Maine Revised Statutes

Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 33, § 1603-111 (2026)

Tort and contract liability

✓ current as of May 2026
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Neither the association nor any unit owner except the declarant is liable for that declarant's torts in connection with any part of the condominium which that declarant has the responsibility to maintain. Otherwise, an action alleging a wrong done by the association shall be brought against the association and not against any unit owner.   [PL 1981, c. 699 (NEW).]
If the wrong accrued during any period of declarant control, and if the association gives the declarant reasonable notice of and an opportunity to defend against the action, the declarant who then controlled the association is liable to the association or to any unit owner: (1) For all tort losses not covered by insurance suffered by the association or that unit owner; and (2) for all costs which the association would not have incurred but for the breach of contract or other wrongful act or omission. In any case where the declarant is liable to the association under this section, the declarant is also liable for all litigation expenses, including reasonable attorneys' fees, incurred by the association. During any period in which the control of the declarant is limited to the power to approve actions of the association or executive board, as provided in section 1603‑103, subsection (d), the declarant shall be liable under this section only for losses caused by the exercise of declarant's right of disapproval. Any statute of limitation affecting the association's right of action under this section is tolled until the period of declarant control terminates. A unit owner is not precluded from bringing an action contemplated by this section because he is a unit owner or a member or officer of the association. Liens resulting from judgments against the association are governed by section 1603‑117, other liens affecting the condominium.   [PL 1981, c. 699 (NEW).]
SECTION HISTORY
PL 1981, c. 699 (NEW).
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 4 cases (1 in the last 5 years), 2005–2025 · leading case: Kathy S. Brown v. Compass Harbor Vill. Condo. Ass'n, 2020 ME 44 (Me. 2020).
Kathy S. Brown v. Compass Harbor Vill. Condo. Ass'n, 2020 ME 44 (Me. 2020). “However, pursuant to the Maine Condominium Act, when the declarant controls the association—as in this case—the declarant “is liable to the association or to any unit owner: (1) For all tort losses not covered by insurance suffered by the association or that unit owner; and (2)…”
Maples v. Contorakes (Me. Super. Ct 2020). “If a wrong accrues during the period of declarant control, and the association gives the declarant reasonable notice of and an opportunity to defend against the action, the declarant who then controlled the association is liable to any unit owner for tort losses not covered by…”
The Vill. at Ocean's End Condo. Ass'n v. Sw. Harbor Props. LLC, 2025 ME 85 (Me. 2025). “Section 1603-111 applies to third-party tort or contract claims and provides a condominium association or unit owner a right to be indemnified for wrongs that occurred during a period of declarant control and for which the declarant could have defended; that is clearly not the…”
Blanchard v. Php Props., Inc. (Me. Super. Ct 2005). “33 M.R.S.A. § 1603-111. Indeed, during this time, the declarant and its appointees to the association are held “to a higher standard of care than unit- owner elected directors,” 8 RICHARD POWELL, POWELL ON REAL PROPERTY § 544.”
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.