Special assessment from your Connecticut condo — and the 15% the board can charge without a vote

Connecticut at a glance

The 15% safe harbor

Under CIOA § 47-261e, a special assessment is effective with no owner vote if it stays within a cumulative 15% of the association's annual budget for the year. Above that, the board must notice owners and the assessment is subject to rejection by a majority of all owners. So a board with major capital needs can impose substantial assessments each year without owner input — a real risk if you're relying on today's low dues.

Pyrrhotite — the crumbling-foundation crisis

In a belt of ~41 north-central and eastern Connecticut towns, concrete foundations made with pyrrhotite are slowly failing — a six-figure remediation per building that standard policies exclude. A state captive (CFSIC) covers condo associations, but it sunsets June 30, 2030. If your building is in the affected region, a foundation test on record is the most important thing to confirm.

Borrowing needs a real vote

While ordinary assessments use the 15% safe harbor or a rejection vote, borrowing for a capital project and pledging future assessments as collateral requires an affirmative owner vote (§ 47-261e). The resale certificate (with a 5-day cancellation right) discloses approved capital expenditures over $1,000 — but not pending unvoted specials, so read the minutes too.

Sources

• Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47-261e — budgets, special assessments, loans(High)
• Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47-258 — lien for assessments(High)
• CFSIC — Connecticut Foundation Solutions Indemnity Company(High)

Educational only — not legal, financial, or engineering advice. Confirm against the current statute and, where it matters, a Connecticut-licensed professional.