.

(25) "Person" means an individual, corporation, limited liability company, partnership,
trustee under a trust, personal representative, guardian, conservator, government,
governmental subdivision or agency, or other legal or commercial entity capable of holding
title to real estate.

(26) "Planned community" means a common interest community that is not a
condominium or a cooperative. A condominium or cooperative may be a part of a planned
community.

(27) "Proprietary lease" means an agreement with a cooperative association whereby a
member of the association is entitled to exclusive possession of a unit in the cooperative.

(28) "Purchaser" means a person, other than a declarant, who by means of a voluntary
transfer acquires a legal or equitable interest in a unit other than (i) a leasehold interest of
less than 20 years, including renewal options, or (ii) a security interest.

(29) "Real estate" means any fee simple, leasehold or other estate or interest in, over,
or under land, including structures, fixtures, and other improvements and interests that by
custom, usage, or law pass with a conveyance of land though not described in the contract
of sale or instrument of conveyance. "Real estate" may include spaces with or without upper
or lower boundaries, or spaces without physical boundaries.

(30) "Residential use" means use as a dwelling, whether primary, secondary or seasonal,
but not transient use such as hotels or motels.

(31) "Secured party" means the person owning a security interest as defined in paragraph
(32).

(32) "Security interest" means a perfected interest in real estate or personal property,
created by contract or conveyance, which secures payment or performance of an obligation.
The term includes a mortgagee's interest in a mortgage, a vendor's interest in a contract for
deed, a lessor's interest in a lease intended as security, a holder's interest in a sheriff's
certificate of sale during the period of redemption, an assignee's interest in an assignment
of leases or rents intended as security, in a cooperative, a lender's interest in a member's
ownership interest in the association, a pledgee's interest in the pledge of an ownership
interest, or any other interest intended as security for an obligation under a written agreement.

(33a) This definition of special declarant rights applies only to common interest
communities created before August 1, 2010. "Special declarant rights" means rights reserved
in the declaration for the benefit of a declarant to:

(i) complete improvements indicated on the CIC plat, planned by the declarant consistent
with the disclosure statement or authorized by the municipality in which the CIC is located;

(ii) add additional real estate to a common interest community;

(iii) subdivide or combine units, or convert units into common elements, limited common
elements, or units;

(iv) maintain sales offices, management offices, signs advertising the common interest
community, and models;

(v) use easements through the common elements for the purpose of making improvements
within the common interest community or any additional real estate;

(vi) create a master association and provide for the exercise of authority by the master
association over the common interest community or its unit owners;

(vii) merge or consolidate a common interest community with another common interest
community of the same form of ownership; or

(viii) appoint or remove any officer or director of the association, or the master association
where applicable, during any period of declarant control.

(33b) This definition of special declarant rights applies only to common interest
communities created on or after August 1, 2010. "Special declarant rights" means rights
reserved in the declaration for the benefit of a declarant and expressly identified in the
declaration as special declarant rights. Such special declarant rights may include but are not
limited to the following:

(i) to complete improvements indicated on the CIC plat, planned by the declarant
consistent with the disclosure statement or authorized by the municipality in which the
common interest community is located, and to have and use easements for itself and its
employees, agents, and contractors through the common elements for such purposes;

(ii) to add additional real estate to a common interest community;

(iii) to subdivide or combine units, or convert units into common elements, limited
common elements and/or units, pursuant to section 515B.2-112;

(iv) to maintain and use sales offices, management offices, signs advertising the common
interest community, and models, and to have and use easements for itself and its employees,
agents, and invitees through the common elements for such purposes;

(v) to appoint or remove any officer or director of the association during any period of
declarant control;

(vi) to utilize an alternate common expense plan as provided in section 515B.3-115(a)(2);

(vii) to grant common element licenses as provided in section 515B.2-109(e); or

(viii) to review, and approve or disapprove, the exterior design, materials, size, site
location, and other exterior features of buildings and other structures, landscaping and other
exterior improvements, located within the common interest community, and any
modifications or alterations thereto.

Special declarant rights shall not be reserved or utilized for the purpose of evading any
limitation or obligation imposed on declarants by this chapter.

(34) "Time share" means a right to occupy a unit or any of several units during three or
more separate time periods over a period of at least three years, including renewal options,
whether or not coupled with a fee title interest in the common interest community or a
specified portion thereof.

(35) "Unit" means a portion of a common interest community the boundaries of which
are described in the common interest community's declaration and which is intended for
separate ownership, or separate occupancy pursuant to a proprietary lease.

