J.D. from New York writes:
Dear Mister Condo,
In New York, is there a statute of limitations applicable to a condominium where the entity claiming to be the holdover of the mortgage note has three times, without success, sought to hold a public sale? Now, more than six years have passed since the last payment was made (to a bank no longer in existence, having been absorbed into another bank, which – in turn – was merged by the federal government into the entity which has unsuccessfully thrice attempted a public sale). If such statute of limitations exists – would it be found in the CPLR, GOL, or some other statute, rule or regulation?
Mister Condo replies:
J.D., I can only hope this association has had some legal guidance from a qualified attorney during this lengthy period. I am not an attorney so I cannot offer any legal advice in this column. I am not sure how an entity can claim to be a mortgage note holder without providing some type of documentation. The Civil Practice Laws and Rules (CPLR) and General Obligation Law (GOL) may be a great place to start but I would also suggest that the association has a lien on the property enforced by the New York Condominium Act and that whoever owns the unit is liable for the back common fees as provided in the law. An attorney may have also advised that the association foreclose on the unit for unpaid fees due to the association. Clearly, this unit needs to be liquidated one way or another and the association needs to have a dues-paying unit owner using the unit as soon as possible. That may mean taking a write-off but it should get things back on track. Consult with a locally qualified attorney to see what your options are. All the best!