Amendment of declaration

# (a)

Except in cases of amendments that may be executed by a declarant under § 81-209(f) or § 81-210 of this title, or by the association under § 81-107, § 81-206(d), § 81-208(c), § 81-212(a), or § 81-213 of this title, or by certain unit owners under § 81-208(b), § 81-212(a), § 81-213(b), or § 81-218(b) of this title, or by secured lenders pursuant to § 81-219 of this title, and except as limited by subsection (d) of this section or as otherwise provided in this § 81-217 of this title, the declaration, including any plats and plans, may be amended only by vote or agreement of unit owners of units to which at least 67 percent of the votes in the association are allocated, unless the declaration specifies a different percentage for all amendments or for specific subjects of amendment. If the declaration requires the approval of another person as a condition of its effectiveness, the amendment is not valid without the approval.

# (b)

No action to challenge the validity of an amendment adopted by the association pursuant to this section may be brought more than 1 year after the amendment is recorded.

# (c)

Every amendment to the declaration must be recorded in every county in which any portion of the common interest community is located and is effective only upon recordation. An amendment, except an amendment pursuant to § 81-212(a) of this title, must be indexed in the grantee’s index in the name of the common interest community and the association and in the grantor’s index in the name of the parties executing the amendment.

# (d)

Except to the extent expressly permitted or required by other provisions of this chapter, or in a nonresidential common interest community, except as provided in the declaration, no amendment may create or increase special declarant rights, increase the number of units, change the boundaries of any unit or the allocated interests of a unit, in the absence of unanimous consent of the unit owners.

# (e)

Amendments to the declaration required by the chapter to be recorded by the association must be prepared, executed, recorded, and certified on behalf of the association by any officer of the association designated for that purpose or, in the absence of designation, by the president of the association.

# (f)

By vote or agreement of unit owners of units to which at least 80 percent of the votes in the association are allocated, or any larger percentage specified in the declaration, an amendment to the declaration may prohibit or materially restrict the permitted uses of or behavior in a unit or the number or other qualifications of persons who may occupy units. The amendment must provide reasonable protection for a use or occupancy permitted at the time the amendment was adopted.

# (g)

The time limits specified in the declaration pursuant to § 81-205(a)(8) of this title within which reserved development rights must be exercised may be extended, and additional development rights may be created, if persons entitled to cast at least 80 percent of the votes in the association, including 80 percent of the votes allocated to units not owned by the declarant, agree to that action. The agreement is effective 30 days after an amendment to the declaration reflecting the terms of the agreement is recorded unless all the persons holding the affected special declarant rights, or security interests in those rights, record a written objection within the 30-day period, in which case the amendment is void, or consent in writing at the time the amendment is recorded, in which case the amendment is effective when recorded.

# (h)

Provisions in the declaration creating special declarant rights which have not expired may not be amended without the consent of the declarant.

# (i)

Notwithstanding any provision of the declaration or bylaws to the contrary, any provision of this chapter or of the declaration of any common interest community subject to this chapter requires the consent of a person holding a security interest in a unit as a condition to the effectiveness of any amendment to the declaration, that consent shall be deemed granted if no written refusal to consent is received by the association within 45 days after the association delivers notice of the proposed amendment to the holder of the interest or mails the notice to the holder of the interest by certified mail, return receipt requested. The association may rely on the last recorded security interest of record in delivering or mailing notice to the holder of that interest. Notwithstanding this section, no amendment to the declaration that affects the priority of a holder’s security interest or the ability of that holder to foreclose its security interest may be adopted without that holder’s consent in a record if the declaration requires that consent as a condition to the effectiveness of the amendment.

# (j)

Unless the declaration or bylaws provide otherwise and subject to paragraphs (j)(ii) and (j)(iii) of this section:

(i) The executive board may execute and record an amendment to the declaration bylaws, or plat, to conform the declaration or bylaws to be consistent with the provisions of this chapter or to correct:

# (1)

A typographical error or other error in the percentage interests or number of votes appurtenant to any unit;

# (2)

A typographical error or other incorrect reference to another prior recorded document; or

# (3)

A typographical error or other incorrect unit designation or assignment of limited common elements if the affected unit owners and their mortgagees consent in writing to the amendment, and the consent documents are recorded with the amendment.

(ii) If the executive board executes and records an amendment under paragraph (j)(i) of this section, the executive board shall also record with the amendment:

(1) During the time that the declarant has an interest:

(A) The consent of the declarant; or

(B) An affidavit by the executive board that any declarant who has an interest in the condominium has been provided a copy of the amendment and a notice that the declarant may object in writing to the amendment within 30 days of receipt of the amendment and notice, that 30 days have passed since delivery of the amendment and notice, and that the declarant has made no written objection; and

(2) An affidavit by the executive board that at least 30 days before recordation of the amendment a copy of the amendment was sent with a notice of the amendment sent to each unit owner as required for notices pursuant to this chapter.

(iii) An amendment under this section is entitled to be recorded and is effective upon recordation if accompanied by the supporting documents required by this section.

# (k)

During the time that the declarant has an interest, the declaration, bylaws or plat may be amended by declarant in order to achieve compliance with the requirements of Federal National Mortgage Association, Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, Federal Housing Authority, Veterans Administration or other governmental agency or their successors.

# (l)

During the time that the declarant has an interest, the declaration, bylaws or plat may be amended by declarant to conform the same to be consistent with the provisions required or allowed by this chapter.

# (m)

During the time that the declarant has an interest, the declaration, bylaws, or plat may be amended by declarant to correct any clerical or typographical errors or other errors, ambiguities, title questions, or defects or conflicts with or to comply with applicable laws.