12 CFR 1010.12 – Intrastate exemption
(a) Eligibility requirements. The sale of a lot is exempt from the registration requirements of the Act if the following requirements are met:
Terms Used In 12 CFR 1010.12
- Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
- Deed: The legal instrument used to transfer title in real property from one person to another.
- Escrow: Money given to a third party to be held for payment until certain conditions are met.
(1) The sale of lots in the subdivision after December 20, 1979, is restricted solely to residents of the state in which the subdivision is located unless the sale is exempt under § 1010.5, § 1010.11, or § 1010.13.
(2) The purchaser or purchaser’s spouse makes a personal on-the-lot inspection of the lot to be purchased before signing a contract.
(3) Each contract:
(i) Specifies the developer’s and purchaser’s responsibilities for providing and maintaining roads, water and sewer facilities and any existing or promised amenities;
(ii) Contains a good faith estimate of the year in which the roads, water and sewer facilities and promised amenities will be completed; and
(iii) Contains a non-waivable provision giving the purchaser the opportunity to revoke the contract until at least midnight of the seventh calendar day following the date the purchaser signed the contract. If the purchaser is entitled to a longer revocation period by operation of state law, that period becomes the Federal revocation period and the contract must reflect the requirements of the longer period.
(4) The lot being sold is free and clear of all liens, encumbrances and adverse claims except the following:
(i) Mortgages or deeds of trust which contain release provisions for the individual lot purchased if:
(A) The contract of sale obligates the developer to deliver, within 180 days, a warranty deed (or its equivalent under local law), which at the time of delivery is free from any monetary liens or encumbrances; and
(B) The purchaser’s payments are deposited in an escrow account independent of the developer until a deed is delivered.
(ii) Liens which are subordinate to the leasehold interest and do not affect the lessee’s right to use or enjoy the lot.
(iii) Property reservations which are for the purpose of bringing public services to the land being developed, such as easements for water and sewer lines.
(iv) Taxes or assessments which constitute liens before they are due and payable if imposed by a state or other public body having authority to assess and tax property or by a property owners’ association.
(v) Beneficial property restrictions that are mutually enforceable by the lot owners in the subdivision. Restrictions, whether separately recorded or incorporated into individual deeds, must be applied uniformly to every lot or group of lots. To be considered beneficial and enforceable, any restriction or covenant that imposes an assessment on lot owners must apply to the developer on the same basis as other lot owners. Developers who maintain control of a subdivision through a Property Owners’ Association, Architectural Control Committee, restrictive covenant or otherwise, shall transfer such control to the lot owners no later than when the developer ceases to own a majority of total lots in, or planned for, the subdivision. Relinquishment of developer control shall require affirmative action, usually in the form of an election based upon one vote per lot.
(vi) Reservations contained in United States land patents and similar Federal grants or reservations.
(5) Prior to the sale the developer discloses in a written statement to the purchaser all qualifying liens, reservations, taxes, assessments and restrictions applicable to the lot purchased. The developer must obtain a written receipt from the purchaser acknowledging that the statement required by this subparagraph was delivered to the purchaser.
(6) Prior to the sale the developer provides in a written statement good faith estimates of the cost to the purchaser of providing electric, water, sewer, gas and telephone service to the lot. The estimates for unsold lots must be updated every two years or more frequently if the developer has reason to believe that significant cost increases have occurred. The dates on which the estimates were made must be included in the statement. The developer must obtain a written receipt from the purchaser acknowledging that the statement required by this subparagraph was delivered to the purchaser.
(b) Intrastate Exemption Statement. To satisfy the requirements of paragraphs (a)(5) and (6) of this section, an Intrastate Exemption Statement containing the information prescribed in each such paragraph shall be given to each purchaser. A State-approved disclosure document may be used to satisfy this requirement if all the information required by paragraphs (a)(5) and (6) of this section is included in this disclosure. In such a case, the developer must obtain a written receipt from the purchaser and comply with all other requirements of the exemption. To be acceptable for purposes of the exemption, the statement(s) given to purchasers must contain neither advertising nor promotion on behalf of the developer or subdivision nor references to the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection or the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. A sample Intrastate Exemption Statement is included in the exemption guidelines.
(c) The sale must also comply with the anti-fraud provisions of § 1010.4(b) and (c) of this part.