Amendment ID: S1835-15

Amendment 15

Condominium Commission

Mr. Rosenberg moves to amend the amendment by inserting the following new section:-

SECTION ___.  (a) There is hereby established a commission to study chapter 183A of the General Laws, the so-called “Condominium Law,”  consisting of 11 members, including: the secretary of housing and community development or a designee, who shall serve as chair; 2 member appointed by the president of the senate; 1 member appointed by the minority leader of the senate; 2 member appointed by the speaker of the house; 1 member appointed by the minority leader of the house; and 4 members appointed by the governor,  1 of whom shall be a representative of the Community Association Institute, 1 of whom shall have experience in property management or serving on a condominium board,  1 of whom shall have experience in condominium law representing condominium unit owners, and 1 of whom  shall own or have owned a condominium unit.

(b) The commission shall investigate and make recommendations in areas including, but not limited to: (i) the rights and responsibilities of condominium unit owners, associations, boards and management (ii) record keeping, financial audits and document retention; (iii) assessment, division and collection of common expenses; (iv) mandatory and additional by-laws; (v); election of condominium board members and board operations (vi) creation of an oversight entity or enforcement mechanism to resolve unit owner/board disputes.

(c) The commission shall be convened by the chair not later than 90 days after the effective date of this act, whether or not all the members have been appointed, and shall solicit testimony from experts and the general public in the course of their work. The commission shall report to the general court the results of its findings and recommendations, together with drafts of legislation necessary to carry out such recommendations, which shall be filed with the clerks of the senate and house, who shall forward the report to the chairs of the joint committee on housing, not later than January 1, 2015.