Minnesota HOA Foreclosures

In Minnesota, if your home is part of a homeowners' association (HOA) and you fall behind in assessments:

• The HOA can get a lien on your home if you become delinquent in paying the assessments.
• The HOA can charge you for the overdue assessments, penalties, late charges, fines, interest, costs, and some other charges.
• If you make a written request, the HOA has to provide you with a statement of the amount of unpaid assessments.
• Once the association has a lien on your property, the HOA may foreclose.
• Lien priority determines what happens to other liens, like a mortgage lien, if an HOA lien is foreclosed.
• If you lose your home to an HOA foreclosure, you get limited time to redeem it (pay off the debt and reclaim the property).

If the HOA initiates a foreclosure, you might have a defense to the action, such as the association charged you too much, imposed unreasonable fees, or failed to follow state laws.

Or you might be able to negotiate a way to get caught up on the overdue amounts and save your home. For example, you might be able to pay off the entire delinquency, negotiate a reduced payoff amount, or enter into a repayment plan.

How HOA Assessments and Liens Generally Work

When you buy a single-family home, townhome, or another home in a planned community with covenants, you'll most likely pay fees and assessments, often collectively called "assessments," to an HOA. If you fall behind in the assessments, the association will likely initially try to collect the debt using traditional methods. For instance, the association will probably call you and send letters.

But if those tactics don't get you to pay up, the association might try other ways to collect from you. The association could take away your privileges to use the common facilities or file a lawsuit for a money judgment against you.

Based on the association's Declaration of Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions (CC&Rs) and state law, most HOAs also have the power to get a lien on your property if you become delinquent in assessments. Once you fall behind in payments, a lien will usually automatically attach to your property. Sometimes, the association will record its lien with the county recorder to provide public notice that the lien exists, regardless of whether state law requires recording.

An assessments lien clouds the title to the property, hindering your ability to sell or refinance the home. In addition, the property can also be foreclosed to force a sale to a new owner—even if the property has a mortgage.

How HOA Liens Work In Minnesota

Under Minnesota law, an association has a lien on a unit for any assessment levied against that unit from when the assessment becomes due. If an assessment is payable in installments, the full amount of the assessment becomes a lien from the time the first installment became due. (Minn. Stat. § 515B.3-116(a)).

The recording of the CC&Rs constitutes record notice and perfection of the lien. Recording a notice of or claim for the lien isn't required. (Minn. Stat. § 515B.3-116(a)).

Charges a Minnesota HOA May Include in the Lien

Minnesota law outlines the charges that an HOA may include in its assessments lien. Unless the declaration provides otherwise, the association generally can include charges for:

• assessments
• late charges
• fines
• interest, and
• some other charges, like statements of unpaid assessments. (Minn. Stat. § 515B.3-115(e)(4) and (5), § 515B.3-1151(e)(4) and (5)§ 515B.3-116(a), § 515B.3-102(a)).

Also, in a foreclosure, the HOA is entitled to recover foreclosure attorneys' fees and costs if authorized by the declaration or bylaws (in a nonjudicial foreclosure) or as determined by the court (in a judicial foreclosure). (Minn. Stat. § 515B.3-116(h)(4)).

Requesting a Statement of Unpaid Assessments

If you make a written request to the HOA, the association must provide you with a statement of the overdue assessments within ten business days after receiving the request. (Minn. Stat. § 515B.3-116(g)).

HOA Lien Foreclosures in Minnesota

In Minnesota, an HOA may foreclose its lien either judicially or nonjudicially. (Minn. Stat. § 515B.3-116(h)(1)).

Redemption Period After an HOA Forecloses

The redemption period is generally six months from the date of sale, though it might be a lesser period if authorized by law. (Minn. Stat. § 515B.3-116(h)(4)).

What Is the Statute of Limitations for Enforcing the HOA Lien?

For the HOA's lien to remain valid, the association must initiate an action to enforce the lien, like through a foreclosure, within three years after the last installment of the assessment becomes due. (Minn. Stat. § 515B.3-116(d)).

HOA Liens and Your Mortgage

A common misconception is that the association can't foreclose if you're current with your mortgage payments. But an association's right to foreclose isn't dependent on whether you're up to date on your mortgage. Instead, lien priority determines what happens in a foreclosure.

What Is Lien Priority?

The priority of liens establishes who gets paid first following a foreclosure sale and often determines whether a lienholder will get paid at all. Liens generally follow the "first in time, first in right" rule, which says that whichever lien is recorded first in the land records has higher priority than later recorded liens. A first lien has a higher priority than other liens and gets the first crack at the foreclosure sale proceeds.

If any proceeds are left after the first lien is paid in full, the excess proceeds go to the second lienholder until that lien is paid off, and so on. A lien with a low priority might get nothing from a foreclosure sale.

But state law or an association's governing documents can adjust lien priority.

HOA Lien Priority in Minnesota

While an HOA's lien is typically considered prior to other liens, some liens get priority over an HOA lien, including:

• liens and encumbrances recorded before the declaration
• liens for real estate taxes and other governmental assessments
• a master association lien (if the common interest community is part of a master association), and
• a first mortgage. (Minn. Stat. § 515B.3-116(b)).

Talk to a Lawyer If You're Facing an HOA Foreclosure

If you're considering buying a home in an HOA community in Minnesota or you already live in one, take the time to familiarize yourself with state association laws, and the community's governing documents, like the CC&Rs. That way, you'll understand how the association operates and any legal restrictions on it. Talk to a lawyer if you have any questions about the HOA's governing documents or your legal rights.

If you're facing a foreclosure by an HOA in Minnesota, consider consulting with a foreclosure attorney to learn more about state laws, how they apply to your situation, and to discuss all legal options available in your particular circumstances.