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
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: VOTING FROM ABROAD-PART 2 → 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: A PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO THE LAW THAT HAS DANGER WRITTEN ALL OVER IT → 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…
Read: SO WHAT’S IN STORE THIS YEAR AT THE FLORIDA LEGISLATURE-PART 1? → Sometimes we get lucky and the political world mirrors what takes place in the condo and HOA world. The Senate is about to start a trial regarding the impeachment of Donald Trump. As we all at least understood the process—-the whole purpose of a trial in the senate is to see if the president needs to be…
Read: CAN YOU REMOVE A PRESIDENT THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN REMOVED BY THE VOTERS? → Avery interesting case was just decided by Florida’s Second District Court of Appeal. RIVIERA-FORT MYERS MASTER ASSOCIATION, INC., v. GFH INVESTMENTS, LLC. 2020 WL 7767856. To simplify, in a mixed-use community, meaning a community made up of commercial property and residential housing, the Master…
Read: MASTER ASSOCIATION V. SUB ASSOCIATION – WHO WINS-PART 1? → In about 25 years a crisis is coming to the condo and co-op world that will be shocking to say the least. Here is the problem. Many of you think that by purchasing your condo or co-op, you can live there forever, as long as the mortgage, taxes and assessments are paid. You may be wrong. Very wrong. Florida…
Read: DO YOU OWN YOUR CONDO OR CO-OP OR DO YOU LEASE IT? ARE YOU SURE? → Today we continue with a very interesting case that was just decided by Florida’s Second District Court of Appeal. RIVIERA-FORT MYERS MASTER ASSOCIATION, INC., v. GFH INVESTMENTS, LLC. 2020 WL 7767856. To simplify, in a mixed-use community, meaning a community made up of commercial property and residential…
Read: MASTER V. SUB–PART 2 → Last week we blogged about some association bills that were filed in Florida’s Legislature. I thought two were bad but one was good. Here are some more: CS/HB 0623: Provides that if a condominium association’s insurance policy does not provide rights for subrogation against the unit owners in the…
Read: 2020 legislation-PART 2 → It’s becoming impossible to keep up with technology. Just when you think you bought the latest, greatest computer or cell phone the world may ever see, a month later there’s new technology that makes you device already seem outdated. It’s a never ending cycle. Well, one new technological advance is the RING…
Read: BEFORE YOU INSTALL THAT NEW RING DOORBELL → The three bloggers always take the last two weeks off of the air. After writing 50 weeks of columns, a two week break is well deserved. This year the Covid crisis cause us to write about things that we never thought we would have to write about and hopefully will not have to write about them ever again. It’s…
Read: WISHING YOU HEALTH, HAPPINESS AND JUST SAYING THANK YOU → This is the time of year when I’m at my busiest, typically running from annual meeting to annual meeting. So, what is supposed to occur at the annual meeting? Often times the answer is right there in your bylaws. The agenda is already prepared for you. Just properly notice the meeting and follow the…
Read: BEFORE YOU CANCEL THAT ANNUAL MEETING → Hard to believe that in two weeks it’s going to be 2020. Weren’t we all just worrying about Y2K? Was that really 20 years ago? Time flies when you’re having fun, and that is exactly what all three of us have each and every week when we get the opportunity to blog about new topics and share our thoughts with…
Read: 2019 - COMING TO A CLOSE → While the nation’s election may be over, the elections in your community associations are just about ready to get started. So, here are some things to know…… In a condo, you don’t need a quorum of owners in attendance at the annual meeting in order to have the election. As long as 20% of the eligible voters…
Read: STAYING WITH ELECTIONS → The question of whether or not an association may deny a proposed renter who seeks to live in a community may depend upon where the condominium of HOA is located. To simplify, Section 8 Housing is a government program that helps pay the rent for a family that can’t afford it. The government pays the rent…
Read: CAN AN ASSOCIATION DENY SECTION 8 HOUSING? → So, tomorrow is a pretty big day in this country. It’s Trump v. Biden. The control of The Senate and The House of Representatives is at stake as well. The direction of the country may dramatically change. Or, it may stay the course. Some will be happy about the outcome and the other half won’t. Thank g-d…
Read: TOMORROW → Talk about beating a dead horse. I have been asked over and over and over again, by unit owners all across the state if: They are entitled to a refund at the end of the year or; They can currently withhold portions of their monthly assessment, because the pool, restaurant, club, spa, gym, card room,…
Read: CAN I GET A REFUND? → So you hire a professional management company and leave it to them to run the place. What can go wrong? Well, as lawyers, we are trained to think that everything can go wrong. Board members and managers are both human. Mistakes can be made by anyone. You may not believe this, but even lawyers make…
Read: THE BLAME GAME → No matter who you’re voting for in November, there is no doubt that the eyes of the nation are on Florida. Some of you might be eager put up your lawn signs or even signs in your window. But before you do………. by choosing to move into a condo or an HOA, know that you do so at your own risk. There’s no doubt…
Read: BEFORE PUTTING UP THAT ELECTION SIGN……….. →Read it. Then watch it.
