4412 - Cooperatives containing conversion buildings.
§ 4412. Cooperatives containing conversion buildings. (a) Notice of conversion.--The declarant of every cooperative containing one or more conversion buildings shall give each of the residential tenants and subtenants, if any, lawfully in possession of a unit or units in a conversion building a conversion notice no later than one year before the declarant will require residential tenants and residential subtenants to vacate, subject to revocation of such notice in accordance with subsection (k). The conversion notice must set forth generally the rights of residential tenants and residential subtenants under this section and shall be hand delivered to the unit or mailed by prepaid United States certified or registered mail, return receipt requested, to the residential tenant and residential subtenant at the address of the unit and not more than one other mailing address provided by a residential tenant. Every notice shall be accompanied by a public offering statement concerning the proposed sale of cooperative interests within such conversion building or buildings. Except as otherwise provided in subsection (f), no such residential tenant or residential subtenant in a conversion building may be required to vacate the unit he leases earlier than one year after the conversion notice date, except by reason of nonpayment of rent, waste or conduct that disturbs other tenants' peaceful enjoyment of the premises, and the terms of the tenancy, including terms that apply to a period occurring in whole or in part after the conversion notice date, may not be altered, but may be enforced, during that period. Failure to give notice to a residential tenant or residential subtenant entitled to such notice pursuant to this subsection is a defense to an action for possession against such residential tenant or residential subtenant. (b) Offer to tenant to purchase cooperative interest.--For six months after the conversion notice date, the declarant shall offer to convey the cooperative interest for each unit or proposed unit occupied for residential use in a conversion building to the tenant who leases that unit. If the tenant fails to purchase the cooperative interest during that six-month period, the offeror may not offer to dispose of an interest in that cooperative interest during the following six months at a price or on terms more favorable to the offeree than the price or terms offered to the tenant. This subsection shall not apply to any cooperative interest in a conversion building if the unit which is part of that cooperative interest was, immediately prior to the conversion notice date, restricted or devoted exclusively to nonresidential use or the boundaries of which unit, after the creation of the cooperative, will not substantially conform to the boundaries of such unit on the conversion notice date. (c) Effect of wrongful conveyance.--If a declarant, in violation of subsection (b), conveys a cooperative interest to a purchaser for value who has no knowledge of the violation, that conveyance extinguishes any right a tenant may have under subsection (b) to purchase that cooperative interest if the deed states that the declarant has complied with subsection (b), but does not affect the right of a tenant to recover damages from the declarant for a violation of subsection (b). (d) Notice to vacate.--If a conversion notice specifies a date by which a unit or proposed unit must be vacated, the conversion notice also constitutes a notice of termination of the tenant's lease, subject to revocation in accordance with subsection (k) and a notice to quit specified by section 501 of the act of April 6, 1951 (P.L.69, No.20), known as The Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951. (e) Improper lease termination prohibited.-- (1) Nothing in this section permits termination of a lease in violation of its terms. (2) Nothing in this section or in any lease shall prohibit a residential tenant, after receiving notice pursuant to subsection (a), from terminating any lease without any liability for such termination provided such tenant gives the building owner at least 90 days' written notice of the intent to terminate the lease. (3) The declarant and, if different, the owner shall not engage in any activity of any nature which would coerce any residential tenant of a conversion building into terminating any lease, including, but not limited to, stampeding, harassing tenants or withholding normal services or repairs. (f) Units leased to senior citizens and blind and disabled persons.-- (1) For the purpose of this subsection, an eligible tenant or subtenant shall be a natural person who, on the conversion notice date, lawfully occupies the unit as his principal residence and is 62 years of age or older or is disabled. For the purpose of this subsection, a person shall be deemed to be "disabled" if, on the conversion notice date, he is totally and permanently unable to engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impediment, including, but not limited to, blindness. (2) Within 60 days after the conversion notice date, any tenant or subtenant in possession of a unit who believes that he is an eligible tenant or subtenant shall so notify the declarant and shall provide the declarant with proof of his eligibility. Any eligible tenant or subtenant who has established his eligibility shall be entitled to remain in possession of his unit for two years following the conversion notice date, notwithstanding any prior termination date in his lease, except by reason of nonpayment of rent, waste or conduct that disturbs other occupants' peaceful enjoyment of the cooperative, and the terms