(36) "Unit identifier" means English letters or Arabic numerals, or a combination thereof,
which identify only one unit in a common interest community and which meet the
requirements of section 515B.2-104.

(37) "Unit owner" means a declarant or other person who owns a unit, a lessee under a
proprietary lease, or a lessee of a unit in a leasehold common interest community whose
lease expires simultaneously with any lease the expiration or termination of which will
remove the unit from the common interest community, but does not include a secured party.
In a common interest community, the declarant is the unit owner of a unit until that unit has
been conveyed to another person.

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 515B.3-102, is amended to read:

515B.3-102 POWERS OF UNIT OWNERS' ASSOCIATION.

(a) Except as provided in subsections (b) deleted text begin and deleted text end new text begin , new text end (c), new text begin (d), and (e), new text end and subject to the
provisions of the declaration or bylaws, the association shall have the power to:

(1) adopt, amend and revoke rules and regulations not inconsistent with the articles of
incorporation, bylaws and declaration, as follows: (i) regulating the use of the common
elements; (ii) regulating the use of the units, and conduct of unit occupants, which may
jeopardize the health, safety or welfare of other occupants, which involves noise or other
disturbing activity, or which may damage the common elements or other units; (iii) regulating
or prohibiting animals; (iv) regulating changes in the appearance of the common elements
and conduct which may damage the common interest community; (v) regulating the exterior
appearance of the common interest community, including, for example, balconies and patios,
window treatments, and signs and other displays, regardless of whether inside a unit; (vi)
implementing the articles of incorporation, declaration and bylaws, and exercising the
powers granted by this section; and (vii) otherwise facilitating the operation of the common
interest community;

(2) adopt and amend budgets for revenues, expenditures and reserves, and levy and
collect assessments for common expenses from unit owners;

(3) hire and discharge managing agents and other employees, agents, and independent
contractors;

(4) institute, defend, or intervene in litigation or administrative proceedings (i) in its
own name on behalf of itself or two or more unit owners on matters affecting the common
elements or other matters affecting the common interest community or, (ii) with the consent
of the owners of the affected units on matters affecting only those units;

(5) make contracts and incur liabilities;

(6) regulate the use, maintenance, repair, replacement, and modification of the common
elements and the units;

(7) cause improvements to be made as a part of the common elements, and, in the case
of a cooperative, the units;

(8) acquire, hold, encumber, and convey in its own name any right, title, or interest to
real estate or personal property, but (i) common elements in a condominium or planned
community may be conveyed or subjected to a security interest only pursuant to section
515B.3-112, or (ii) part of a cooperative may be conveyed, or all or part of a cooperative
may be subjected to a security interest, only pursuant to section 515B.3-112;

(9) grant or amend easements for public utilities, public rights-of-way or other public
purposes, and cable television or other communications, through, over or under the common
elements; grant or amend easements, leases, or licenses to unit owners for purposes authorized
by the declaration; and, subject to approval by a vote of unit owners other than declarant
or its affiliates, grant or amend other easements, leases, and licenses through, over or under
the common elements;

(10) impose and receive any payments, fees, or charges for the use, rental, or operation
of the common elements, other than limited common elements, and for services provided
to unit owners;

(11) impose interest and late charges for late payment of assessments and, after notice
and an opportunity to be heard before the board or a committee appointed by it, levy
reasonable fines for violations of the declaration, bylaws, and rules and regulations of the
association;

(12) impose reasonable charges for the review, preparation and recordation of
amendments to the declaration, resale certificates required by section 515B.4-107, statements
of unpaid assessments, or furnishing copies of association records;

(13) provide for the indemnification of its officers and directors, and maintain directors'
and officers' liability insurance;

(14) provide for reasonable procedures governing the conduct of meetings and election
of directors;

(15) exercise any other powers conferred by law, or by the declaration, articles of
incorporation or bylaws; and

(16) exercise any other powers necessary and proper for the governance and operation
of the association.

(b) Notwithstanding subsection (a) the declaration or bylaws may not impose limitations
on the power of the association to deal with the declarant which are more restrictive than
the limitations imposed on the power of the association to deal with other persons.

