District of Columbia guide
District of Columbia condo resale certificate review
On a District of Columbia condo resale, the seller must obtain from the association and furnish to the buyer a copy of the condominium instruments plus a resale certificate under D.C. Code §42-1904.11.
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The certificate is statutory and specific — it must contain nine enumerated items, from the binding unpaid-assessment statement to pending litigation, reserves, and insurance. The association must furnish it within ten days of a written request, and the buyer has a short cancellation window once the documents arrive. Read the certificate as the District's primary tool for surfacing super-lien delinquency, looming special assessments, and insurance gaps before closing — and verify the cancellation clock against the current statute, because D.C.'s window is unusually short.
The nine items §42-1904.11 requires
The resale certificate must contain: the binding statement of unpaid assessments under §42-1903.13(h) (and any right-of-first-refusal waiver under §42-1903.15, if applicable); any capital expenditures approved by the association but not yet reflected in the current operating budget; the status and amount of reserves, including any portion earmarked to a specific project; the most recent statement of financial condition and the current operating budget; any pending suits or judgments to which the association is a party; a statement of the insurance coverage provided to owners; a statement that prior alterations or improvements do not violate the instruments; the remaining term of any leasehold estate affecting the condominium or unit; and the date of issuance. The seller must furnish the instruments and certificate on or before the tenth business day after the buyer signs the contract, and the association must furnish the certificate within ten days of a written request (§42-1904.11(b)). Confirm every item is present — a missing item is a defect.
The binding unpaid-assessment statement is the load-bearing item
Item one — the §42-1903.13(h) statement of unpaid assessments — is binding on the association and is the single most important field for managing D.C.'s super-lien risk. Six months of unpaid assessments are a super-priority lien ahead of the first mortgage, and an association's foreclosure on that slice can extinguish the mortgage entirely (Chase Plaza v. JPMorgan Chase, D.C. 2014). Confirm the subject unit is current, then read the financial statement for building-wide delinquency, which signals systemic super-lien and financial stress. A further protection: if the association fails to provide the §42-1903.13(h) statement within ten days, the assessment lien is extinguished as to that unit.
Read the forward-looking items together
Three items preview future cost: approved-but-unbudgeted capital expenditures (an early warning of a coming special assessment), the reserve status and any earmarking, and the insurance summary. Read them together — an approved capital project plus a thin reserve is the classic setup for an out-of-pocket charge after closing, because D.C. mandates no reserve funding and no inspection program to force capital planning in its aging stock. Read the insurance statement against the §42-1903.10 90%-replacement-cost floor and the master deductible, and read the pending-litigation item for any super-lien, warranty, or governance dispute.
The short cancellation window
Once the documents and certificate are furnished, the buyer has three business days to cancel in writing and return the documents (but not after conveyance); if the documents are furnished before contract execution, the three-day clock starts at execution. If they are not furnished by the tenth business day, the buyer may cancel any time before receiving them (but not after conveyance), and on cancellation earnest money is refunded without deduction. This is a much shorter window than a new-construction sale (fifteen days). Verify the exact mechanics against the current statute and your contract, and act immediately once the certificate arrives — the clock leaves little room to read a complex package late.
District of Columbia legal references
- D.C. Code §42-1904.11 — Resale of a unit; resale certificate; cancellation
- D.C. Code §42-1903.13 — Lien for assessments; super-priority; §(h) statement
- D.C. Code §42-1903.10 — Insurance requirements (90% replacement cost)
Informational only. Not legal advice. Always confirm against current statute and counsel.
Need help applying these District of Columbia statutes to your specific situation? We can connect you with state-licensed counsel and specialists familiar with this exact regulatory environment.
Find a District of Columbia specialist →Reviewer's checklist
- Confirm the seller furnished the condominium instruments and full resale certificate (§42-1904.11)
- Verify all nine §42-1904.11(a) items are present — a missing item is a defect
- Confirm the binding §42-1903.13(h) unpaid-assessment statement and that the unit is current
- Read the financial statement for building-wide delinquency (super-lien signal)
- Read the approved-but-unbudgeted capital-expenditure item (§42-1904.11(a)(2))
- Read the reserve status and any earmarked portion (§42-1904.11(a)(3))
- Read the insurance summary against the §42-1903.10 90% floor and the master deductible
- Read the pending-suits item for super-lien, warranty, or governance disputes
- Calendar the 3-business-day resale cancellation window and act immediately
- Confirm you are buying a condominium, not a co-op or covenant HOA (different regime)
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Get My Free Risk Report →Source documents
- Declaration & bylawsthe rules
- Budget & financialsthe money
- Reserve studythe big repairs
- Meeting minuteswhat the board fears
Cross-reference
The risk lives in the contradiction between documents.
An assessment in the minutes but not the estoppel; a reserve the budget never funds.
Risk report
Severity-graded across 8 categories.
Every finding cites the document, page number, and quoted text.
How CondoSignal reviews this
We read the reserve study, operating budget, and 24 months of meeting minutes together — district of columbia condo resale certificate review risk usually lives in the contradiction between documents, not in any single one of them. Every finding cites the source document, the page number, and the quoted text behind it.
See our 8-category framework →Risk Intelligence
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Related reading
Guides for District of Columbia buyers and owners
Can a D.C. HOA Foreclosure Really Wipe Out Your Mortgage? The Super-Lien Explained
Washington, D.C. is a true super-priority lien jurisdiction where a condo association's foreclosure on six months of unpaid dues can extinguish the first mortgage entirely. Here is how it works and how to protect yourself before closing.
D.C. Condo Reserves: Not Required by Law — Here's Why an Aging Building Still Needs Them
The District of Columbia does not require a reserve study or any reserve funding, and it has no façade or structural inspection mandate. In a city of prewar buildings and condo conversions, that gap is the buyer's problem to solve.
What to Look for in Condo Documents: A Buyer's Complete Guide
A resale package contains roughly a dozen documents. Learn what each one discloses, what most buyers overlook, and which sections to read closely before you close.
Should I Buy a Condo With Incomplete Resale Documents?
Incomplete resale documents are a red flag of their own near your deadline. Learn what's usually missing and get a free document review.
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Reviewed by Kirk Hasley, Founder. Every claim here is checked against current District of Columbia statute and primary sources, using the same documented review framework we run on every file. Last reviewed June 13, 2026.
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Risk Intelligence
Review the documents before your contingency ends
Most buyers get 7–14 days to review condo documents. Upload the packet — we read the reserve study, budget, minutes, and insurance summary and flag the risks, every finding linked to the exact page. Free.
Expert Matching
Need a real estate lawyer or mortgage specialist?
We can connect you with vetted real estate lawyers, mortgage brokers, and insurance brokers familiar with the specifics of condo and HOA transactions.
- HOA lawyer