The section sets rules for condominium common expense assessments, including who pays costs, when assessments must be made, and how expenses are allocated.
Sec. 82.112. ASSESSMENTS FOR COMMON EXPENSES. (a) Until an association makes a common expense assessment, a declarant shall pay all the expenses of the condominium as the expenses accrue. After an initial assessment by an association, assessments must be made at least annually and must be based on a budget adopted at least annually by the association. The association's reserves and the unit owners' working capital contributions may not be used to pay operational expenses until the declarant control terminates. (b) From the date of the initial assessment until declarant control terminates, or three years from a declarant's first conveyance of a unit, whichever is earlier, the declarant shall periodically pay to the association: (1) an amount equal to all operational expenses of the association, less the operational expense portion of the assessments paid by unit owners other than declarant; or (2) the common expense liability allocated to each unit owned by the declarant. (c) Common expenses shall be assessed against all units conveyed, rented, or used as models or offices by the declarant and against all units owned by a declarant after termination of a declarant's control or three years from a declarant's first conveyance of a unit, whichever is earlier, in accordance with the common expense liability allocated to each unit. A past due assessment or installment of an assessment may bear interest at a lawful rate established by the association. (d) Except as provided by the declaration and Section 82.107, a common expense for the maintenance, repair, or replacement of a limited common element shall be assessed against all the units as if it were for a general common element. (e) If common expense liabilities are reallocated, common expense assessments and an assessment installment not yet due shall be recomputed in accordance with the reallocated common expense liabilities. (f) A declaration may allow the accumulation of reserve funds for an unspecified period to provide for any anticipated expense of the condominium. (g) This section does not prevent a declarant from collecting from a purchaser at closing the prorated amount of any expenses, such as insurance or taxes, that the declarant has prepaid to the association or directly to others on behalf of the unit that is being purchased. Added by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 244, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1994.