§ 81-315 Assessments for common expenses.

25 DE Code § 81-315 (2019) (N/A)
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(a) (1) Until the association is validly established pursuant to this chapter and makes a common expense assessment, the declarant shall pay all common expenses together, in the case of a condominium or cooperative, with all sums necessary to fully fund the repair and replacement reserve until the association makes its first assessment.

(2) After an assessment has been made by the association, assessments must be made at least annually, based on a budget adopted at least annually by the association. In the case of a condominium or cooperative, the budget shall include as a line item a payment into the repair and replacement reserve sufficient to achieve the level of funding noted in the reserve study, or maintain said reserve at such level. The minimum percentage of the annual budget of a condominium or cooperative that must be assigned to the repair and replacement reserve will depend upon how many of the following components and systems are to be maintained, repaired and replaced by the executive board:

(b) Except for assessments under subsections (c), (d), and (e) of this section, all common expenses must be assessed against all the units in accordance with the allocations set forth in the declaration pursuant to § 81-207(a) and (b) of this title. Any past due common expense assessment or installment thereof bears interest at the rate established by the association not exceeding the lawful rate of interest.

(c) To the extent required by the declaration:

(1) Any common expense associated with the maintenance, repair, or replacement of a limited common element must be assessed against the units to which that limited common element is assigned, equally, or in any other proportion the declaration provides;

(2) Any common expense or portion thereof included as part of the common expense budget, but benefiting fewer than all of the units, including fees for services provided by the association to occupants of individual units, must be assessed exclusively against the units benefited based on their use and consumption of services; and

(3) The costs of insurance must be assessed in proportion to risk and the costs of utilities must be assessed in proportion to usage.

(d) Assessments to pay a judgment against the association may be made only against the units in the common interest community at the time the judgment was entered, in proportion to their common expense liabilities.

(e) If any common expense is caused by the misconduct of any unit owner or a unit owner’s guests or invitees, the association may assess that expense exclusively against the unit of that unit owner.

(f) If common expense liabilities are reallocated, common expense assessments and any installment thereof not yet due must be recalculated in accordance with the reallocated common expense liabilities.

76 Del. Laws, c. 422, § 2; 77 Del. Laws, c. 91, §§ 50, 82.