(a) In any time-share plan, the developer may undertake to pay a portion of the assessments otherwise payable by each purchaser (“buy down subsidy”). Any developer undertaking to pay a buy down subsidy shall do both of the following:

(1) Enter into a contract with the association that specifies in detail the obligations of the developer and the methods to be used in valuing the goods and services furnished under the time-share plan.

(2) Furnish the association with an executed copy of the subsidization contract within 10 days after closing of escrow of the first sale or lease of a time-share interest.

(b) If the developer is paying a buy down subsidy, the developer shall provide an assurance for its buy down subsidy obligation in an amount acceptable to the commissioner, but not more than the aggregate amount by which annual assessments are to be reduced, for example, the number of interests to be sold in each unit type multiplied by the amount by which the annual assessment for such unit type is to be reduced, multiplied by the number of years in the term of the buy down subsidy.

(c) For any buy down subsidy agreements entered into after July 1, 2005, the subsidy agreements 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 those rules.

(Amended by Stats. 2019, Ch. 153, Sec. 2. (SB 578) Effective January 1, 2020.)