Condominium lien discharge value does not include the legal costs of the lien enforcement action.
The plaintiff condominium corporation sought an order for possession of the defendants' unit pursuant to a statutory lien for unpaid common expenses, which included costs from prior compliance litigation regarding defective plumbing.
The defendants, self-represented, had resisted the plumbing replacement and made unfounded fraud allegations, leading to significant legal costs.
The court determined the value of the lien, specifically excluding the costs of the lien enforcement action itself based on a strict statutory interpretation of the Condominium Act.
The court granted a possessory order, suspended for 60 days to allow the defendants to discharge the lien, and awarded substantial indemnity costs to the plaintiff for the action.
SCJSuperior Court of JusticeMay 28, 2024