(1) (a) If any unit owner fails to timely pay assessments or any money or sums due to the association, the association may require reimbursement for collection costs and reasonable attorney fees and costs incurred as a result of such failure without the necessity of commencing a legal proceeding.
For any failure to comply with the provisions of this article or any provision of thedeclaration, bylaws, articles, or rules and regulations, other than the payment of assessments or any money or sums due to the association, the association, any unit owner, or any class of unit owners adversely affected by the failure to comply may seek reimbursement for collection costs and reasonable attorney fees and costs incurred as a result of such failure to comply, without the necessity of commencing a legal proceeding.
In any civil action to enforce or defend the provisions of this article or of the declaration, bylaws, articles, or rules and regulations, the court shall award reasonable attorney fees, costs, and costs of collection to the prevailing party.
Notwithstanding paragraph (c) of this subsection (1), in connection with any claim inwhich a unit owner is alleged to have violated a provision of this article or of the declaration, bylaws, articles, or rules and regulations of the association and in which the court finds that the unit owner prevailed because the unit owner did not commit the alleged violation:
The court shall award the unit owner reasonable attorney fees and costs incurred inasserting or defending the claim; and
The court shall not award costs or attorney fees to the association. In addition, theassociation shall be precluded from allocating to the unit owner's account with the association any of the association's costs or attorney fees incurred in asserting or defending the claim.
(e) A unit owner shall not be deemed to have confessed judgment to attorney fees or collection costs.
(2) Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, no action shall be commenced or maintained to enforce the terms of any building restriction contained in the provisions of the declaration, bylaws, articles, or rules and regulations or to compel the removal of any building or improvement because of the violation of the terms of any such building restriction unless the action is commenced within one year from the date from which the person commencing the action knew or in the exercise of reasonable diligence should have known of the violation for which the action is sought to be brought or maintained.
Source: L. 91: Entire article added, p. 1714, § 1, effective July 1, 1992. L. 96: Entire section amended, p. 1087, § 1, effective May 23. L. 2005: (1) amended, p. 1376, § 5, effective January 1, 2006. L. 2006: (1)(c) amended, p. 1217, § 4, effective May 26.