Section 44-3-95. Effect of mortgages and liens; foreclosure; release

   (a) In the event of the foreclosure of any mortgage or lien which is subordinate to the declaration or from which any condominium unit has been released, the foreclosure shall not terminate the condominium; and, upon his purchase, the mortgagee, lienholder, or other purchaser at foreclosure shall become the owner of all condominium units which had not been released from the mortgage or lien prior to the purchase. In the event of the foreclosure of any mortgage or lien which is not subordinate to the declaration and from which no condominium unit has been released, the foreclosure of the mortgage or lien shall terminate the condominium unless the foreclosing mortgagee or lienholder subordinates to the declaration prior to foreclosure or forecloses subject to the declaration. For the purposes of this Code section, a lien for labor or services performed or for materials furnished in the improvement of property, either before or after it becomes submitted property, recorded upon the submitted property as a whole after the recordation of the declaration, shall be subordinate to the declaration.

(b) Any other provision of law to the contrary notwithstanding, liens for labor and services performed and for materials furnished for the improvement of property either before or after it becomes submitted property, which labor, services, and materials were performed or used in the original construction of any portion of a condominium or additional property of an expandable condominium, may be recorded against the submitted property as a whole; provided, however, that any such lien shall constitute a valid lien only against those units which have not been conveyed by the declarant to any person in a bona fide sale and purchase transaction prior to the recording of the lien. For those units which have been so conveyed, the lien shall be inapplicable and unenforceable.

(c) Subsequent to the creation of the condominium and as long as the submitted property remains subject to this article, no lien shall arise or, except as provided in subsections (a) and (b) of this Code section, be effective against the submitted property as a whole. During such period of submission to this article and except as provided in this subsection, liens or encumbrances shall arise or be created or effective only against each condominium unit in the same manner and under the same conditions in every respect as liens or encumbrances may arise or be created upon or be effective against any other separate parcel of real property subject to individual ownership; provided, however, that labor or services performed or materials furnished for improvement of the common elements, if duly authorized by the association, shall be deemed to be performed or furnished with the express consent of each unit owner and shall, if other applicable provisions of law are complied with and subject to the limitations thereof, create a lien upon all of the condominium units subject to subsection (d) of this Code section.

(d) In the event that any lien for labor or services performed or materials furnished for improvement of the common elements becomes effective subsequent to the creation of the condominium, any unit owner may remove that lien from his condominium unit by the payment of the amount attributable to his condominium unit. 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, the unit owner of that condominium unit shall be entitled to have that lien released as to his condominium unit in accordance with applicable provisions of law; and, notwithstanding anything to the contrary in Code Sections 44-3-80 and 44-3-109, the association shall not assess or have a valid lien against that condominium unit for any portion of the common expenses incurred in connection with that lien.

Ga. L. 1975, p. 609, § 8.