(a) The developer is obligated for the expenses associated with unsold inventory held by the developer. The obligation can be fulfilled in either of the following ways:

(1) The developer shall pay the full maintenance fee for each of the interests owned by the developer.

(2) The developer shall enter into a subsidy agreement with the association to cover any shortfall between expenses incurred and assessments collected from other owners (“deficit subsidy”), and shall furnish the association with an executed copy of the agreement within 10 days after closing of escrow of the first sale or lease of a time-share interest. The department will not approve a deficit subsidy program unless provisions are made for the accumulation of reserves for replacement and major maintenance of the time-share property in accordance with accepted property management practices and the transfer of the reserve fund to the association on termination of the program.

(b) To ensure the fulfillment of the obligations of the developer of a time-share plan to either pay assessments as an owner of time-share interests in the time-share plan or to pay a deficit subsidy, the commissioner shall require that the developer furnish a surety bond, cash deposit, letter of credit, or other alternate assurance enforceable by the association and acceptable to the commissioner, and that assurance shall be in compliance with either paragraph (1) or (2) of subdivision (c).

(c) The amount of the assurance shall be in such an amount as may be approved by the commissioner, but shall not exceed the lesser of 50 percent of the anticipated cost of operation and maintenance of the time-share plan, including the establishment of reserves for replacement and major repair, for an operational period of one year or 100 percent of the assessments attributed to the total amount of the total unsold time-share interests owned by the developer and registered pursuant to this chapter. The security shall be delivered to a neutral escrow depository, or to the trustee if title to the time-share property has been delivered to the trustee, along with instructions signed by the developer for the benefit of the association which shall provide as follows:

(1) If the developer pays full maintenance fees on unsold inventory the security shall remain available to pay any assessments for which the developer is liable and delinquent until the depository or trustee has received both of the following:

(A) Written notice, from the developer that sales of 80 percent of the time-share interest in the time-share plan have been closed.

(B) Written notice from the association that the developer is not delinquent in the payment of assessments for which it is obligated.

(2) The amount of the assurance required by this section may be adjusted annually to an amount approved by the commissioner, but shall be not more than the smaller of 50 percent of the anticipated cost of operation and maintenance of the time-share plan, including the establishment of reserves for replacement and major repair, for an operational period of one year or 100 percent of the assessments attributed to the total amount of the total unsold time-share interests owned by the developer and registered pursuant to this chapter.

(d) A deficit subsidy agreement entered into after July 1, 2005, shall provide that if there is a dispute between the developer and the association with respect to the question of satisfaction of the conditions for exoneration or release of the security, the issue shall, at the request of either party, be submitted to arbitration in accordance with the Commercial Arbitration Rules of the American Arbitration Association or another third-party arbitration organization selected by the parties and in accordance with Title 9 (commencing with Section 1280) of Part 3 of the Code of Civil Procedure. Any fee to initiate the arbitration shall be remitted by the developer. The cost of arbitration shall ultimately be borne as determined by the arbitrator under these rules.

(Amended by Stats. 2019, Ch. 153, Sec. 1. (SB 578) Effective January 1, 2020.)