of the tenancy, including terms that apply to a time period after the conversion notice date, may not be altered, but may be enforced, during the time period between the original lease termination date and the expiration of this two-year period, except as is provided in paragraph (3). (3) The monthly rental payable by the tenant during the time period between the later to occur of the original lease termination date or the first anniversary of the conversion notice date and the expiration of the two-year period described in paragraph (2) sentence shall be the same monthly rental as was payable for the month immediately preceding the original lease termination date, except that, at the landlord's option, such monthly rental may be increased by the lesser of 5% of such monthly rental or the same percentage increase as the percentage increase, if any, in the cost of living in the United States during the six-month time period commencing on the first day of the first full calendar month after the conversion notice date. (4) Failure to comply with the provisions of this subsection is a defense to an action for possession. (g) Tenant meetings.--With respect to any cooperative containing a conversion building with one or more units then occupied for residential use, at least 30 days before the conversion notice date, the declarant shall hold a tenant meeting open to the public in the municipality where the conversion is proposed at a place and time convenient to the persons who may be directly affected by the conversion. At least ten days' notice of the time and place of the meeting shall be given to tenants and subtenants in lawful possession of their units in the same manner as is required for the giving of the conversion notice and to the general public by a notice in a newspaper of general circulation in the area in which the cooperative is located, except that no notice to the general public need be given with respect to conversion buildings in cooperatives as to which the provisions of section 4401(b) (relating to applicability; waiver) are applicable. At such meeting, representatives of the declarant shall briefly describe the following and may, but shall not be required to, discuss other matters: (1) The rights and obligations of tenants and subtenants pursuant to this section. (2) Improvements, if any, then planned to be made to the cooperative. (3) The anticipated approximate range of initial cooperative interest sales prices, but specific sales prices need not be provided. (4) The anticipated approximate range of estimated monthly common expense liabilities for various types of cooperative interests but specific per cooperative interest estimates need not be provided. (h) Waiver of right to purchase.--Notwithstanding any provisions of this subpart prohibiting waiver of rights, any tenant or subtenant may waive his right to purchase a cooperative interest pursuant to subsection (b) if the waiver is in writing, is acknowledged and is given in consideration of: (1) a written extension of the term of that tenant's tenancy and right of occupancy under this subpart beyond the time period required by subsection (a) or (f) as applicable; (2) the tenant entering into an agreement to purchase another cooperative interest in the cooperative; or (3) the tenant or subtenant making alternative living arrangements. (i) Alteration of term of tenancy.--Notwithstanding any provisions of subsection (a) or (f), the terms of the tenancy of a tenant or subtenant may be altered with the express written consent of that tenant or subtenant, and such altered terms shall then be the terms of tenancy referred to in this section. (j) Limitation to tenants in occupancy.--The provisions of this section shall apply only with respect to conversion buildings in which one or more residential tenants or residential subtenants is in lawful occupancy on the conversion notice date, and the only tenants who are entitled to exercise the rights granted under this section are residential tenants or residential subtenants: (1) who are in lawful occupancy of a conversion building on the conversion notice date; or (2) who commence their tenancy after the conversion notice date without having been notified in writing at or prior to the commencement of their tenancy that the property is then a cooperative and that they are not entitled to the rights granted under this section. Such rights continue only so long as the lawful occupancy of the tenant or subtenant continues. (k) Revocation of conversion notice.--A declarant may subsequently revoke a conversion notice if the declarant has expressly reserved the right of revocation in the conversion notice and if the notice of revocation: (1) is given prior to the conveyance of any unit in the cooperative occurring after the conversion notice date other than a cooperative interest or cooperative interests conveyed to a successor declarant or as a result of a foreclosure of a mortgage on a cooperative interest or a deed in lieu thereof; (2) is given in the same manner as is required for the giving of the conversion notice; and (3) is given to all persons who were entitled to receive the conversion notice and who continue to be in lawful occupancy at the time such notice of revocation is given. The giving of a notice of revocation revokes all rights granted under this section, but does not revoke the rights granted to residential tenants under subsection (a) or (f), and such rights shall be deemed to have been incorporated in each residential tenant's lease. (Nov. 30, 2004, P.L.1499, No.190, eff. 60 days) 2004 Amendment. Act 190 amended subsec. (h)(1). Cross References. Section 4412 is referred to in section 4213 of this title.