Florida condo & HOA news
Plain-English Florida condo and HOA law updates for owners, volunteer board members, managers, and everyone navigating community-association life.
Read the latest articles ↓From the front lines
Written by Eric M. Glazer · Florida attorney
It’s amazing when you think about it……. I get asked questions about emotional support animals all the time. I tell everyone that sometimes I can’t give an answer off the cuff. I would need to know more, it’s not that simple. Well, to prove that point, this is the third week in a row I’m writing about…
Read more → Suppose an owner or a renter makes a request to keep an emotional support animal. Suppose further that the person’s disability is not readily apparent. What proof can the association ask for to prove the person is disabled? (b) If a person’s disability is not readily apparent, request reliable information…
Read more → Florida now has a statute that clarifies what associations should and should not do when someone asks to have an emotional support animal in a “no pet” community. We will try to answer a lot of your questions over the next two or three weeks regarding what you can and cannot do when an owner or renter asks…
Read more → Ioften times get phone calls from board members who are upset about the fact that some new owner went through the screening process, filled out the application, paid the fee and showed up for an interview. But it turns out that there are more people living in the unit than expected and none of them went…
Read more → It’s funny how many times over the years, Boards have told me “We weren’t having a meeting, we were only talking about the condo” or “We weren’t having a meeting, we were in a workshop.” For clarification, let’s see how a “meeting” is defined by law. For a condominium, the Florida Administrative Code says:…
Read more → There certainly have been a few debates lately and there may be another on the way. Who Knows? Maybe you think Trump won. Maybe you think Biden won. Maybe you think Pence won or maybe you think Harris won. It doesn’t matter if some of you even think the fly won. The bottom line is that it’s apparent that…
Read more → While the condo statute outlines a very specific and rigid procedure on how HOAs should conduct the election, the HOA Statute doesn’t say much at all: Elections of directors must be conducted in accordance with the procedures set forth in the governing documents of the association. Except as provided in…
Read more → Do you believe that your real estate taxes too high? Why not appeal your tax bill as a group? Under Florida Law, a condominium association can file a property tax appeal petition on behalf of all of the unit owners in the condominium. Once a petition is filed, the Value Adjustment Board sets the case for…
Read more → This is a story about John and Jane. John lives in a condominium in Miami and Jane lines in an H.O.A. in Central Florida. Election season is approaching quickly in both of their communities. While it may seem at first glance that all things are equal…….that is certainly not the case. The election in John’s…
Read more → Yesterday was a big day. I turned 50. It’s a time to not only reminisce about the past, but also a time to think about the future, and retirement and whether or not a “retirement community” or “55 and over” community is in the future. So, what actually is a “55 and over” community? Generally speaking, state…
Read more → After living at Peaceful Paradise Condominium for 10 years and minding her own business, Darlys Dogooder decides that she hasn’t done enough volunteer work in her life and chooses to become a Board member. In fact, Darlys goes on to be a role model board member, devoting countless hours to her condominium,…
Read more → Joe Hadanuf is the President of Livinhel Condo. Joe and his Vice President, Haywood Ukilme plan on getting up early, spending the day at the beach and leaving Livinhel in the rear view mirror just for today. After all, it’s Labor Day and even Board members are entitled to one day without dealing with all of…
Read more → Today is March 15th, otherwise known as “the ides of March.” This was the day The Romans considered as a deadline for settling debts. But most of us relate this phrase to William Shakespeare. In his play Julius Caesar, a soothsayer attracts Caesar’s attention and tells him: “Beware the ides of March.” And as…
Read more → There really is a lot to know when it comes to e-mails. Here’s a brief outline: Can Directors Communicate and Vote By e-mail? Members of the board of administration may use e-mail as a means of communication but may not cast a vote on an association matter via e-mail. Example: Friday night is a board…
Read more → s we said last week, The Florida Legislature is in session, and there have been some community association bills filed, but nothing to write home about. CCFJ and I have been working together to hopefully get legislation passed this year that will help communities. For example: Requiring HOAs to use the…
Read more → This year I am hearing the following complaint more than ever before: I live out of the state, or out of the country and I never received a ballot to vote in the election. A little over a year ago I was involved in a case where many owners who lived in Finland did not get their ballots timely. Instead of…
Read more → Two weeks ago, I wrote to you about House Bill 623 that is making its way through The Florida Legislature. Another change to the law currently included in the bill is the following language: 718.112 Bylaws.— (1) GENERALLY.— (c) Any provision of the declaration, the association bylaws, or reasonable rules…
Read more → The Florida Legislature is in session, and there have been some community association bills filed, but nothing to write home about. CCFJ and I have been working together to hopefully get legislation passed this year that will help communities. For example: I drafted a proposed bill that does away with…
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