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
Ireally hate to be a Debbie Downer, but I have never been more afraid of an economic collapse in Florida, especially South Florida, as I do now. I couldn’t care less about the statistics that get reported about whether foreclosures are going up or not. I’m telling you that they are. I know because process…
Read: THE HOUSING NUMBERS JUST DON’T ADD UP → The Florida Legislature is in full swing. Each year lots of bills get filed, but few make it to the finish line and become law. Here’s an update on two bills that are moving towards becoming law: SB 394: This is my mandatory education bill, requiring directors to get certified by attending a course. Senator…
Read: LEGISLATIVE UPDATE → So unfortunately we seem to be ending the year with the Covid numbers just creeping up — and that vaccine just can’t get here fast enough. I’m getting calls and e-mails every day, every hour, from communities that are simply scared to have their meetings in person – even if it’s the annual meeting or the…
Read: STAYING ALIVE → Afew weeks ago, I wrote a blog called It’s Time To Stop A True Florida Farce. The blog spoke about the fact that members of community association boards of directors can still get certified without taking an educational class. Instead, they can sign a rather silly piece of paper that states they have read…
Read: THANK YOU SENATOR ANNA MARIA RODRIGUEZ! → For those of you who follow this blog, you know that each Labor Day, I write a parody talking about a day in the life of a Board member, at a particularly annoying condominium. This year however, in light of the Champlain Towers tragedy, I just don’t think it’s right to start cracking condominium jokes just…
Read: A BREAK WITH TRADITION ON THIS LABOR DAY IN MEMORY OF CHAMPLAIN TOWERS → No doubt some changes are on the way for condominiums as a result of the Surfside tragedy. The changes are long overdue. Here’s another long overdue change that is necessary..the condominium insurance statutes.Suppose I told you that under Florida law, there is no absolute requirement that your condominium…
Read: AND WHILE YOU'RE AT IT…. PLEASE FIX THE INSURANCE STATUTE → Prior to 2010 Florida law only allowed the association to fine for violations of the governing documents, if the authority to fine was contained in the declaration or bylaws. In 2010, the law changed and associations had the power to fine, even if the power to fine was not contained in the governing…
Read: IS YOUR FINING PROCESS FINE? → 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: FLORIDA'S EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMAL STATUTE – PART THREE → 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: SAVE MONEY! APPEAL YOUR REAL ESTATE TAXES AS A GROUP → 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 → New Florida Statute 760.27 defines “Emotional support animal” as an animal that does not require training to do work, perform tasks, provide assistance, or provide therapeutic emotional support by virtue of its presence which alleviates one or more identified symptoms or effects of a persons disability.”…
Read: EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMALS AND SOME NEW FLORIDA LAWS → Dominic Devoted has been the President of Broken and Bruised Condo for as long as he cares to remember. He longs for Labor Day because he knows that even the condo trouble makers understand what Labor Day stands for. Even they know not to bother him on what should be the holiest of holy days for board…
Read: A LABOR DAY TRADITION CONTINUES-PART 3 → So here is what you need to know in a nutshell: Mortgage defaults are soaring. In fact, homeowners stopped paying mortgages in record numbers in April. It was the largest one month increase ever recorded. Under Florida law, that spells financial disaster for our condos and HOAs. Keep this in mind as you…
Read: FORECLOSURES AND WHY OUR CONDOS AND HOAs MAY BE IN TROUBLE → As you all know, Florida law currently mandates that condominium “disputes” are mediated before arbitrators who are employed by the DBPR, rather than being litigated in a court of law. Florida Statute 718.1255 states: LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS.— (a) The Legislature finds that unit owners are frequently at a…
Read: THE DEATH OF CONDO ARBITRATION MAY BE NEAR → There is a great book out there called “Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff.” As you can imagine, the book basically tries to convince you to take things in stride, nothing is ever as bad as it seems and sometimes learn to look the other way. This is a great way to live, but if you choose to live in a Florida…
Read: DON’T LET SMALL ISSUES BECOME HUGE PROBLEMS → Regardless of what you may think about the impeachment process taking place in Washington, I promise that the impeachment process in your community is worse. Florida law allows directors in both condominiums and homeowner associations to be removed from office without waiting for the results of the next…
Read: THE IMPEACHMENT PROCESS IN YOUR COMMUNITY IS WORSE THAN WASHINGTON’S → Last week we showed how it’s better to be the developer in an HOA instead of an owner. Developers can maintain control over a community forever in some instances and don’t even have to provide warranties for anything they build. Nice. We told you it gets worse and here’s why….. Under Florida law, a…
Read: IT'S BETTER TO BE THE DEVELOPER IN AN HOA–PART 2 → We all know that condo and HOA board members must get certified within ninety (90) days of getting on to their Board of Directors. Unfortunately however, Florida law allows board members to get certified either by attending an educational course or by signing a ridiculous, silly, self-serving, nonsensical…
Read: THE FLORIDA LEGISLATURE NEEDS TO MANDATE CONDO AND HOA EDUCATION →Read it. Then watch it.
