Pennsylvania • Special assessment notice
Special assessment on your Pennsylvania condo — what does the UCA allow?
Pennsylvania's condo law is UCIOA-derived and disclosure-focused: the statute doesn't cap assessments, but it forces a detailed resale certificate that surfaces what's coming. Reading it is the key.
The short answer
In Pennsylvania special assessments are set by your governing documents with no statutory cap or vote threshold, but they must be disclosed in the resale certificate (with a 5-day cancellation right). There's a 6-month super-lien but no reserve mandate. CondoSignal reads your notice against the Uniform Condominium Act. Free.Pennsylvania at a glance
Owner vote
Per documents
No statutory cap.
Resale cancel
5 days
After the certificate (§ 3407).
Reserves required
No
Disclosure only.
Super-lien
6 months
Over the foreclosing mortgage (§ 3315).
Documents control, certificate discloses
Under the Uniform Condominium Act (68 Pa.C.S. § 3314), special assessments are set by the declaration and bylaws — no statutory threshold or cap. But § 3407 requires the resale certificate to disclose unpaid and approved special assessments and planned capital projects for the next two years, and you get five days to cancel after receiving it. The only fee cap is on the resale capital-improvement fee (one year's dues).
No reserve mandate
Pennsylvania permits but doesn't require reserve studies or funding (§ 3302), so a board can run reserves to zero and special-assess later. The resale certificate must disclose reserve totals and designations — multiple recent special assessments in the history are a classic underfunding signal.
Super-lien and inspections
Pennsylvania gives the association a six-month super-lien over the foreclosing mortgage (§ 3315), so short delinquencies are low-risk to lenders. And Philadelphia (6+ stories) and Pittsburgh require periodic façade inspections — an 'unsafe' result there drives a repair assessment, so check the inspection status for a high-rise.
Your rights in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania owners get a resale certificate disclosing approved/planned specials and capital projects with a 5-day cancellation right (§ 3407), and a capital-improvement fee capped at one year's dues. None of this is legal advice — confirm against 68 Pa.C.S. and Pennsylvania counsel.
What to check
- Read the declaration/bylaws for the special-assessment process.
- Pull the resale certificate for approved specials and 2-year capital projects.
- Check reserve totals and the special-assessment history.
- For a Philly/Pittsburgh high-rise, check the façade-inspection status.
- Confirm the master policy carries the statutory subrogation waiver.
- Use your 5-day cancellation window.
Sources
- 68 Pa.C.S. § 3407 — resale certificate (5-day cancellation)(High)
- 68 Pa.C.S. § 3315 — lien for assessments (6-month priority)(High)
- 68 Pa.C.S. § 3314 — budgets and assessments(High)
Educational only — not legal, financial, or engineering advice. Confirm against the current statute and, where it matters, a Pennsylvania-licensed professional.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
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