Condominium Act — Lien for Common Charges; Priority
The common-charges lien. The board holds a lien on each unit for unpaid common charges with interest — but unlike Connecticut or Florida, New York gives it NO super-priority: the lien is subordinate to real-property tax liens, ALL sums unpaid on a first mortgage of record, and certain public-agency subordinate mortgages (an exclusive nonresidential condominium may opt into priority over mortgages by declaration). The section also contains New York's closest analog to an estoppel certificate: a grantor or grantee is entitled to a statement of unpaid common charges from the board, and neither is liable — nor is the unit encumbered — beyond the amount that statement discloses.
Reviewed · New York changes feed
| Ref | Requirement |
|---|---|
| In a New York condo foreclosure the bank's first mortgage gets paid before the building's lien — there is no carve-out of months of charges like Connecticut's or Florida's. |
| Ref | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Before closing, buyer or seller can demand a payoff statement from the condo board — and the number on that statement is binding. It is the nearest thing New York has to an estoppel letter. |