<section number="57-8-58"><effdate>5/7/2025</effdate><histories><history>Amended by Chapter <modchap sess="2025GS">197</modchap>, 2025 General Session</history><modyear>2025</modyear><history>Amended by Chapter <modchap sess="2025GS">226</modchap>, 2025 General Session</history><modyear>2025</modyear></histories><catchline>Liability of declarant or management committee -- Period of declarant control.</catchline><subsection number="57-8-58(1)">An association may not, after the period of declarant control, bring a legal action against a declarant, a management committee, or an employee, an independent contractor, or an agent of the declarant or the management committee related to the period of declarant control unless:<subsection number="57-8-58(1)(a)">the legal action is approved in advance at a meeting where owners of at least 51% in aggregate in interest of the undivided ownership of the common areas and facilities are:<subsection number="57-8-58(1)(a)(i)">present; or</subsection><subsection number="57-8-58(1)(a)(ii)">represented by a proxy specifically assigned for the purpose of voting to approve or deny the legal action at the meeting;</subsection></subsection><subsection number="57-8-58(1)(b)">the legal action is approved by vote in person or by proxy of owners of the lesser of:<subsection number="57-8-58(1)(b)(i)">more than 75% in aggregate in interest of the total aggregate interest of the undivided ownership of the common areas and facilities represented by those owners present at the meeting or represented by a proxy as described in Subsection <xref depth="4" refnumber="57-8-58(1)(a)" start="0">(1)(a)</xref>; or</subsection><subsection number="57-8-58(1)(b)(ii)">more than 51% in aggregate in interest of the undivided ownership of the common areas and facilities;</subsection></subsection><subsection number="57-8-58(1)(c)">the association provides each unit owner with the items described in Subsection <xref depth="4" refnumber="57-8-58(2)" start="0">(2)</xref>;</subsection><subsection number="57-8-58(1)(d)">the association establishes the trust described in Subsection <xref depth="4" refnumber="57-8-58(3)" start="0">(3)</xref>; and</subsection><subsection number="57-8-58(1)(e)">the association first:<subsection number="57-8-58(1)(e)(i)">notifies the person subject to the proposed action of the action and the basis of the association's claim; and</subsection><subsection number="57-8-58(1)(e)(ii)">gives the person subject to the proposed action a reasonable opportunity to resolve the dispute that is the basis of the action.</subsection></subsection></subsection><subsection number="57-8-58(2)">Before unit owners in an association may vote to approve an action described in Subsection <xref depth="4" refnumber="57-8-58(1)" start="0">(1)</xref>, the association shall provide each unit owner:<subsection number="57-8-58(2)(a)">a written notice that the association is contemplating legal action; and</subsection><subsection number="57-8-58(2)(b)">after the association consults with an attorney licensed to practice in the state, a written assessment of:<subsection number="57-8-58(2)(b)(i)">the likelihood that the legal action will succeed;</subsection><subsection number="57-8-58(2)(b)(ii)">the likely amount in controversy in the legal action;</subsection><subsection number="57-8-58(2)(b)(iii)">the likely cost of resolving the legal action to the association's satisfaction; and</subsection><subsection number="57-8-58(2)(b)(iv)">the likely effect the legal action will have on a unit owner's or prospective unit buyer's ability to obtain financing for a unit while the legal action is pending.</subsection></subsection></subsection><subsection number="57-8-58(3)">Before the association commences a legal action described in Subsection <xref depth="4" refnumber="57-8-58(1)" start="0">(1)</xref>, the association shall:<subsection number="57-8-58(3)(a)">allocate an amount equal to 10% of the cost estimated to resolve the legal action, not including attorney fees; and</subsection><subsection number="57-8-58(3)(b)">place the amount described in Subsection <xref depth="4" refnumber="57-8-58(3)(a)" start="0">(3)(a)</xref> in a trust that the association may only use to pay the costs to resolve the legal action.</subsection></subsection><subsection number="57-8-58(4)">This section does not apply to an association that brings a legal action that has an amount in controversy of less than $75,000.</subsection><subsection number="57-8-58(5)">In a legal action brought by one or more unit owners solely against the declarant before the end of the period of declarant control, a declarant may not use any funds paid by a unit owner to the association to pay for costs of the declarant's legal defense.</subsection></section>