17. For one year from the effective date of this act, no action for removal of a qualified tenant shall be instituted, no judgment shall be entered against a qualified tenant based upon a previously instituted action, and no qualified tenant shall be removed from his dwelling unit by a landlord, on the basis of the conversion of the premises. The owner of any residential premises located in a qualified county who, prior to that date, has registered those residential premises for conversion or applied for such registration shall comply with the provisions of this act, and the tenants residing in those premises shall be entitled to the protections extended under this act as if the registration or application for registration had not so occurred prior to that date. However, the provisions of this section shall not apply to any residential unit for which a conversion was registered prior to March 4, 1991 if the unit was sold to a bona fide individual purchaser prior to that date and that purchaser intends to personally occupy the unit as his principal residence.

L.1991,c.509,s.17.