Section 44-3-117. Application to subcondominiums; creation of subcondominium; subassociation; insurance; effect of certain liens; eminent domain; description of certain units; assessments

   (a) Except as otherwise set forth in this Code section, the creation of a subcondominium shall not limit the application of this article in its entirety to such subcondominium.

(b) To the extent permitted in the condominium instruments, a condominium unit may be submitted by the owner thereof to a subcondominium and such owner shall thereafter be deemed the declarant, as such term is defined in paragraph (13) of Code Section 44-3-71, of such subcondominium.

(c) Upon the creation of a subcondominium:

   (1) No tax or governmental assessment shall be levied against the unit as a whole but instead shall only be levied on the subunits;

   (2) The subassociation shall represent and be responsible for acting on behalf of the subunit owners in discharging the rights and obligations of the unit owner as a member of the master association, including, without limitation, voting the interests of the unit in the master association and paying assessments owing on the unit to the master association;

   (3) The insurance required in paragraph (1) of Code Section 44-3-107 may be obtained by either the subassociation or the master association for the condominium in which the subcondominium is a unit;

   (4) No lien for labor or services performed or materials furnished in the improvement of the unit shall be filed against the subcondominium as a whole but shall only be filed against the subunits, and such lien may be discharged by the owner of any subunit in the same manner provided in subsection (d) of Code Section 44-3-95;

   (5) If a subassociation has been created for property affected by an eminent domain proceeding, no eminent domain action shall be brought against the subassociation as a whole but only against the subunit owners thereof; and

   (6) No description of a subunit shall be deemed to be vague, uncertain or otherwise insufficient if the description complies with Code Section 44-3-73.

(d) The description of submitted property or additional property to a subcondominium required by this article shall be valid if described by a legal description by metes and bounds or by a description of a unit in a master condominium in the manner provided for in Code Section 44-3-73.

(e) All sums lawfully assessed by a master association against a subassociation shall have the same effect as provided in subsection (a) of Code Section 44-3-109.

The recording of the declaration for a subcondominium pursuant to this article shall constitute record notice of the existence of the lien, and no further recordation of any claim of lien for assessments shall be required.

(f) In the event any lien becomes effective against a subunit as provided in subsection (e) of this Code section, the subassociation may remove that lien from the subunits by:

   (1) The payment of the amount attributable to the subunits, or

   (2) Bonding of the amount assessed against the subassociation

or any subunit owner may remove that lien from his or her subunit by the payment of the amount attributable to his or her subunit. The amount shall be computed by reference to the liability for common expenses pertaining to that condominium unit pursuant to subsection (c) of Code Section 44-3-80. Subsequent to the payment, discharge, or other satisfaction of such amount, the subunit owner of that subunit shall be entitled to have that lien released as to his or her subunit in accordance with applicable provisions of law, and notwithstanding anything to the contrary in Code Sections 44-3-80 and 44-3-109, the master association shall not assess or have a valid lien against that subunit for any portion of the common expenses incurred by the master association in connection with that lien.

(g) Not less than 30 days after notice is sent by certified mail or statutory overnight delivery, return receipt requested, to the subunit owner both at the address of the subunit and at any other address or addresses which the subunit owner may have designated to the master association in writing, the lien of the master association may be foreclosed by the master association by an action, judgment, and foreclosure in the same manner as other liens for the improvement of real property, subject to superior liens or encumbrances, but any such court order for judicial foreclosure shall not affect the rights of holders of superior liens or encumbrances to exercise any rights or powers afforded to them under their security instruments. The notice provided for in this subsection shall specify the amount of the assessments then due and payable together with authorized late charges and the rate of interest accruing thereon. No foreclosure action against a lien arising out of this subsection shall be permitted unless the amount of the lien is at least $2,000.00. Unless prohibited by the master condominium instruments, the master association shall have the power to bid on the subunit at any foreclosure sale and to acquire, hold, lease, encumber, and convey the same. The lien for assessments shall lapse and be of no further effect, as to assessments or installments thereof, together with late charges and interest applicable thereto, four years after the assessment or installment first became due and payable.

(h) Any subunit owner, mortgagee of a subunit, person having executed a contract for the purchase of a subunit, or lender considering the loan of funds to be secured by a subunit shall be entitled upon request to a statement from the subassociation or its management agent setting forth the amount of assessments past due and unpaid together with late charges and interest applicable owed by the subassociation to the master association. If the subassociation or its management agent states an amount less than the amount actually owed by the subassociation to the master association, the lien created by Code Section 44-3-109 for any amounts in excess of the stated amount shall be subordinate to the lien of any first priority mortgage covering the subunit.

(i) In addition to the documents required to be furnished to the prospective buyer under subsection (b) of Code Section 44-3-111, if the covered contract applies to a condominium unit which is part of a subcondominium, the following shall be provided to the prospective buyer:

   (1) A copy of the declaration for the master condominium, and a copy of each amendment thereto; and

   (2) A copy of the articles of incorporation and bylaws of the master association, and of each amendment to either.

Code 1981, § 44-3-117, enacted by Ga. L. 2007, p. 611, § 5/HB 383.