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ARTICLE 9
GENERAL PROVISIONS
9.1 Enforcement. The Association or any Owner shall have the right to enforce the Project Documents in any manner provided for in the Project Documents or by law or in equity, including, but not limited to, an action to obtain an injunction to compel removal of any Improvements constructed in violation of this Declaration or to otherwise compel compliance with the Project Documents. The failure of the Association or an Owner to take enforcement action with respect to a violation of the Project Documents shall not constitute or be deemed a waiver of the right of the Association or any Owner to enforce the Project Documents in the future. If any lawsuit is filed by the Association or any Owner to enforce the provisions of the Project Documents or in any other manner arising out of the Project Documents or the operations of the Association, the prevailing party in such action shall be entitled to recover from the other party all attorney fees incurred by the prevailing party in the action. In addition to any other rights or remedies available to the Association pursuant to the Project Documents or at law or in equity, the Board shall have the power to levy reasonable monetary penalties against an Owner for a violation of the Project Documents by the Owner, a Lessee of the Owner or by any Resident of the Owner’s Lot, provided the Owner is given notice and an opportunity to be heard.
9.2 Method of Termination. This Declaration may be terminated at any time if such termination is approved by the affirmative vote or written consent, or any combination thereof, of Owners representing ninety percent (90%) or more of the votes in each class of Membership and by the holders of First Mortgages on Lots the Owners of which have seventy-five percent (75%) or more of the votes in the Association. If the necessary votes and consents are obtained, the Board shall cause to be Recorded a Certificate of Termination, duly signed by the President or Vice President and attested by the Secretary or Assistant Secretary of the Association, with their signatures acknowledged. Thereupon this Declaration shall have no further force and effect, and the Association shall be dissolved pursuant to the terms set forth in its Articles.
9.3 Amendments.
9.3.1 Except for amendments made pursuant to Subsection 9.3.2 or 9.3.4 of this Declaration, the Declaration may only be amended by the written approval or the affirmative vote, or any combination thereof, of Owners representing not less than seventy-five percent (75%) of the total votes in the Association.
9.3.2 The Declarant, so long as the Declarant owns any Lot, and thereafter, the Board, may amend this Declaration, without obtaining the approval or consent of any Owner or First Mortgagee, in order to conform this Declaration to the requirements or guidelines of the Federal National Mortgage Association, the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, the Federal Housing Administration, the Veterans Administration or any federal, state or local governmental agency whose approval of the Project or the Project Documents is required by law or requested by the Declarant or the Board.
9.3.3 So long as the Declarant owns any Lot or any other property within the Project, any amendment to this Declaration must be approved in writing by the Declarant.
9.3.4 The Declarant, so long as the Declarant owns any Lot or any other property within the Project, and thereafter, the Board, may amend this Declaration without the consent of any other Member to correct any error or inconsistency in the Declaration.
9.3.5 At any time after the Transition Date, any amendment approved pursuant to Subsection 9.3.1 of this Declaration or by the Board pursuant to Subsection 9.3.2 or 9.3.4 of this Declaration shall be signed by the President or Vice President of the Association and shall be Recorded, and any such amendment shall certify that the amendment has been approved as required by this Section. Anyamendment made by the Declarant prior to the Transition Date or pursuant to Subsection 9.3.2 or 9.3.4 of this Declaration shall be signed by the Declarant and Recorded. Unless a later effective date is provided for in the amendment, any amendment to this Declaration shall be effective upon the Recording of the amendment.
9.4 Rights of First Mortgagees.
9.4.1 Any First Mortgagee will, upon written request, be entitled to: (i) inspect the books and records of the Association during normal business hours; (ii) receive within ninety (90) days following the end of any fiscal year of the Association, a financial statement of the Association for the immediately preceding fiscal year of the Association, free of charge to the requesting party; and (iii) receive written notice of all meetings of the Members of the Association and be permitted to designate a representative to attend all such meetings.
9.4.2 No Lot shall be partitioned or subdivided without the prior written approval of the holder of any First Mortgage on such Lot.
