(a) General rule.--Except
as provided in subsection (b) and subject to the provisions of the declaration
and the limitations of this subpart, the association, even if unincorporated,
may:
(1) Adopt and amend
bylaws and rules and regulations.
(2) Adopt and amend
budgets for revenues, expenditures and reserves and collect assessments
for common expenses from unit owners.
(3) Hire and terminate
managing agents and other employees, agents and independent contractors.
(4) Institute, defend
or intervene in litigation or administrative proceedings, or engage in arbitrations
or mediations, in its own name on behalf of itself or two or more unit owners
on matters affecting the planned community.
(5) Make contracts
and incur liabilities.
(6) Regulate the
use, maintenance, repair, replacement and modification of common elements;
and make reasonable accommodations, or permit reasonable modifications to
be made to units, the common facilities, the controlled facilities or the
common elements, to accommodate people with disabilities, as defined by
prevailing Federal, State or local statute, regulations, code or ordinance,
unit owners, residents, tenants or employees.
(7) Cause additional
improvements to be made as a part of the common facilities and, only to
the extent permitted by the declaration, the controlled facilities.
(8) (i) Acquire,
hold, encumber and convey in its own name any right, title or interest to
real or personal property other than common facilities; and
(ii) Convey or subject to a security interest common facilities only pursuant
to the provisions of section 5318 (relating to conveyance or encumbrance
of common facilities).
(9) Grant easements,
leases, licenses and concessions through or over the common facilities and,
only to the extent permitted by the declaration, the controlled facilities.
(10) Impose and receive
payments, fees or charges for the use, except as limited by other provisions
of this subpart, rental or operation of the common elements other than the
limited common elements described in section 5202(2) and (3) (relating to
unit boundaries).
(11) Impose charges
for late payment of assessments and, after notice and an opportunity to
be heard, levy reasonable fines for violations of the declaration, bylaws
and rules and regulations of the association.
(12) Impose reasonable
charges for the preparation and recording of amendments to the declaration,
resale certificates required by section 5407 (relating to resales of units)
which shall be one charge that may be made by the association solely because
of the resale or retransfer of any unit or statement of unpaid assessments.
In addition, an association may impose a capital improvement fee, but no
other fees, on the resale or transfer of units in accordance with the following:
(i) The capital improvement
fee for any unit shall not exceed the annual assessments for general common
expense charged to such unit during the most recently completed fiscal year
of the association, provided that:
(A) in the case of
resale or transfer of a unit consisting of unimproved real estate, the capital
improvement fee shall not exceed one-half of the annual assessments for
general common expenses charged to such unit during the most recently completed
fiscal year of the association;
(B) in the case of
resale or transfer of a unit which was either created or added to the planned
community in accordance with section 5211 (relating to conversion and expansion
of flexible planned communities) at some time during the most recently completed
fiscal year of the association but was not in existence for the entire fiscal
year, the capital improvement fee shall not exceed one-half of the annual
assessments for general common expenses charged to a unit comparable to
such unit during the most recently completed fiscal year of the association;
and
(C) capital improvement
fees are not refundable upon any sale, conveyance or any other transfer
of the title to a unit.
(ii) Capital improvement
fees allocated by an association must be maintained in a separate capital
account and may be expended only for new capital improvements or replacement
of existing common elements and may not be expended for operation, maintenance
or other purposes.
(iii) No capital
improvement fee shall be imposed on any gratuitous transfer of a unit between
any of the following family members: spouses, parent and child, siblings,
grandparent and grandchild; nor on any transfer of a unit by foreclosure
sale or deed in lieu of foreclosure to a secured lending institution as
defined by the act of December 3, 1959 (P.L.1688, No.621), known as the
Housing Finance Agency Law.
(iv) No fees may
be imposed upon any person who:
(A) acquires a unit
consisting of unimproved real estate and signs and delivers to the association
at the time of such person's acquisition a sworn affidavit declaring the
person's intention to reconvey such unit within 18 months of its acquisition;
and
(B) completes such
reconveyance within such 18 months.
(13) Provide for
the indemnification of its officers and executive board and maintain directors'
and officers' liability insurance.
(14) Exercise any
other powers conferred by this subpart, the declaration or bylaws.
(15) Exercise all
other powers that may be exercised in this Commonwealth by legal entities
of the same type as the association.
(16) Exercise any
other powers necessary and proper for the governance and operation of the
association.
(17) Assign its right
to future income, including the right to receive the common expense assessments.
Reserve funds held for future major repairs and replacements of the common
elements may not be assigned or pledged.
(18) Assign or delegate
any powers of the association listed in this section to a master association
subject to the provisions of section 5222 (relating to master associations)
and accept an assignment or delegation of powers from one or more planned
communities or other incorporated or unincorporated associations.
(b) Restrictions
on limitations in declaration.--Notwithstanding subsection (a), the declaration
may not impose limitations on the power of the association to deal with
declarants which are more restrictive than the limitations imposed on the
power of the association to deal with other persons. Any exercise of a power
under subsection (a)(7), (8) or (9) which would materially impair quiet
enjoyment of a unit shall require the prior written approval of the owner
of that unit.