(c) Notwithstanding subsection (a), powers exercised under this section must comply
with section 500.215.

new text begin (d) Notwithstanding subsection (a)(4) or any other provision of this chapter, the
association, before instituting litigation or arbitration involving construction defect claims
against a development party, shall:
new text end

new text begin (1) mail or deliver written notice of the anticipated commencement of the action to each
unit owner at the addresses, if any, established for notices to owners in the declaration and,
if the declaration does not state how notices are to be given to owners, to the owner's last
known address. The notice shall specify the nature of the construction defect claims to be
alleged, the relief sought, and the manner in which the association proposes to fund the cost
of pursuing the construction defect claims; and
new text end

new text begin (2) obtain the approval of owners of units to which a majority of the total votes in the
association are allocated, excluding votes allocated to units owned by a declarant or an
affiliate of a declarant. The association may obtain the required approval by a vote of the
members at any annual or special meeting of the members or, if authorized by the statute
under which the association is created and taken in compliance with that statute, by a vote
of the members taken by electronic means or by mailed ballots. The provisions of section
515B.3-110(c) also apply to any vote taken by electronic means or by mailed ballots. Proxies
may not be used in any vote taken pursuant to this paragraph unless the unit owner gives
the proxy after receipt of the notice required by subsection (d)(1) and the proxy expressly
references such notice.
new text end

new text begin (e) The association may intervene in a litigation or arbitration involving a construction
defect claim or assert a construction defect claim as a counterclaim, crossclaim, or third-party
claim before complying with subsections (d)(1) and (d)(2) but the association's complaint
in an intervention, counterclaim, crossclaim, or third-party claim shall be dismissed without
prejudice unless the association has complied with the requirements of subsection (d) within
75 days of the association's commencement of the complaint in an intervention or the
assertion of the counterclaim, crossclaim, or third-party claim.
new text end

Sec. 3.

Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 515B.3-107, is amended to read:

515B.3-107 UPKEEP OF COMMON INTEREST COMMUNITY.

(a) Except to the extent provided by the declaration, this subsection or section
515B.3-113, the association is responsible for the maintenance, repair and replacement of
the common elements, and each unit owner is responsible for the maintenance, repair and
replacement of the unit owner's unit. Damage to the common elements or any unit as a result
of the acts or omissions of a unit owner or the association new text begin , including damage resulting from
the unit owner's or association's lack of maintenance or failure to perform necessary repairs
or replacement, new text end is the responsibility of the deleted text begin person deleted text end new text begin unit owner or association responsible for
new text end causing the damage, or whose agents or invitees caused the damage.

new text begin (b) The association's board of directors shall prepare and approve a written preventative
maintenance plan, maintenance schedule, and maintenance budget for the common elements.
The association shall follow the approved preventative maintenance plan. The association's
board may amend, modify, or replace an approved preventative maintenance plan or an
approved maintenance schedule from time to time. The association must provide all unit
owners with a paper copy, electronic copy, or electronic access to the preventative
maintenance plan, the maintenance schedule, and any amendments or modifications to or
replacements of the preventative maintenance plan and the maintenance schedule. If a
common interest community was created on or before August 1, 2017, the association's
board of directors shall have until January 1, 2019, to comply with the requirements of this
subsection.
new text end

deleted text begin (b) deleted text end new text begin (c) new text end The association shall have access through and into each unit for purposes of
performing maintenance, repair or replacement for which the association may be responsible.
The association and any public safety personnel shall also have access for purposes of
abating or correcting any condition in the unit which violates any governmental law,
ordinance or regulation, which may cause material damage to or jeopardize the safety of
the common interest community, or which may constitute a health or safety hazard for
occupants of units.

deleted text begin (c) deleted text end new text begin (d) new text end Neither the association, nor any unit owner other than the declarant or its affiliates,
is subject to a claim for payment of expenses incurred in connection with any additional
real estate.

Sec. 4.

Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 515B.4-1021, is amended to read:

515B.4-1021 DISCLOSURE STATEMENT; GENERAL PROVISIONS; CIC
CREATED ON OR AFTER AUGUST 1, 2010.

(a) A disclosure statement shall fully and accurately disclose:

(1) the name and, if available, the number of the common interest community;

(2) the name and principal address of each declarant holding any special declarant rights;
a description of the special declarant rights held by each declarant; a description of the units
or additional real estate to which the respective special declarant rights apply; and a copy
of any recorded transfer of special declarant rights pursuant to section 515B.3-104(a), or
any instrument recorded pursuant to section 515B.3-104(b), (g), or (h);

(3) the total number of units which all declarants have the right to include in the common
interest community and a statement that the common interest community is either a
condominium, cooperative, or planned community;