9.4.3 Unless at least two-thirds (2/3) of the First Mortgagees (based upon one vote for each First Mortgage owned) or Owners (other than the sponsor, developer or builder) of at least two-thirds (2/3) of the Lots have given their prior written approval, the Association shall not be entitled to:
(i) Seek to abandon, partition, subdivide, sell or transfer the Common Area owned, directly or indirectly, by the Association for the benefit of the Lots. The granting of easements for public utilities or for other public purposes consistent with the intended use of such Common Area shall not be deemed a transfer within the meaning of this Subsection;
(ii) Change the method of determining the obligations, assessments, dues or other charges which may be levied against an Owner;
(iii) Change, waive or abandon any scheme or regulations, or enforcement thereof, pertaining to the architectural design or the exterior appearance of Lots or the maintenance of the Common Area;
(iv) Fail to maintain fire and extended coverage insurance on Common Area on current replacement cost basis in an amount of at least 100 percent of insurable value;
(v) Use hazard insurance proceeds for losses to any Common Area, for other than the repair, replacement or reconstruction of such Common Area.
9.4.4 No provision of this Declaration gives or shall be construed as giving any Owner or other Person priority over any rights of a First Mortgagee of a Lot in the case of the distribution to such Owner of insurance proceeds or condemnation awards for losses to or taking of the Common Area.
9.4.5 Any First Mortgagee who receives a written request from the Board to respond to or consent to any action requiring the consent of the First Mortgagee shall be deemed to have approved such action if the Association has not received a negative response from such Fast Mortgagee within thirty (30) days of the date of the Association’s request.
9.4.6 In the event of any conflict or inconsistency between the provisions of this Section and any other provision of the Project Documents, the provisions of this Section shall prevail; provided, however, that in the event of any conflict or inconsistency between the provisions of this Section and any other provisions of the Project Documents with respect to the number or percentage of Owners or First Mortgagees that must consent to (i) an amendment of the Declaration, Articles or Bylaws, (ii) a termination of the Project, or (iii) certain actions of the Association as specified in Subsection 9.4.3 of this Declaration, the provision requiring the consent of the greatest number or percentage of Owners or First Mortgagees shall prevail; provided, however, that the Declarant, so long as the Declarant owns any Lot, and thereafter, the Board, without the consent of any Owner or First Mortgagee being required, shall have the right to amend this Declaration, the Articles or the Bylaws in order to conform this Declaration, the Articles or the Bylaws to the requirements or guidelines of the Federal National Mortgage Association, the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, the Federal Housing Administration, the Veterans Administration or any federal, state or local _governmental agency whose approval of the Project, a Plat or the Project Documents is required or requested by the Declarant or the Board.
9.5 Interpretation. Except for judicial construction, the Association shall have the exclusive right to construe and interpret the provisions of this Declaration. In the absence of any adjudication to the contrary by a court of competent jurisdiction, the Association’s construction or interpretation of the provisions hereof shall be final, conclusive and binding as to all Persons and property benefited or bound by this Declaration. In the event of any conflict between this Declaration and the Articles, Bylaws, Association Rules or Design Guidelines, this Declaration shall control. In the event of any conflict between the Articles and the Bylaws, the Articles shall control. In the event of any conflict between the Bylaws and the Association Rules or Design Guidelines, the Bylaws shall control.
9.6 Severability. Any determination by any court of competent jurisdiction that any provision of this Declaration is invalid or unenforceable shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any of the other provisions hereof.
9.7 Rule Against Perpetuities. If any interest purported to be created by this Declaration is challenged under the rule against perpetuities or any related rule, the interest shall be construed as becoming void and of no effect as of the end of the applicable period of perpetuities computed from the date when the period of perpetuities starts to run on the challenged interest; the “lives in being” for computing the period of perpetuities shall be (i) those which would be used in determining the validity of the challenged interest, plus (ii) those of the issue of the Board who are living at the time the period of perpetuities starts to run on the challenged interest.
9.8 Change of Circumstances. Except as otherwise expressly provided in this Declaration, no change of conditions or circumstances shall operate to extinguish, terminate or modify any of the provisions of this Declaration.
