A. An association may charge a post-closing fee and fees for preparation, delivery, and expedited delivery of a resale certificate, an updated resale certificate, or financial update and for the inspection of a unit performed to prepare the resale certificate or updated resale certificate. The seller shall be responsible for all fees associated with the preparation and delivery of the resale certificate, including any fees for inspection of the unit. The requesting party shall pay any fees for the preparation and delivery of the updated resale certificate. The seller shall be responsible for all fees associated with the preparation and delivery of the financial update. However, a settlement agent or other requesting party may pay such fees up front, regardless of whether such settlement agent or other requesting party requests to be reimbursed for such fees from the seller.
B. Unless provided otherwise by the association or this section, fees charged by an association for the preparation and delivery of a resale certificate, an updated resale certificate, or a financial update shall be paid when the resale certificate, updated resale certificate, or financial update is requested. However, if the seller agrees to pay the fees for preparation and delivery of the financial update, the association or the association’s management agent shall either (i) upon receipt of the request for the financial update, send instructions by electronic means to the seller for electronic payment or (ii) accept payment of such fees at the time of closing.
C. The Common Interest Community Board shall establish the maximum fees that the association may charge for such post-closing and preparation, delivery, and inspection; such maximum fees shall be commercially reasonable and consistent with the effort required to comply with the resale certificate requirements. The maximum allowable fees, as published by the Common Interest Community Board and effective as of January 12, 2023, shall be adjusted no less than every five years, as of January 1 of that year, in an amount not less than the annual increases for that five-year period in the United States Average Consumer Price Index for all items, all urban consumers (CPI-U), as published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor or an equivalent successor index.
D. The association shall publish and make available a schedule of the applicable fees (i) for preparation and delivery of the resale certificate, updated resale certificate, and financial update; (ii) for the inspection of a unit; and (iii) related to any post-closing costs.
E. A post-closing fee to be collected at settlement may be imposed on the purchaser of the property for the purpose of establishing the purchaser as the owner of the property in the records of the association.
F. No association may collect fees authorized by this section unless the association (i) is registered with the Common Interest Community Board; (ii) is current in filing the most recent annual report and fee with the Common Interest Community Board pursuant to § 55.1-1835, 55.1-1980, or 55.1-2182; (iii) is current in paying any assessment made by the Common Interest Community Board pursuant to § 54.1-2354.5; and (iv) provides the option to receive the resale certificate electronically.