(4) a general description of the common interest community, including, at a minimum,
(i) the number of buildings, (ii) the number of dwellings per building, (iii) the type of
construction, (iv) whether the common interest community involves new construction or
rehabilitation, (v) whether any building was wholly or partially occupied, for any purpose,
before it was added to the common interest community, and the nature of the occupancy,
(vi) a general description of any roads, trails, or utilities that are located on the common
elements and that the association or master association will be required to maintain, deleted text begin and deleted text end
(vii) a description of any declarant licensing rights under section 515B.2-109(e) new text begin , and (viii)
the initial maintenance plan, initial maintenance schedule, and maintenance budget under
section 515B.3-107(b) new text end ;

(5) declarant's schedule of commencement and completion of construction of any
buildings and other improvements that the declarant is obligated to build pursuant to section
515B.4-117;

(6) any expenses or services, not reflected in the budget, that the declarant pays or
provides, which may become a common expense; the projected common expense attributable
to each of those expenses or services; a description of any alternate common expense plan
under section 515B.3-115(a)(2)(i); and, if the declaration provides for an alternate common
expense plan, either (i) a statement that the alternate common expense plan will have no
effect on the level of services or amenities anticipated by the association's budget or disclosed
in the disclosure statement, or (ii) a statement describing how the services or amenities may
be affected;

(7) any initial or special fee due from the purchaser to the declarant or the association
at closing, together with a description of the purpose and method of calculating the fee;

(8) identification of any liens, defects, or encumbrances which will continue to affect
the title to a unit or to any real property owned by the association after the contemplated
conveyance;

(9) a description of any financing offered or arranged by the declarant;

(10) a statement as to whether application has been made for any project approvals for
the common interest community from the Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA),
Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLMC), Department of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD), or Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and which, if any, such
final approvals have been received;

(11) the terms of any warranties provided by the declarant, including copies of sections
515B.4-112 to 515B.4-115, and any other applicable statutory warranties, and a statement
of any limitations on the enforcement of the applicable warranties or on damages;

(12) a statement that:

(i) within ten days after the receipt of a disclosure statement, a purchaser may cancel
any contract for the purchase of a unit from a declarant; provided, that the right to cancel
terminates upon the purchaser's voluntary acceptance of a conveyance of the unit from the
declarant or by the purchaser agreeing to modify or waive the right to cancel in the manner
provided by section 515B.4-106(a);

(ii) if a purchaser receives a disclosure statement more than ten days before signing a
purchase agreement, the purchaser cannot cancel the purchase agreement; and

(iii) if a declarant obligated to deliver a disclosure statement fails to deliver a disclosure
statement which substantially complies with this chapter to a purchaser to whom a unit is
conveyed, the declarant shall be liable to the purchaser as provided in section 515B.4-106(d);

(13) a statement disclosing to the extent of the declarant's or an affiliate of a declarant's
actual knowledge, after reasonable inquiry, any unsatisfied judgments or lawsuits to which
the association is a party, and the status of those lawsuits which are material to the common
interest community or the unit being purchased;

(14) a statement (i) describing the conditions under which earnest money will be held
in and disbursed from the escrow account, as set forth in section 515B.4-109, (ii) that the
earnest money will be returned to the purchaser if the purchaser cancels the contract pursuant
to section 515B.4-106, and (iii) setting forth the name and address of the escrow agent;

(15) a detailed description of the insurance coverage provided by the association for the
benefit of unit owners, including a statement as to which, if any, of the items referred to in
section 515B.3-113(b), are insured by the association;

(16) any current or expected fees or charges, other than assessments for common
expenses, to be paid by unit owners for the use of the common elements or any other
improvements or facilities;

(17) the financial arrangements, including any contingencies, which have been made to
provide for completion of all improvements that the declarant is obligated to build pursuant
to section 515B.4-118, or a statement that no such arrangements have been made;

(18) in a cooperative:

(i) whether the unit owners will be entitled, for federal and state tax purposes, to deduct
payments made by the association for real estate taxes and interest paid to the holder of a
security interest encumbering the cooperative;

(ii) a statement as to the effect on the unit owners if the association fails to pay real estate
taxes or payments due the holder of a security interest encumbering the cooperative; and

(iii) the principal amount and a general description of the terms of any blanket mortgage,
contract for deed, or other blanket security instrument encumbering the cooperative property;

(19) a statement:

(i) that real estate taxes for the unit or any real property owned by the association are
not delinquent or, if there are delinquent real estate taxes, describing the property for which
the taxes are delinquent, stating the amount of the delinquent taxes, interest, and penalties,
and stating the years for which taxes are delinquent; and