9.9 Notice of Violation. The Association shall have the right to record against a Lot a written notice of a violation with respect to any violation of the Project Documents by the Owner, Lessee or Resident of the Lot. The notice shall be executed by an officer of the Association and shall contain substantially the following information: (i) the name of the Owner, Lessee or Resident violating, or responsible for the violation of, the Project Documents; (ii) the legal description of the Lot against which the notice is being Recorded; (iii) a brief description of the nature of the violation; (iv) a statement that the notice is being Recorded by the Association pursuant to this Declaration; and (v) a statement of the specific steps which must be taken by the Owner, Lessee or Resident to cure the violation. Recordation of a notice of violation shall serve as notice to the Owner, Lessee and Resident, and any subsequent purchaser of the Lot, that there is such a violation. If, after the recordation of such notice, it is determined by the Association that the violation referred to in the notice does not exist or that the violation referred to in the notice has been cured, the Association shall Record a notice of compliance with shall state the legal description of the Lot against which the notice of violation was Recorded, and the recording data of the notice of violation, and shall state that the violation referred to in the notice of violation has been cured or ‘that the violation did not exist. Failure by the Association to Record a notice of violation shall not constitute a waiver of any such violation, constitute any evidence that no violation exists with respect to a particular Lot or constitute a waiver of any right of the Association to enforce the Project Documents.
9.10 Laws, Ordinances and Regulations.
9.10.1 The covenants, conditions and restrictions set forth in this Declaration and the provisions requiring Owners and other Persons to obtain the approval of the Board or the Architectural Review Committee with respect to certain actions are independent of the obligation of the Owners and other Persons to comply with all applicable laws, ordinances and regulations, and compliance with this Declaration shall not relieve an Owner or any other Person from the obligation to also comply with all applicable laws, ordinances and regulations.
9.10.2 Any violation of any state, municipal, or local law, ordinance or regulation pertaining to the ownership, occupation or use of any property within the Property is hereby declared to be a violation of this Declaration and subject to any or all of the enforcement procedures set forth herein.
9.11 References to this Declaration in Deeds. Deeds to and instruments affecting any Lot or any other part of the Project may contain the covenants, conditions and restrictions herein set forth by reference to this Declaration; but regardless of whether any such reference is made in any Deed or instrument, each and all of the provisions of this Declaration shall be binding upon the grantee, Owner or other Person claiming through any instrument and his heirs, executors, administrators, successors and assignees.
9.12 Gender and Number. Wherever the context of this Declaration so requires, words used in the masculine gender shall include the feminine and neuter genders; words used in the neuter gender shall include the masculine and feminine genders; words in the singular shall include the plural; and words in the plural shall include the singular.
9.13 Captions and Titles. All captions, titles or headings of the Articles and Sections in this Declaration are for the purpose of reference and convenience only and are not to be deemed to limit, modify or otherwise affect any of the provisions hereof or to be used in determining the intent of context thereof.
9.14 No Absolute Liability. No provision of the Project Documents shall be interpreted or construed as imposing on Owners absolute liability for damage to the Common Area. Owners shall only be responsible for damage to the Common Area caused by the Owners’ negligence or intentional acts.
9.15 Limitation on Declarant’s Liability. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Declaration, each Owner, by accepting any interest in any portion of the Property and becoming an Owner, acknowledges and agrees that neither Declarant (including, without limitation, any assignee of the interest of Declarant hereunder) nor any affiliate,-partner, officer, director or shareholder of Declarant (or any partner of shareholder in any such assignee) shall have any personal liability to the Association, or any Owner, Member or any other Person, arising under, in connection with, or resulting from (including, without limitation, resulting from action or failure to act with respect to) this Declaration or the Association except, in the case of Declarant (or its assignee), to the extent of its interest in the Property and, in the event of a judgment, no execution or other action shall be sought or brought thereon against any other assets or be a lien upon such other assets of the judgment debtor.
9.16 Transfer of Title to Common Area. Declarant shall convey each Common Area to the Association upon completion of the Improvements thereon.
Declarant:
PULTE HOME CORPORATION, a Michigan corporation
STATE OF ARIZONA
County of Maricopa
(Notary Signature and Stamp placed here)