This post will deal with legal restrictions (if any) that apply to tenancy in common formation, the TIC agreement, and financing a TIC, with an emphasis on how fractional financing loans work. As in the last post, with the kind permission of attorney D. Andrew Sirkin, I will be quoting from his article “Questions and Answers on Tenancy in Common” (11/01/06).
“In California, appellate courts have recognized a distinction betwen recorded and unrecorded documents assigning usage rights, and this distinction means that local laws restricting or prohibiting the conversion of apartment buildings into legal subdivisions such as condominiums do not apply to the creation of a tenancy in common arrangement so long as no document deeding or otherwise assigning usage is recorded in public records. Consequently, tenancy in common formation does not require any filing or approval with local governmental agencies (such as counties, cities, and towns).”1
However, if the property to be co-owned and occupied by the group contains five or more residential units, Department of Real Estate (DRE) approval is required. This approval process takes about 6-9 months, resulting in the issuance of a “White Paper”, or DRE Public Report, which contains extensive information and disclosures about the tenency in common group and the property. This report must be given to all prospective buyers. Generally, tenents can re-sell their interests without a Public Report, but the rules defining a true resale are strict in order to avoid shams designed to circumvent approval requirements.
Recent attempts by San Francisco lawmakers to restrict or discourage tenancy in common formations indirectly, thus keeping owners of apartment buildings in the rental housing business, have proven innefective or been rejected by the courts. The most recent attempt in 2001 tried to make exclusive occupancy agreements, even unwritten or implied ones, illegal and unenforceable. The result would have been to make tenancy in common ownership more risky and discourage their formations. The California Court of Appeal, in 2004, held that this law was a violation of the constitutional right of privacy, and that strict constitutional limitations apply to the ability of the government to interfere with co-owners’ internal arrangements regarding the usage of their shared property.
“The upshot is that, under current California law, a TIC of the space-assignment type discussed in this article could be formed for any building (residential, commercial, or mixed use) in any location in the state. Neither the location of the building, or its zoning, size, layout, age, unit mix or construction, matter from a regulatory standpoint.”2
The TIC agreement should be drawn up by a qualified attorney, with experience in tenancies in common. The agreement should, rather than being brief, be as detailed as possible, in an attempt to address any and every possible future real-life situation that might arise. Remember, in the event that friendly relations among the co-owners break down and it is necessary to refer to the agreement in an attempt to resolve a difficulty or issue, you will want specific solutions, not ambiguity.
The agreement should include, but not be limited to:
- How the property should be divided
- Co-tenents’ general and specific financial obligations
- Formulas for determining and periodically adjusting each owners’ monthly payment
- Management of the property
- Rules governing usage of the property (pets, noise, etc)
- Defining the decision making process
- Defining and remedying default
- Policies covering death or bankruptcy
- Sales of interests and approval of potential buyers
- Resolving disputes.
In addition to the more common group loans used to finance TICs, a concept called fractional financing has been introduced recently. This provides separate loans for each fractional owner. “Each loan involves a note signed only by the owner of a particular tenancy in common interest, secured by a deed of trust covering only that owner’s TIC share. If a particular owner defaults on his/her loan, the lender can forclose only on that owner’s share. The foreclosed share is then sold, and the buyer acquires the defaulting owner’s interest. Unlike with group financing, none of the other tenancy in common owners are affected by the default or foreclosure.”3
Individual TIC financing is different than individual condominium financing in that a condominium loan is secured by title to a particular unit, while a TIC loan relies on a contract, the unrecorded TIC agreement. This makes financing this type of loan more risky for the lender, just as it makes TIC ownership more risky for the owner than condo ownership. The fact that several San Francisco banks, (which have a successful 20 year record of this type of lending), have recently announced that they are offering fractional financing indicates that they now are assured that tenancy in common projects do not present significantly greater risks than other types of home lending. It also indicates that the banks are aware of the enormous potential for loans in this rapidly growing market.
The tenancy in common concept presents a viable way to address the problems of soaring housing costs in West Hollywood and other areas as well. As with any new idea, the concept requires an open mind and the willingness to try out new, non-traditional styles of living. I welcome any comments, questions, or suggestions.
- D. Andrew Sirkin “Questions and Answers on Tenancy in Common” (11/01/06)
- D. Andrew Sirkin “Questions and Answers on Tenancy in Common” (11/01/06)
- D. Andrew Sirkin “Questions and Answers on Tenancy in Common” (11/01/06)