What a Fort Lee Condo Owner Should Ask the Association Before Listing

What should a Fort Lee condo owner ask the association before listing?

Short answer: Before listing a Fort Lee condominium unit, ask the association for the certificate of unpaid assessments, which New Jersey law says it must provide within 10 days of a request. Then ask what the governing documents require on a sale, which charges or assessments are approved or pending, and what the building supplies for the borough sale Certificate of Compliance.

Updated October 23, 2026. Source: N.J.S.A. 46:8B-21 and the Borough of Fort Lee Application for a SALE Certificate of Compliance (as of 5/20/25), each checked October 23, 2026.

A condominium sale runs on two sets of paper: the unit's own and the building's. The association holds the building's. This guide lists what to ask for, in writing, and why each answer can affect when you list and when you close. It covers the property and the process only.

1. Ask First for the Unpaid Assessment Certificate

Under N.J.S.A. 46:8B-21(d), checked Oct 23, 2026, a unit owner may require the association to provide a certificate showing the amount of unpaid assessments charged against the unit, and the association must provide it within 10 days after the request. Under subsection (c) of the same section, when a unit is conveyed voluntarily, the seller and the buyer are jointly and severally liable for unpaid assessments that accrued up to the date of the conveyance, without prejudice to the buyer's right to recover from the seller any amount the buyer pays, and the buyer alone is liable for assessments that accrue while the buyer is the unit owner. That is why the certificate matters on a sale.

Request it before you list, so a current figure is on hand when a contract is signed. Ask for it in writing and keep the date of the request.

2. Ask What the Building Documents Require of a Seller

Ask for current copies of the master deed, the bylaws and the rules, and ask these questions. The answers are in those documents and in the association's reply, not in this guide.

• Does any document require notice to the association, an application, a form or a waiting period when a unit is listed or sold?
• Does the association hold any approval or purchase right on a sale?
• What does the association charge for resale paperwork, and how many days does it take?
• What are the rules for showings, open houses, lockboxes, photographers, moving, elevator use and contractor hours?

3. Ask What Is Approved, Pending or Planned

• What is the monthly common charge, what does it cover, and is a change scheduled?
• Is any special assessment approved, proposed or scheduled for a vote? Ask for the dates, the amounts and the payment terms.
• Are any capital projects underway or planned that affect the unit or the building entrance?
• Has the association received any open violation notice or started or been named in any legal action that affects the building?

Each answer can change the terms of a contract, so have the written answers in hand before you list.

4. Ask What the Building Supplies for the Borough Certificate of Compliance

The Borough of Fort Lee sale application, marked as of 5/20/25, lists condominiums among the property types and requires approval from the Fire Prevention Bureau before anyone occupies the premises. According to the form, checked Oct 23, 2026:

• The application fee is $100, and failed inspections carry additional fees.
• The certificate is issued only after all open building permits are closed and all taxes, penalties and fees owed to the borough are paid.
• For a multiple dwelling, the affidavit must be completed by the owner or building management, and real estate agents may not fill it out.
• Apartment entry doors that separate a dwelling unit from a common hallway must be self-closing and self-latching.
• In a multi-unit building, an ABC fire extinguisher is required within 10 feet of the kitchen, unless the building provides common-area extinguishers within 75 feet of travel from the unit.
• Smoke detector requirements depend on the year the building was built.

Questions for the association: who completes the affidavit for the building, what year the building was built and what smoke detection it has, where the common-area extinguishers are located, who maintains the door closer on the unit entry door, and whether any permit for work in the building or the unit is open.

Check It Yourself

• Borough of Fort Lee. The borough Applications and Forms page lists the certificate applications, and the sale application PDF is the form quoted above.
• State law.N.J.S.A. 46:8B-21 on Justia sets the unpaid assessment certificate and the seller and buyer liability.
• Agent license. Every New Jersey agent must hold a license from the NJ Real Estate Commission. Open the NJ Department of Banking and Insurance licensee search and enter the agent name or license number. Mine is NJ license #9236275.
• County record. The Bergen County Clerk land records search covers public documents, including deeds and mortgages, recorded from January 1, 1970 to the present, per the Clerk page checked Oct 23, 2026.

