(a) All costs and expenses, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, incurred by or on behalf of the association for:

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Terms Used In Hawaii Revised Statutes 514B-157

  • Association: means the unit owners' association organized under section 514B-102 or under prior condominium property regime statutes. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 514B-3
  • Commission: means the real estate commission of the State. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 514B-3
  • Declaration: means any instrument, however denominated, that creates a condominium, including any amendments to the instrument. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 514B-3
  • Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
  • Person: means an individual, firm, corporation, partnership, association, trust, or other legal entity, or any combination thereof. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 514B-3
  • Property: includes parcels with or without upper or lower boundaries, and spaces that may be filled with air or water. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 514B-3
  • Unit: means a physical or spatial portion of the condominium designated for separate ownership or occupancy, the boundaries of which are described in the declaration or pursuant to § 514B-35, with an exit to a public road or to a common element leading to a public road. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 514B-3
(1) Collecting any delinquent assessments against any owner’s unit;
(2) Foreclosing any lien thereon; or
(3) Enforcing any provision of the declaration, bylaws, house rules, and this chapter, or the rules of the real estate commission;

against an owner, occupant, tenant, employee of an owner, or any other person who may in any manner use the property, shall be promptly paid on demand to the association by such person or persons; provided that if the claims upon which the association takes any action are not substantiated, all costs and expenses, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, incurred by any such person or persons as a result of the action of the association, shall be promptly paid on demand to such person or persons by the association.

(b) If any claim by an owner is substantiated in any action against an association, any of its officers or directors, or its board to enforce any provision of the declaration, bylaws, house rules, or this chapter, then all reasonable and necessary expenses, costs, and attorneys’ fees incurred by an owner shall be awarded to such owner; provided that no such award shall be made in any derivative action unless:

(1) The owner first shall have demanded and allowed reasonable time for the board to pursue such enforcement; or
(2) The owner demonstrates to the satisfaction of the court that a demand for enforcement made to the board would have been fruitless.

If any claim by an owner is not substantiated in any court action against an association, any of its officers or directors, or its board to enforce any provision of the declaration, bylaws, house rules, or this chapter, then all reasonable and necessary expenses, costs, and attorneys’ fees incurred by an association shall be awarded to the association, unless before filing the action in court the owner has first submitted the claim to mediation, or to arbitration under subpart D, and made a good faith effort to resolve the dispute under any of those procedures.