§514C-6.5 Sales to individual lessees. Notwithstanding any other provision in this part to the contrary, a lessor may sell the leased fee interest in any land under a condominium project or cooperative project or any part thereof to individual condominium unit lessees or cooperative unit lessees; provided that the following requirements have been complied with:
(1) No individual lessee shall be obligated to enter into a contract to purchase without having been afforded a period of at least ninety days within which to consider the offer made by the lessor; provided that the individual lessee may enter into a contract to purchase before the ninety days expires if the individual lessee so desires. The lessee shall further have the right to terminate such contract to purchase without penalty for a period of ninety days from the date the contract was first entered into;
(2) At the time any offer to sell the leased fee interest is communicated to the lessee by the lessor, the association of owners or cooperative housing corporation shall be provided with written notice delivered or mailed by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid, to any two of the president, vice-president, or managing agent (if any), of the lessor's intent to sell the interest, together with a complete and correct copy of the offer, which offer shall contain the full and complete terms thereof. Except as provided in paragraph (3), where the board of directors of the association of owners or cooperative housing corporation has written authorization to represent its members, then the association of owners or cooperative housing corporation shall have a right of first refusal to purchase that leased fee interest for the same price as is contained in the written purchase offer; provided that the offer shall be deemed to be rejected if not accepted in writing by the board of directors of the condominium project or the cooperative housing corporation within one hundred twenty days of its receipt of written notice from the seller, as evidenced by the return receipts;
(3) Any board of directors of the association of owners or cooperative housing corporation may fully or partially waive its right of first refusal at any time with written notice to the lessor; provided that it shall waive its right of first refusal with respect to the leased fee interest appurtenant to a lessee's apartment at the written request of the lessee. The legislature hereby gives the board of directors of the association of owners or cooperative housing corporation the authority to exercise the foregoing waiver without having to amend any bylaws, charter, or other governing documents;
(4) Notwithstanding any provision contained in any bylaws, any amendment thereto, or written authorization authorizing the board of directors of the association of owners or cooperative housing corporation to represent the individual lessees in the lease-to-fee conversion, each lessee shall have the right to represent oneself in such lease-to-fee conversion by giving written notice of such desire to the lessor and the board of directors; and
(5) After the lessor (or its agent or representative) has been able to hold one meeting with the lessees and has been able to provide a written summary of the meeting to the lessees, then for a period of ninety days thereafter, the lessor, its agents, employees, and representatives, shall not initiate communication with the lessees regarding the offer, although such parties may respond to inquiries made by lessees. [L 1993, c 326, §1; am L 1999, c 241, §3(6); am L 2008, c 28, §36]