Code of the District of Columbia

§ 42–1904.02. No offer or disposition of unit prior to registration; current public offering statement; right of cancellation by purchaser; form therefor prescribed by Mayor.

(a) Neither declarant nor any person on behalf of declarant may offer or dispose of any interest in a condominium unit located in the District of Columbia, nor dispose in the District of Columbia of any interest in a condominium unit located without the District of Columbia prior to the time the condominium including such unit is registered in accordance with this chapter.

(b) During any period when registration of a condominium is required by this chapter or until the time that all units in the condominium have been initially disposed of to the bona fide purchasers, a declarant may not dispose of any interest in a condominium unit not previously disposed of unless there is delivered to the purchaser a current public offering statement by the time of the disposition. The disposition shall be expressly and without qualification or condition subject to cancellation by the purchaser before conveyance of the unit, within 15 days after the date of execution of the contract for the disposition, or within 15 days after delivery of the current public offering statement, whichever is later. A public offering statement shall not be current unless any necessary amendment is incorporated or attached. If the purchaser elects to cancel, he or she may cancel by notice hand-delivered or sent by United States mail, return receipt requested, to the seller. The cancellation shall be without penalty, and any deposit made by the purchaser shall be promptly refunded in its entirety.

(c) The public offering statement and sales contract shall contain a clause and its Spanish equivalent in a form prescribed by the Mayor which shall clearly state the purchaser’s right to cancel.

(d) A declarant shall be liable under this chapter for any false or misleading statement in a public offering statement or for any omission of a material fact with respect to the portion of the public offering statement that he or she prepared or caused to be prepared. If a declarant did not prepare or cause to be prepared any part of a public offering statement that he or she delivers, the declarant shall not be liable for any false or misleading statement or any omission of a material fact unless he or she had actual knowledge of the statement or omission or, in the exercise of reasonable care, should have known of the statement or omission.