Priority Lien - Illinois

PROPERTY
(765 ILCS 605/) Condominium Property Act. 

g) Lien.

        (1) If any unit owner shall fail or refuse to make 

     any payment of the common expenses or the amount of any unpaid fine when due, the amount thereof together with any interest, late charges, reasonable attorney fees incurred enforcing the covenants of the condominium instruments, rules and regulations of the board of managers, or any applicable statute or ordinance, and costs of collections shall constitute a lien on the interest of the unit owner in the property prior to all other liens and encumbrances, recorded or unrecorded, except only (a) taxes, special assessments and special taxes theretofore or thereafter levied by any political subdivision or municipal corporation of this State and other State or federal taxes which by law are a lien on the interest of the unit owner prior to preexisting recorded encumbrances thereon and (b) encumbrances on the interest of the unit owner recorded prior to the date of such failure or refusal which by law would be a lien thereon prior to subsequently recorded encumbrances. Any action brought to extinguish the lien of the association shall include the association as a party.

         (2) With respect to encumbrances executed prior to 

     August 30, 1984 or encumbrances executed subsequent to August 30, 1984 which are neither bonafide first mortgages nor trust deeds and which encumbrances contain a statement of a mailing address in the State of Illinois where notice may be mailed to the encumbrancer thereunder, if and whenever and as often as the manager or board of managers shall send, by United States certified or registered mail, return receipt requested, to any such encumbrancer at the mailing address set forth in the recorded encumbrance a statement of the amounts and due dates of the unpaid common expenses with respect to the encumbered unit, then, unless otherwise provided in the declaration or bylaws, the prior recorded encumbrance shall be subject to the lien of all unpaid common expenses with respect to the unit which become due and payable within a period of 90 days after the date of mailing of each such notice.

         (3) The purchaser of a condominium unit at a judicial 

     foreclosure sale, or a mortgagee who receives title to a unit by deed in lieu of foreclosure or judgment by common law strict foreclosure or otherwise takes possession pursuant to court order under the Illinois Mortgage Foreclosure Law, shall have the duty to pay the unit's proportionate share of the common expenses for the unit assessed from and after the first day of the month after the date of the judicial foreclosure sale, delivery of the deed in lieu of foreclosure, entry of a judgment in common law strict foreclosure, or taking of possession pursuant to such court order. Such payment confirms the extinguishment of any lien created pursuant to paragraph (1) or (2) of this subsection (g) by virtue of the failure or refusal of a prior unit owner to make payment of common expenses, where the judicial foreclosure sale has been confirmed by order of the court, a deed in lieu thereof has been accepted by the lender, or a consent judgment has been entered by the court.

         (4) The purchaser of a condominium unit at a judicial 

     foreclosure sale, other than a mortgagee, who takes possession of a condominium unit pursuant to a court order or a purchaser who acquires title from a mortgagee shall have the duty to pay the proportionate share, if any, of the common expenses for the unit which would have become due in the absence of any assessment acceleration during the 6 months immediately preceding institution of an action to enforce the collection of assessments, and which remain unpaid by the owner during whose possession the assessments accrued. If the outstanding assessments are paid at any time during any action to enforce the collection of assessments, the purchaser shall have no obligation to pay any assessments which accrued before he or she acquired title. 

         (5) The notice of sale of a condominium unit under 

     subsection (c) of Section 15-1507 of the Code of Civil Procedure shall state that the purchaser of the unit other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by subdivisions (g)(1) and (g)(4) of Section 9 of this Act. The statement of assessment account issued by the association to a unit owner under subsection (i) of Section 18 of this Act, and the disclosure statement issued to a prospective purchaser under Section 22.1 of this Act, shall state the amount of the assessments and the legal fees, if any, required by subdivisions (g)(1) and (g)(4) of Section 9 of this Act. 

     (h) A lien for common expenses shall be in favor of the members of the board of managers and their successors in office and shall be for the benefit of all other unit owners. Notice of the lien may be recorded by the board of managers, or if the developer is the manager or has a majority of seats on the board of managers and the manager or board of managers fails to do so, any unit owner may record notice of the lien. Upon the recording of such notice the lien may be foreclosed by an action brought in the name of the board of managers in the same manner as a mortgage of real property.

    (i) Unless otherwise provided in the declaration, the members of the board of managers and their successors in office, acting on behalf of the other unit owners, shall have the power to bid on the interest so foreclosed at the foreclosure sale, and to acquire and hold, lease, mortgage and convey it.

    (j) Any encumbrancer may from time to time request in writing a written statement from the manager or board of managers setting forth the unpaid common expenses with respect to the unit covered by his encumbrance. Unless the request is complied with within 20 days, all unpaid common expenses which become due prior to the date of the making of such request shall be subordinate to the lien of the encumbrance. Any encumbrancer holding a lien on a unit may pay any unpaid common expenses payable with respect to the unit, and upon payment the encumbrancer shall have a lien on the unit for the amounts paid at the same rank as the lien of his encumbrance.

