Report Title:

Time Shares; Condo Disclosure Exemption

 

Description:

Requires time share developers, prior to offering apartments for sale to the public for the first time, to register with the real estate commission; exempts time share plans registered under the time share law and required to provide disclosure to consumers under that law, from duplicative condo disclosure requirements. (SD2)

 

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

17

TWENTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2001

H.D. 2

STATE OF HAWAII

S.D. 2


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

RELATING TO TIME SHARE PROJECTS.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. Section 514A-31, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

"§514A-31 Notification of intention. (a) Prior to the time when apartments in a condominium project are to be offered for sale in this State, the developer shall register the project with the commission by notifying the commission in writing of the developer's intention to sell such apartments. No offer of sale or sale shall be made until the project has been registered with the commission and the commission has issued an effective date for the project's preliminary, contingent final, or final public report.

(b) Prior to the time when a developer offers or proposes to offer for sale a time share plan located in a condominium project where apartments are being offered or proposed to be offered for sale for the first time to the public, the developer shall register the project with the commission and obtain an effective date for the developer's public report; provided that the developer shall not be required to deliver to a prospective purchaser or purchaser a true copy of the developer's public report or disclosure abstract, as required by this chapter, when a time share plan is duly registered under chapter 514E, and for which a disclosure statement under chapter 514E is effective and required to be delivered to the purchaser or prospective purchaser."

SECTION 2. Section 514A-41, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

"§514A-41 Supplementary public report. (a) If after the effective date has been issued by the commission for a public report, any circumstance that occurs which would render the public report misleading as to purchasers in any material respect, the developer shall stop all offers of sale and sales and immediately submit to the commission a supplementary public report, together with such supporting information as may be required by the commission, to update the information contained in the public report, accompanied by a nonrefundable fee as provided in rules adopted by the director of commerce and consumer affairs pursuant to chapter 91. Offers of sale and sales shall not resume until an effective date has been issued by the commission for the supplementary public report. The developer shall provide all prospective purchasers with a true copy of the supplementary public report and all prior public reports not superseded by the supplementary public report.

(b) The commission may determine when a supplementary public report will supersede the public reports previously issued for the project.

(c) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, the rescission rights, if any, of a purchaser shall be governed exclusively by sections 514A-62 and 514A-63. This does not preclude a purchaser from exercising any rescission rights pursuant to a contract for sale or any applicable common law remedies.

(d) Notwithstanding any other provisions to the contrary, this section shall not apply to a time share plan for which:

(1) The applicable time share plan is registered under chapter 514E; and

(2) A disclosure statement under chapter 514E is effective and required to be delivered to the purchaser or prospective purchaser."

SECTION 3. Section 514A-61, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

"§514A-61 Disclosure requirements. (a) Each developer of a project subject to this chapter shall prepare and provide to each prospective initial purchaser an abstract, which shall contain the following:

(1) The name and address of the project, and the name, address, and telephone number of the developer or the developer's agent and of the project manager or the project manager's agent;

(2) A breakdown of the annual maintenance fees and the monthly estimated cost for each apartment, revised and updated at least every twelve months and certified to have been based on generally accepted accounting principles;

(3) A description of all warranties for the individual apartments and the common elements, including the date of initiation and expiration of any such warranties; and if no warranties exist, the developer shall state that no warranties exist;

(4) A statement of the proposed number of apartments to be used for residential or hotel use in a mixed-use project containing apartments for both residential and hotel use; and

(5) A statement of the extent of commercial or other nonresidential development in the project.

(b) In the case of a project [which] that includes one or more existing structures being converted to condominium status:

(1) A statement by the declarant, based upon a report prepared by an independent Hawaii registered architect or engineer, describing the present condition of all structural components and mechanical and electrical installations material to the use and enjoyment of the condominium;

(2) A statement by the declarant of the expected useful life of each item reported on in paragraph (1) or a statement that no representations are made in that regard;

(3) A list of any outstanding notices of uncured violations of building code or other municipal regulations, together with the cost of curing these violations;

(4) A statement whether the project is on a lot[,] or has structures or uses[, which] that do not conform to present zoning requirements;

provided that paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) apply only to apartments that may be occupied for residential use[,] and [only to apartments] that have been in existence for five years.

(c) This section shall be administered by the commission. The commission may waive the requirements of subsections (a) and (b) if the information required to be contained in the disclosure abstract is included in the commission's public report on the project.

(d) Notwithstanding any other provisions to the contrary, this section shall not apply to a time share plan for which:

(1) The applicable time share plan is registered under chapter 514E; and

(2) A disclosure statement under chapter 514E is effective and required to be delivered to the purchaser or prospective purchaser."

SECTION 4. Section 514A-62, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

"§514A-62 Copy of public report to be given to prospective purchaser. (a) The developer (or any other person offering any apartment in a condominium project prior to completion of its construction) shall not enter into a contract or agreement for the sale or resale of an apartment [which] that is binding upon any prospective purchaser until:

(1) The commission has issued an effective date for either a contingent final public report or a final public report on the project, and the developer has delivered, or caused to be delivered, to the prospective purchaser, either personally or by registered or certified mail with return receipt requested, a true copy of either the contingent final public report or the final public report together with a true copy of all prior public reports on the project, if any, which have not been previously delivered to such prospective purchaser; except that such prior public reports need not be delivered to the prospective purchaser if the contingent final public report or the final public report supersedes such prior public reports. If, prior to the entering into of such contract or agreement for sale or resale, the commission [has], subsequent to its issuance of an effective date for the contingent final public report or the final public report, has issued an effective date for a supplementary public report on the project, then a true copy of such supplementary public report shall also be delivered to such prospective purchaser in the same manner as the contingent final public report or the final public report[,]; except that if the supplementary public report supersedes all prior public reports on the project, then only the supplementary public report need be delivered to the prospective purchaser.

