Sold the home but still paying: notifying the manager

Someone who has sold an apartment may be surprised to find they are still treated as the debtor for condominium expenses. It is not a manager's mistake: the law provides that the seller remains liable to the condominium, together with the buyer, until they send the manager a certified copy of the transfer deed. Until this communication arrives, the manager legitimately continues to treat the former owner as the debtor. Let us look at the rule and how to close every obligation.

What Article 63 of the implementing provisions says

Article 63, fifth paragraph, of the implementing provisions of the Italian Civil Code states that whoever transfers rights over a unit remains jointly liable with the successor for contributions accrued until a certified copy of the title determining the transfer of the right is sent to the manager. The seller's liability, therefore, does not end with the deed, but with the formal communication of the deed to the manager.

The rationale is to protect the condominium, which is a third party to the sale and is not automatically informed of it. Without an official communication, the condominium has no way of knowing that the owner has changed and cannot correctly direct payment requests.

Joint liability of seller and buyer

Until the communication, seller and buyer are jointly liable to the condominium for the accrued contributions. The condominium can therefore turn to either of them for the sums due in this period. It is an uncomfortable position for the seller, who has already sold the unit but remains exposed to the condominium's creditors.

Between the parties, whoever pays sums not attributable to them has a right of recourse against the other. But the condominium is not required to distinguish: it chooses the most solvent debtor and acts, leaving the parties to settle afterwards. Hence the importance, for the seller, of making the communication effective as soon as possible.

How the communication is made

The communication takes place by sending the manager a certified copy of the transfer deed. A verbal notice or a simple informal email is not enough: the rule requires the title documenting the change of ownership. It is advisable to use a means that provides proof of receipt, so as to be able to demonstrate the date on which the obligation ended.

• Send the manager a certified copy of the notarial deed
• Use a channel that proves receipt, such as certified email
• Keep evidence of the sending and of the date
• Provide the new owner's details for updating the register
• Check that the manager has charged future installments to the successor

Why the date matters

The date of the communication marks the boundary of the seller's liability. All contributions accrued before that date can still be claimed from the seller jointly; those after it fall on the new owner. Delaying the communication needlessly prolongs the seller's exposure, who could receive reminders or recovery actions for installments relating to a unit that is no longer theirs.

For the buyer, a timely communication ensures that installments are correctly billed to them and that no confusion arises between the two owners' payments within the same accounting year.

The role of the condominium register

The communication feeds the manager's duty to keep the condominium register up to date, required by Article 1130 of the Italian Civil Code. The register collects the owners' particulars and the identifying data of the units. An up-to-date register is the premise for a correct allocation and for recovery directed at the right party.

If the register is not updated, the manager may in good faith continue to request installments from the seller, generating disputes. That is why the communication must be addressed to whoever must record it and be followed by verification that the update has actually taken place.

Practical advice for the seller

The prudent seller does not wait for reminders. Right after the deed, they send the manager a certified copy of the deed, ask for confirmation that the register has been updated and check that they are up to date with installments through the effective date of the transfer. This closes every obligation to the condominium and reduces the risk of late claims.

Tracking ownership transfers without errors

Orderly management of sale communications, with a certain date and an immediate register update, protects both the manager and the parties. Recording the date of the transfer and that of the communication allows installments to be charged to the correct owner and documents when the seller's obligation ends.

AmministraPro keeps the condominium register up to date, records ownership transfers with their dates and charges installments to the correct owner, so sale communications immediately translate into aligned accounting. The features are described on the /funzioni page, while the available plans are listed on /prezzi.