By: Jeffrey G. DiAmico, Esq.

On April 20, 2016, Governor Tom Wolf signed into law Act 21 – House Bill 1340, sponsored by Representative Martina White, which amended the Pennsylvania Uniform Planned Community Act (UPCA) and the Uniform Condominium Act (UCA) under Title 68 (Real and Personal Property). The amendments, specifically with regard to Section 3315(d) and Section 5315(e) of the Title 68 Acts – Lien for Assessments, expanded the provisions under the UPCA and the UCA and established that a lien for unpaid assessments may now be instituted within four (4) years (rather than the previous timeframe of three (3) years) after the assessments become payable. Additionally, the amendments now enable associations to resolve assessment delinquencies by allowing an association to obtain a personal judgment against the delinquent unit owner(s) rather than foreclosing on the lien, while still preserving the statutory lien. Previous to the amendment, in 2014, the United States Court of Appeals held that a personal judgment obtained by a community association in Pennsylvania did not preserve the statutory lien and that unless associations filed a lien foreclosure action within three (3) years of a delinquency, the lien for assessments was extinguished. The amendment allows associations to resolve assessment delinquencies without putting ownership of homes at risk through foreclosure proceedings.