(2) The prospective purchaser has been given an opportunity to read the report or reports; and

(3) The prospective purchaser:

(A) [executes] Executes the form of the receipt and notice set forth in subsection (d); and

(B) [waives] Waives the prospective purchaser's right to cancel;

provided that if the prospective purchaser does not execute and return the receipt and notice within thirty days from the date of delivery of such reports, or if the apartment is conveyed to the prospective purchaser prior to the expiration of such thirty-day period, the prospective purchaser shall be deemed to have receipted for the reports and to have waived the prospective purchaser's right to cancel.

(b) The receipts and notices taken hereunder shall be kept on file in possession of the developer (or such other person as may offer any apartment in a condominium project prior to completion of its construction), and shall be subject to inspection at a reasonable time by the commission or its deputies, for a period of three years from the date the receipt and notice was taken.

(c) Unless such right has previously been waived pursuant to subsection (a), a prospective purchaser shall have the right to cancel any agreement for the purchase or reservation of an apartment at any time prior to the earlier of:

(1) The conveyance of the apartment to the prospective purchaser; or

(2) Midnight of the thirtieth day following the date of delivery of the first of either the contingent final public report or the final public report to such purchaser,

and, upon any such cancellation, shall be entitled to a prompt and full refund of all moneys paid, less any escrow cancellation fee and other costs associated with the purchase, up to a maximum of $250.

(d) Whenever a contingent final public report, final public report, or supplementary public report is delivered to a prospective purchaser pursuant to subsection (a), two copies of the receipt and notice set out below shall also be delivered to such purchaser, one of which may be used by the purchaser to cancel the transaction. Such receipt and notice shall be printed in capital and lower case letters of not less than twelve-point type on one side of a separate statement. The receipt and notice shall be in the following form:

"RECEIPT FOR PUBLIC REPORT(S) AND

NOTICE OF RIGHT TO CANCEL

I acknowledge receipt of the Developer's (Preliminary, Contingent Final, Final, and Supplementary) Public Report(s) and Disclosure Abstract, contained in the public report, in connection with my purchase of apartment(s) (insert apartment numbers) in the (insert name of condominium project) condominium project.

I understand that I have a legal right under Hawaii law to cancel my purchase, if I desire to do so, without any penalty or obligation within thirty days from the date the above Public Report or Reports were delivered to me. If I cancel, I understand that I will be entitled to receive the refund of any downpayment or deposit, less any escrow cancellation fees and other costs, up to $250.

If I decide to cancel, I understand that I can do so by notifying (insert name of seller) at (insert address of seller) by mail or telegram sent before: (1) the conveyance of my apartment(s) to me; or (2) midnight of the thirtieth day after delivery of the Public Report(s) to me, whichever is earlier. If I send or deliver my written notice some other way, it must be delivered to the above address no later than that time. I understand that I can use any written statement that is signed and dated by me and states my intention to cancel, or I may use this notice by checking the appropriate box and by signing and dating below.

I understand that if I do not act within the above thirty-day period or if the apartment is conveyed to me within the above thirty-day period, I will be considered to have executed this receipt and to have waived my right to cancel my purchase. I also understand that I can waive my right to cancel by checking the appropriate box, by signing and dating below, and by returning this notice to (insert name of seller). I HAVE RECEIVED A COPY OF:

(1) THE DEVELOPER'S (PRELIMINARY, CONTINGENT FINAL, FINAL, AND SUPPLEMENTARY) PUBLIC REPORT(S) ON (insert name of condominium project); AND

(2) THE DISCLOSURE ABSTRACT CONTAINED IN THE PUBLIC REPORT.

Purchaser's signature Date

I HAVE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO READ THE PUBLIC REPORT(S) AND

[ ] I WAIVE MY RIGHT TO CANCEL.

[ ] I HEREBY EXERCISE MY RIGHT TO CANCEL.

Purchaser's signature Date"

(e) No obligation to purchase an apartment under any agreement for the purchase or reservation of an apartment entered into prior to the purchaser's receipt of either a contingent final public report or a final public report is enforceable against the purchaser under such agreement.

(f) Where a developer has delivered to a purchaser a contingent final public report and the purchaser has previously waived the purchaser's right to cancel the purchaser's agreement for the purchase or reservation of an apartment pursuant to this section:

(1) The issuance of an effective date for a final public report prior to the expiration of the contingent final public report shall not affect the enforceability of the purchaser's obligations under the purchaser's agreement for the purchase of an apartment;

(2) The developer shall not be required to deliver to the purchaser the final public report for the project and receipt and notice set forth in subsection (d); and

(3) The developer shall promptly deliver to the purchaser a disclosure statement informing them that the commission has issued an effective date for the final public report and containing all information contained in the final public report that is not contained in the contingent final public report.

(g) Notwithstanding any other provisions to the contrary, this section shall not apply to a time share plan for which the applicable time share plan is registered under chapter 514E and a disclosure statement under chapter 514E is effective and required to be delivered to the purchaser or prospective purchaser."

SECTION 5. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 6. This Act shall take effect on January 1, 2002.