Proof of Record

37 closed sales in Fort Lee, 2001 to September 7, 2026, per record.sellecksellsnj.com.

For the full selling process, see how to sell your home in Fort Lee. For the town itself, see my Fort Lee community guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a certificate of unpaid assessments? It is a certificate from the association showing the unpaid assessments charged against the unit. Under N.J.S.A. 46:8B-21(d), a unit owner may require it, and the association must provide it within 10 days after the request.

Who pays unpaid condo assessments when a unit is sold in New Jersey? On a voluntary sale, the seller and the buyer are jointly and severally liable for unpaid assessments that accrued up to the date of the conveyance, under N.J.S.A. 46:8B-21(c). The buyer keeps the right to recover from the seller any amount the buyer pays.

How much is the Fort Lee sale Certificate of Compliance application fee? The application fee is $100, and failed inspections carry additional fees, per the Borough of Fort Lee sale application marked as of 5/20/25.

Can a real estate agent fill out the Fort Lee affidavit for a condo building? No. For a multiple dwelling, the form says the affidavit must be completed by the owner or building management, and real estate agents may not fill it out.

Do Fort Lee condo units need a fire extinguisher for the sale certificate? In a multi-unit building, an ABC fire extinguisher is required within 10 feet of the kitchen, unless the building provides common-area extinguishers within 75 feet of travel from the unit, per the borough form.

Meet with Me

Questions about your own paperwork? I am glad to go through it with you, with no obligation attached. Request an appointment.

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About the author. Scott Selleck, Broker Sales Associate, The Selleck Group, KW City Views Realty. Licensed since 1993. Over 500 transactions closed.

Scott Selleck Broker Sales Associate | The Selleck Group | KW City Views Realty Seniors Real Estate Specialist® (SRES®) | e-PRO® | Licensed since 1993. Over 500 transactions closed. NJ Real Estate Broker Sales Associate License #9236275. 2200 Fletcher Avenue, Suite 502, Fort Lee, NJ 07024 Cell: (201) 970-3960 | Office: (201) 592-8900 Email: [email protected] Website: SelleckSellsNJ.com Request an appointment: meet.sellecksellsnj.com AI assistant: delphi.co/scottselleck My story: coverstory.sellecksellsnj.com | Verified career record: record.sellecksellsnj.com

NJ Real Estate Broker Sales Associate License #9236275. Licensure does not imply endorsement. FL Real Estate Sales Associate License #SL3588731, Keller Williams Boca Raton Realty. Keller Williams City Views Realty and Keller Williams Boca Raton Realty. Each office is independently owned and operated. Keller Williams City Views Realty. Each office is independently owned and operated. Broker compensation in New Jersey is fully negotiable and is not set by law or by any board or association of REALTORS®. This article is general information only and is not legal, tax, or financial advice. Confirm your own costs with your real estate attorney, tax advisor, or lender.Equal Housing Opportunity.

Sources

• N.J.S.A. 46:8B-21, Condominium Act, unpaid assessments, checked Oct 23, 2026: https://law.justia.com/codes/new-jersey/title-46/section-46-8b-21/
• Borough of Fort Lee, Application for a SALE Certificate of Compliance (As of 5/20/25), checked Oct 23, 2026: https://www.fortleenj.org/DocumentCenter/View/8398/COC-SALE-App-Affidavit-052025-PDF
• Borough of Fort Lee, Applications and Forms page, checked Oct 23, 2026: https://www.fortleenj.org/250/Applications-Forms
• NJ Department of Banking and Insurance, licensee search: https://www.nj.gov/dobi/licenseesearch/licsearch.htm
• Bergen County Clerk, land records public search: https://bclrs.co.bergen.nj.us/landrecords/

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