A. If any provision in the condominium instruments requires the written consent of a mortgagee in order to amend the condominium instruments, the unit owners’ association shall be deemed to have received the written consent of a mortgagee if the unit owners’ association sends the text of the proposed amendment by certified mail, return receipt requested, to the mortgagee at the address supplied by such mortgagee in a written request to the unit owners’ association to receive notice of proposed amendments to the condominium instruments and receives no written objection to the adoption of the amendment from the mortgagee within 60 days of the date that the notice of amendment is sent by the unit owners’ association, unless the condominium instruments expressly provide otherwise. If the mortgagee has not supplied an address to the unit owners’ association, the unit owners’ association shall be deemed to have received the written consent of a mortgagee if the unit owners’ association sends the text of the proposed amendment by certified mail, return receipt requested, to the mortgagee at the address filed in the land records or with the local tax assessor’s office and receives no written objection to the adoption of the amendment from the mortgagee within 60 days of the date that the notice of amendment is sent by the unit owners’ association, unless the condominium instruments expressly provide otherwise.

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Terms Used In Virginia Code 55.1-1941

  • Amendment: A proposal to alter the text of a pending bill or other measure by striking out some of it, by inserting new language, or both. Before an amendment becomes part of the measure, thelegislature must agree to it.
  • Condominium: means real property, and any incidents to or interests in such real property, lawfully subject to this chapter by the recordation of condominium instruments pursuant to the provisions of this chapter. See Virginia Code 55.1-1900
  • Condominium instruments: means , collectively, the declaration, bylaws, and plats and plans recorded pursuant to the provisions of this chapter. See Virginia Code 55.1-1900
  • Institutional lender: means one or more commercial or savings banks, savings and loan associations, trust companies, credit unions, industrial loan associations, insurance companies, pension funds, or business trusts, including real estate investment trusts, any other lender regularly engaged in financing the purchase, construction, or improvement of real estate, or any assignee of loans made by such a lender, or any combination of any of the foregoing entities. See Virginia Code 55.1-1900
  • Land: is a three-dimensional concept and includes parcels with upper or lower boundaries, or both upper and lower boundaries, as well as parcels extending ab solo usque ad coelum. See Virginia Code 55.1-1900
  • Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
  • Mortgagee: The person to whom property is mortgaged and who has loaned the money.
  • Statute of limitations: A law that sets the time within which parties must take action to enforce their rights.
  • Unit: means a portion of the condominium designed and intended for individual ownership and use. See Virginia Code 55.1-1900

B. Any amendment adopted without the required consent of a mortgagee shall be voidable only by an institutional lender that was entitled to notice and an opportunity to consent. An action to void an amendment shall be subject to the one-year statute of limitations set forth in subsection C of § 55.1-1934 beginning on the date of recordation of the amendment.

C. Subsection A shall not apply to amendments that alter the priority of the lien of the mortgagee or that materially impair or affect the unit as collateral or the right of the mortgagee to foreclose on a unit as collateral.

D. Where the condominium instruments are silent on the need for mortgagee consent, no mortgagee consent shall be required if the amendment to the condominium instruments does not specifically affect mortgagee rights.

1993, c. 1, § 55-79.73:1; 1998, c. 32; 2007, c. 675; 2019, c. 712; 2020, c. 817.