(ii) setting forth the amount of real estate taxes, including the amount of any special
assessment certified for payment with the real estate taxes, due and payable with respect to
the unit in the year in which the disclosure statement is given, if real estate taxes have been
separately assessed against the unit;

(20) if the unit or other parcel of real estate being purchased is or may be subject to a
master declaration at the time of the conveyance from the declarant to the purchaser, a
statement to that effect, and all of the following information with respect to the master
association:

(i) copies of the following documents (which may be in proposed form if the master
declaration has not been recorded): the master declaration, the articles of incorporation,
bylaws, and rules and regulations for the master association, together with any amendments
thereto;

(ii) the name and address of the master developer, and the name, address, and general
description of the master association, including a general description of any other association,
unit owners, or other persons which are or may become members;

(iii) a description of any nonresidential use permitted on any property subject to the
master declaration;

(iv) a statement as to the estimated maximum number of associations, unit owners, or
other persons which may become members of the master association, and a description of
any period of control of the master association and rights to appoint master association
directors by a master developer or other person pursuant to section 515B.2-121(c);

(v) a description of any facilities intended for the benefit of the members of the master
association and not located on property owned or controlled by a member of the master
association;

(vi) the financial arrangements, including any contingencies, which have been made to
provide for completion of the facilities referred to in subsection (v), or a statement that no
arrangements have been made;

(vii) any current balance sheet of the master association and a projected or current annual
budget, as applicable, which budget shall include with respect to the master association
those items in paragraph (23), clauses (i) through (iii), and the projected monthly or other
periodic common expense assessment payment for each type of unit, lot, or other parcel of
real estate which is or is planned to be subject to assessment;

(viii) a description of any expenses or services not reflected in the budget, paid for or
provided by a master developer or another person executing the master declaration, which
may become an expense of the master association in the future;

(ix) a description of any powers delegated to and accepted by the master association
pursuant to section 515B.2-121(e)(2);

(x) identification of any liens, defects, or encumbrances that will continue to affect title
to property owned or operated by the master association for the benefit of its members;

(xi) the terms of any warranties provided by any person for construction of facilities in
which the members of the master association have or may have an interest, and any known
defects in the facilities which would violate the standards described in section
515B.4-113(b)(2);

(xii) a statement disclosing, after inquiry of the master association, any unsatisfied
judgments or lawsuits to which the master association is a party, and the status of those
lawsuits which are material to the master association;

(xiii) a description of any insurance coverage provided for the benefit of its members
by the master association; and

(xiv) any current or expected fees or charges, other than assessments by the master
association, to be paid by members of the master association for the use of any facilities
intended for the benefit of the members;

(21) a statement as to whether the unit will be substantially completed at the time of
conveyance to a purchaser, and, if not substantially completed, who is responsible to complete
and pay for the construction of the unit;

(22) copies of the following documents (which may be in proposed form if the declaration
has not been recorded): the declaration and any supplemental declaration, and any
amendments thereto (exclusive of the CIC plat); any other recorded covenants, conditions,
restrictions, and reservations affecting the common interest community; the articles of
incorporation, bylaws, and any rules or regulations of the association; the names of the
current members of the association's board of directors; any agreement excluding or
modifying any implied warranties; any agreement reducing the statute of limitations for the
enforcement of warranties; any contracts or leases to be signed by the purchaser at closing;
and a description of any material contracts, leases, or other agreements affecting the common
interest community; and

(23) a balance sheet for the association, following the creation of the association, current
within 90 days; a projected annual budget for the association; and a statement identifying
the party responsible for the preparation of the budget. The budget shall assume that all
units intended to be included in the common interest community, based upon the declarant's
good faith estimate, have been subjected to the declaration; provided, that additional budget
portrayals based upon a lesser number of units are permitted. The budget shall include,
without limitation:

(i) a statement of the amount included in the budget as a reserve for replacement, the
components of the common interest community for which the reserves are budgeted, and
the amounts of the reserves, if any, that are allocated for the replacement of each of those
components;

(ii) a statement of any other reserves;

(iii) the projected common expense for each category of expenditures for the association;

(iv) the projected monthly common expense assessment for each type of unit; deleted text begin and
deleted text end

(v) a statement as to the components of the common interest community whose
replacement will be funded by assessments under section 515B.3-115(c) or (e), rather than
by replacement reserves as approved pursuant to section 515B.3-114(a). If, based upon the
association's then-current budget, the monthly common expense assessment for the unit at
the time of conveyance to the purchaser is anticipated to exceed the monthly assessment
stated in the budget, a statement to such effect shall be included.

