North Carolina law · North Carolina Planned Community Act

N.C. Gen. Stat. § 47F-3-115

Assessments for common expenses

Covered in 1 owner guide

What this section does for you

Governs how common-expense assessments are calculated and charged, including the 18%-a-year cap on interest for a past-due installment.
Owner guide: Foreclosure & liens in North Carolina

The statutory text

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) Except as otherwise provided in the declaration, until the association makes a common expense assessment, the declarant shall pay all common expenses. After any assessment has been made by the association, assessments thereafter shall be made at least annually. (b) Except for assessments under subsections (c), (d), and (e) of this section, all common expenses shall be assessed against all the lots in accordance with the allocations set forth in the declaration. Any past-due common expense assessment or installment thereof bears interest at the rate established by the association not exceeding eighteen percent (18%) per year. For planned communities created prior to January 1, 1999, interest may be charged on any past-due common expense assessment or installment only if the declaration provides for interest charges, and where the declaration does not otherwise specify the interest rate, the rate may not exceed eighteen percent (18%) per year. (c) To the extent required by the declaration: (1) Any common expense associated with the maintenance, repair, or replacement of a limited common element shall be assessed against the lots to which that limited common element is assigned, equally, or in any other proportion that the declaration provides; (2) Any common expense or portion thereof benefiting fewer than all of the lots shall be assessed exclusively against the lots benefitted; and (3) The costs of insurance shall be assessed in proportion to risk and the costs of utilities shall be assessed in proportion to usage. (d) Assessments to pay a judgment against the association may be made only against the lots in the planned community at the time the judgment was entered, in proportion to their common expense liabilities. (e) If any common expense is caused by the negligence or misconduct of any lot owner or occupant, the association may assess that expense exclusively against that lot owner or occupant's lot. (f) If common expense liabilities are reallocated, common expense assessments and any installment thereof not yet due shall be recalculated in accordance with the reallocated common expense liabilities.