Amendment to condo Master Deed or Unit Deed?

Started by WilW1 • 6 replies • 1423 views

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WilW1 (Massachusetts)
Posts: 36

Posted:

If a person changes their condo unit's interior floor plan after getting permission from the condo board, pulling a permit and doing everything properly, and then want to file the change with the Registry of Deeds, is this considered an amendment to the Master Deed or the Unit Deed?

MarkM31 (Washington)
Posts: 351

Posted:

It will depend on the local jurisdiction. For example, in Seattle, where I live, I think you would just about have to force the assessors office kicking and screaming to attach something like that to the deed. It inside the unit, and the plans, inspections and engineers report are on file with the city or county's building department. They would claim that there was no reason to file these to the deed.

WilW1 (Massachusetts)
Posts: 36

Posted:

MarkM31,

Thanks for your feedback.

I'm just trying to see how I can phrase this to the other condo owners in my building. Is it simply considered an "amendment to the unit deed," or "a revised exhibit," or what can you call it? If you don't know, that's okay.

PitA
Posts: 1,416

Posted:

both

JohnC46 (South Carolina)
Posts: 14,265

Posted:

Quote:

Posted By MarkM31 on 09/27/2016 8:52 AM
It will depend on the local jurisdiction. For example, in Seattle, where I live, I think you would just about have to force the assessors office kicking and screaming to attach something like that to the deed. It inside the unit, and the plans, inspections and engineers report are on file with the city or county's building department. They would claim that there was no reason to file these to the deed.

This would be my initial reaction also.

LarryB13 (Arizona)
Posts: 4,099

Posted:

Quote:

Posted By WilW1 on 09/27/2016 6:24 AM
If a person changes their condo unit's interior floor plan after getting permission from the condo board, pulling a permit and doing everything properly, and then want to file the change with the Registry of Deeds, is this considered an amendment to the Master Deed or the Unit Deed?

Wil,

My suggestion has always been that whenever one obtains written permission from his association that he record it in the public records so twenty years from now there is no arguing over whether it happened.

In my state, all types of public records are filed with the county recorder and there is no separate registry of deeds. Since the association's permit is not a deed, I would recommend executing an affidavit making reference to the original deed (book and page numbers) and attaching the permit as an exhibit to the affidavit.

WilW1 (Massachusetts)
Posts: 36

Posted:

I appreciate all the responses I've gotten so far.

However, maybe I was not clear as to what I was asking. I'll try again.

Some units in the condo building where I live used to be two bedroom units but then got converted to one bedroom units.

Paperwork was filed with the Registry of Deeds to reflect the changes to these units.

I'm just trying to figure out whether these changes are considered amendments to the Unit Deeds or Master Deeds for the condos involved?

I ask because I was under the impression that it's not easy to change a Master Deed.

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