(b) A declarant shall promptly amend the disclosure statement to reflect any material
change in the information required by this chapter.

(c) The master association, within ten days after a request by a declarant, a holder of
declarant rights, or a buyer referred to in section 515B.4-101(e), or the authorized
representative of any of them, shall furnish the information required to be provided by
subsection (a)(20). A declarant or other person who provides information pursuant to
subsection (a)(20), is not liable to the buyer for any erroneous information if the declarant
or other person: (i) is not an affiliate of or related in any way to a person authorized to
appoint the master association board pursuant to section 515B.2-121(c)(3), and (ii) has no
actual knowledge that the information is incorrect.

(d) This section applies only to common interest communities created on or after August
1, 2010.

Sec. 5.

Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 515B.4-113, is amended to read:

515B.4-113 IMPLIED WARRANTIES.

(a) A declarant warrants to a purchaser that a unit will be in at least as good condition
at the earlier of the time of the conveyance or delivery of possession as it was at the time
of contracting, reasonable wear and tear excepted.

(b) A declarant warrants to a purchaser that:

(1) a unit and the common elements in the common interest community are suitable for
the ordinary uses of real estate of its type; and

(2) any improvements subject to use rights by the purchaser, made or contracted for by
the declarant, or made by any person in contemplation of the creation of the common interest
community, will be (i) free from defective materials and (ii) constructed in accordance with
applicable law, according to sound engineering and construction standards, and in a
workmanlike manner.

(c) In addition, a declarant warrants to a purchaser of a unit which under the declaration
is available for residential use that the residential use will not violate applicable law at the
earlier of the time of conveyance or delivery of possession.

(d) Warranties imposed by this section may be excluded or modified only as specified
in section 515B.4-114.

(e) For purposes of this section, improvements made or contracted for by an affiliate of
a declarant are made or contracted for by the declarant.

(f) Any conveyance of a unit transfers to the purchaser all implied warranties.

(g) This section does not in any manner abrogate the provisions of chapter 327A relating
to statutory warranties for housing, or affect any other cause of action under a statute or the
common law.

new text begin (h) A development party shall not have liability under this section for loss or damage
caused by the failure of the association or a unit owner to comply with obligations imposed
by section 515B.3-107, unless the loss or damage is caused by failure to comply with section
515B.3-107 while the declarant controlled the board.
new text end

Sec. 6.

Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 515B.4-116, is amended to read:

515B.4-116 RIGHTS OF ACTION; ATTORNEY'S FEES.

(a) In addition to any other rights to recover damages, attorney's fees, costs or expenses,
whether authorized by this chapter or otherwise, if a declarant, an association, or any other
person violates any provision of this chapter, or any provision of the declaration, bylaws,
or rules and regulations any person or class of persons adversely affected by the failure to
comply has a claim for appropriate relief. new text begin Subject to the requirements of section 515B.3-102,
new text end the association shall have standing to pursue claims on behalf of the unit owners of two or
more units.

(b) The court may award reasonable attorney's fees and costs of litigation to the prevailing
party. Punitive damages may be awarded for a willful failure to comply.

new text begin (c) As a condition precedent to any construction defect claim, the parties to the claim
must submit the matter to mediation before a mutually agreeable neutral third party. If the
parties are not able to agree on a neutral third-party mediator, the parties may petition the
district court in the jurisdiction in which the common interest community is located to
appoint a mediator. The applicable statute of limitations and statute of repose for an action
based on breach of a warranty imposed by this section, or any other action in contract, tort,
or other law for any injury to real or personal property or bodily injury or wrongful death
arising out of the alleged construction defect, is tolled from the date that any party makes
a written demand for mediation under this section until the latest of the following:
new text end

new text begin (1) five business days after mediation is completed; or
new text end

new text begin (2) 180 days.
new text end

new text begin Notwithstanding the foregoing, mediation shall not be required prior to commencement
of a construction defect claim if the parties have completed home warranty dispute resolution
under section 327A.051.
new text end

deleted text begin (c) deleted text end new text begin (d) new text end The remedies provided for under this chapter are not exclusive and do not abrogate
any remedies under other statutes or the common law, notwithstanding whether those
remedies are referred to in this chapter.

Sec. 7. new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE.
new text end

new text begin Except as otherwise provided in section 3, this act is effective August 1, 2017, and
applies to construction defect claims commenced on or after that date.
new text end