    (k) Nothing in Public Act 83-1271 is intended to change the lien priorities of any encumbrance created prior to August 30, 1984.

(Source: P.A. 94-1049, eff. 1-1-07.) 

(765 ILCS 605/9.1) (from Ch. 30, par. 309.1)

    Sec. 9.1. (a) Other liens; attachment and satisfaction. Subsequent to the recording of the declaration, no liens of any nature shall be created or arise against any portion of the property except against an individual unit or units. No labor performed or materials furnished with the consent or at the request of a particular unit owner shall be the basis for the filing of a mechanics' lien claim against any other unit. If the performance of the labor or furnishing of the materials is expressly authorized by the board of managers, each unit owner shall be deemed to have expressly authorized it and consented thereto, and shall be liable for the payment of his unit's proportionate share of any due and payable indebtedness as set forth in this Section.

    Each mortgage and other lien, including mechanics liens, securing a debt incurred in the development of the land submitted to the provisions of this Act for the sale of units shall be subject to the provisions of this Act, subsequent to the conveyance of a unit to the purchaser.

    In the event any lien exists against 2 or more units and the indebtedness secured by such lien is due and payable, the unit owner of any such unit so affected may remove such unit and the undivided interest in the common elements appertaining thereto from such lien by payment of the proportional amount of such indebtedness attributable to such unit. In the event such lien exists against the units or against the property, the amount of such proportional payment shall be computed on the basis of the percentages set forth in the declaration. Upon payment as herein provided, it is the duty of the encumbrancer to execute and deliver to the unit owner a release of such unit and the undivided interest in the common elements appertaining thereto from such lien, except that such proportional payment and release shall not prevent the encumbrancer from proceeding to enforce his rights against any unit or interest with respect to which such lien has not been so paid or released.

    The owner of a unit shall not be liable for any claims, damages, or judgments, including but not limited to State or local government fees or fines, entered as a result of any action or inaction of the board of managers of the association other than for mechanics' liens as set forth in this Section. Unit owners other than the developer, members of the board of managers other than the developer or developer representatives, and the association of unit owners shall not be liable for any claims, damages, or judgments, including but not limited to State or local government fees or fines, entered as result of any action or inaction of the developer other than for mechanics' liens as set forth in this Section. Each unit owner's liability for any judgment entered against the board of managers or the association, if any, shall be limited to his proportionate share of the indebtedness as set forth in this Section, whether collection is sought through assessment or otherwise. A unit owner shall be liable for any claim, damage or judgment entered as a result of the use or operation of his unit, or caused by his own conduct. Before conveying a unit, a developer shall record and furnish purchaser releases of all liens affecting that unit and its common element interest which the purchaser does not expressly agree to take subject to or assume, and the developer shall provide a surety bond or substitute collateral for or insurance against liens for which a release is not provided. After conveyance of such unit, no mechanics lien shall be created against such unit or its common element interest by reason of any subsequent contract by the developer to improve or make additions to the property.

    Each mortgagee or other lienholder of the unit of a common interest community or of a unit subject to the Condominium Property Act shall provide an address to the unit owners' association at the time the lien or mortgage is recorded at which address such unit owners' association shall send notice to such mortgagee or lienholder of any eminent domain proceeding to which the association thereafter becomes a party. If the mortgagee or lienholder has not provided an address for notice purposes to the association, then such notice shall be sent to all mortgagees or lienholders which are named insureds on the master policy of insurance which exists or may exist on the common interest community or unit subject to the Condominium Property Act.

    (b) Board of Managers' standing and capacity.

    The board of managers shall have standing and capacity to act in a representative capacity in relation to matters involving the common elements or more than one unit, on behalf of the unit owners, as their interests may appear.

(Source: P.A. 91-616, eff. 8-19-99.) 

(765 ILCS 605/9.2) (from Ch. 30, par. 309.2)

    Sec. 9.2. Other remedies.

    (a) In the event of any default by any unit owner, his tenant, invitee or guest in the performance of his obligations under this Act or under the declaration, bylaws, or the rules and regulations of the board of managers, the board of managers or its agents shall have such rights and remedies as provided in the Act or condominium instruments including the right to maintain an action for possession against such defaulting unit owner or his tenant for the benefit of all the other unit owners in the manner prescribed by Article IX of the Code of Civil Procedure.

    (b) Any attorneys' fees incurred by the Association arising out of a default by any unit owner, his tenant, invitee or guest in the performance of any of the provisions of the condominium instruments, rules and regulations or any applicable statute or ordinance shall be added to, and deemed a part of, his respective share of the common expense.

    (c) Other than attorney's fees, no fees pertaining to the collection of a unit owner's financial obligation to the Association, including fees charged by a manager or managing agent, shall be added to and deemed a part of an owner's respective share of the common expenses unless: (i) the managing agent fees relate to the costs to collect common expenses for the Association; (ii) the fees are set forth in a contract between the managing agent and the Association; and (iii) the authority to add the management fees to an owner's respective share of the common expenses is specifically stated in the declaration or bylaws of the Association.

(Source: P.A. 94-384, eff. 1-1-06.)