Verbatim from the public record. The law itself is a government work — always confirm the current version on the official source before you rely on it.
(a) All sums assessed by the association of unit owners, but unpaid, for the share of the common expenses chargeable to any unit shall constitute a lien on such unit prior to all other liens, except only (1) tax liens on the unit in favor of any assessing authority and special district, including any state and federal tax liens, and (2) all sums unpaid on mortgages of record. Such lien shall exist from the due date of the assessment as established by the association of unit owners, and shall be perfected by filing a notice of lien signed by an officer of the condominium on the land records of the municipality in which the property lies, and by leaving a true and attested copy thereof with the unit owner against whom such lien is claimed or at his usual place of abode, or, if such unit owner resides outside the municipality in which the property lies, by mailing such copy to him at the place where he resides. Such notice of lien shall contain the address of the property, volume and page of record of the declaration, the name of the record owner of the unit, the unit designation, the amount due and the date when due. Such lien shall be limited and discharged in accordance with sections 49-39 and 49-40a. Such lien may be foreclosed by suit by the association in like manner as a mortgage of real property, and shall include reimbursement for costs and reasonable attorneys' fees. Any officer or agent of the condominium, acting on behalf of the unit owners, shall have power, unless prohibited by the declaration, to bid in the unit at foreclosure sale, and to acquire and hold, lease, mortgage and convey the same in the name of the association of unit owners. Suit to recover a money judgment for unpaid assessments shall be maintainable without foreclosing or waiving the lien securing the same.
(b) Where a mortgagee or a purchaser at a foreclosure sale obtains title to a unit, such acquirer of title, his heirs, successors and assigns, shall not be liable for the entire unpaid share of the common expenses or assessments by the association of unit owners chargeable to such unit which became due prior to the acquisition of title to such unit by such acquirer, but such expenses or assessments, if not fully satisfied out of the proceeds of such sale, shall become common expenses collectible from all of the unit owners, including such acquirer, his heirs, successors and assigns.
(1963, P.A. 605, S. 22; 1971, P.A. 813, S. 8; P.A. 76-308, S. 13, 36; P.A. 79-602, S. 130.)
History: 1971 act set the requirements for perfecting a lien by the association of unit owners; P.A. 76-308 provided the lien may be perfected by an officer of the condominium and that the lien may be foreclosed by the association of the unit owners; P.A. 79-602 substituted Sec. 49-40a for Sec. 49-40 in provision re discharge of lien in Subsec. (a).