Condominium By-Laws and Policy
CONDOMINIUM BY-LAWS DEFINED
Maplewood Condominium Association is governed by lawfully binding policy that is referred to as Condominium By-Laws. Such laws are contained in three separate written records:
HOW BY-LAWS COME INTO EXISTENCE
These lawfully binding records are created in accordance with the provisions of the Pennsylvania Uniform Condominium Act (68 Pa. C.S. 3101, et seq.). While the Declaration and Code of Regulations are established at inception of the Association, and duly recorded at the County’s Office of the Recorder of Deeds, the Regulations of the Council are adopted, as required, throughout the life of the Association. The Regulations of the Council are essential, and result out of the need for tailoring solutions for specified problems and issues that arise and are germane to the Association’s respective operations. Hence, they are in addition to the Declaration and Code of Regulations, and/or they may also further define, refine, explain, express, clarify, support, and/or expand existing regulations contained therein. The goal of such regulations is to: (a) protect the integrity of common property, (b) preserve the longevity of common property, (c) maintain real estate values, (d) increase real estate values, (e) reduce common liability, (f) decrease common expenses, (g) uphold equity and consistency, (h) foster cooperation, and (i) eliminate undesirable conduct and activities.
WHY BY-LAWS ARE IMPORTANT
The by-laws outline the rights and obligations of owners and Board of Directors, as well as provide structure and protocol to guide the operations of the Association. The by-laws have sovereignty over Maplewood Condominium Association and are, in essence, equivalent to a charter or constitution. Therefore, one cannot purchase a condominium unit separate from its by-laws because they are central to the condominium form of ownership, and govern every aspect of the ownership of the property whose interest one is purchasing. Whether or not they are acquainted with them, Condominium unit owners and, by extension, their family, friends, guests, visitors, tenants, persons of interest (representative, contractors, realtors), and mortgages and insurance policies, are wholly and lawfully subject to condominium by-laws. Hence, anyone who owns, resides, or comes onto the private property of the Maplewood Condominium Association, in any capacity, is wholly and lawfully subject to the condominium’s by-laws.
WHEN DO OWNERS RECEIVE THE BY-LAWS
Within 15 days of signing a sales agreement, a buyer will customarily receive one physical copy the Declaration, Code of Regulations, and Regulations of the Council directly from the Association or via a representative of choice (lawyer or real estate agent). Prospective buyers (on their way to becoming owners) can now more easily read such records from the website as they are contained here in their entirety. If you are a prospective buyer, please see FOR BUYER and FOR OWNER.
HOW TO READ THE BY-LAWS
It is advisable to read the records in the following order, hence Declaration, Code of Regulations, and then Regulations of the Council. As the documents Declaration and Code of Regulations were once duly recorded at the Office of the Recorder of Deeds, you may obtain an original copy from that office (contains original notarial signatures and logs). The website only contains a re-printed version of the original documents here: Reprint of Original Declaration.pdf | Reprint of Original Code of Regulations.pdf