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
When the Condo Crime Bill, HB 1237, was being debated I wrote a blog in March that warned about the bill as follows: I’m almost embarrassed to write the next provision. Recalls would now be automatic. If the Board receives a stack of recall ballots that equal more than 50% of the units, the people are…
Read: RECALL BOMBSHELL: I HATE TO SAY I TOLD YOU SO → To say that this was an active year for condo legislation is certainly an understatement. A vigorous effort was made to combat shenanigans and outright criminal behavior by condo boards throughout the state. As we know, the impetus for this action was a report by a Miami Dade Grand Jury which basically…
Read: IS THERE ANY HOPE FOR OUR HOA FRIENDS → SO WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE NEW LAWS? It certainly was a busy year for condo legislation. HB 653 was vetoed at the last minute by...
Read: SO WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE NEW LAWS → We often blog about the fact that there are some bad laws on the books. What about when we come across a situation that appears perfectly legal, but are surprised that it is? I had such a case yesterday. I met with a gentleman who lives in a condo and was upset about a massive construction project taking…
Read: THERE OUGHTA BE A LAW → Like I have been saying over the last few weeks, The Miami Dade Grand Jury Report changed everything. Tackling the issues of an owner’s inability to obtain access to records, election fraud and violations of The Florida Condominium Act no doubt became a high priority in The Florida Legislature this…
Read: HOA MEMBERS AGAIN CRY – WHAT ABOUT US? → Ihad the honor and pleasure of spending a few days in Tallahassee last week. I testified at hearings before the House of Representatives. I drafted proposed legislation and had several meetings with legislators and staff. One thing is very clear this legislative session. IF YOU ARE A BOARD MEMBER OR…
Read: LEGISLATIVE UPDATE → HB 483: MORAITIS AND DONALDS ESTOPPEL CERTIFICATES: PLACES CAP ON WHAT CAN BE CHARGED REQUIRES SPECIFIC FORM ALREADY PASSED CIVIL JUSTICE AND CLAIMS SUB COMMITTEE ON THE AGENDA FOR 3/21 AT 8AM – CAREERS AND COMPETITION WEBSTER HALL (212 KNOTT) GOOD MORNING – ATTORNEY ERIC GLAZER I HAVE BEEN PRACTICING…
Read: PENDING HOUSE BILLS → In response to the Miami Dade Grand Jury Report that blasted officers and directors, management companies and the DBPR, but ignored the fact that prosecutor’s offices often turn a blind eye toward condo and HOA crime, Senator Rene Garcia and House Member Jose Felix Diaz filed a bill that attempts to do a…
Read: In response to the Miami Dad → In response to the Miami Dade Grand Jury Report that blasted officers and directors, management companies and the DBPR, but ignored the fact that prosecutor’s offices often turn a blind eye toward condo and HOA crime, Senator Rene Garcia and House Member Jose Felix Diaz filed a bill that attempts to do a…
Read: March 6, 2017In response to the Miami Dade Grand Jury Report that bla → No question that the Miami-Dade Grand Jury report slammed the Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Unquestionably, the report made the Department of Business and Professional Regulation look bad. Have an open mind however about the Grand Jury proceedings. It’s easy to indict the DBPR if all…
Read: SO WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? → Great response from our readers to Part 1 last week. Now let’s talk about the applicable laws and some do’s and don’ts. For most community associations in Florida, the primary laws that deals with this issue are the Federal and Florida Fair Housing Acts, not the Americans With Disabilities ACT, or A.D.A…
Read: SERVICE ANIMALS AND EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMALS–PART 2 → The three of us were certainly flattered by how many people read and participated in our blog discussion last week regarding The Miami Herald’s expose’ into condo fraud in South Florida. Those of you who live in HOAs must be wondering why the findings were limited to condominiums and not expanded to include…
Read: WELL WHAT ABOUT HOAs and WHAT DO WE DO ABOUT VOTER FRAUD? → Over the past week or two, The Miami Herald has been running a few articles about wrong doing in certain condominium associations in South Florida. The writer almost seems amazed that there are apparently ballots being cast with fake signatures and that in some condominiums voter turn-out exceeds 100%. Now…
Read: HOW MUCH MORE PROOF DO YOU NEED? → The weekly blog has been dealing with a lot of tough issues lately. Whether or not birthdays of Lee and Davis should be state holidays, crime by board members, election fraud, crime by community association managers, etc. Today, let’s step back and have some fun instead. From now until November, 2016 we…
Read: TELL US ABOUT YOUR PRESIDENT → It’s been a tradition for the last few years in this blog to talk about how various Presidents of their community association spend their Labor Day. After all, the President of your association not only worked the whole year for your association, but did so free of charge. (But for those who were arrested…
Read: IT'S LABOR DAY ---- SIT BACK AND RELAX → On Friday, I had the pleasure of being invited to attend a meeting of many representatives from the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, including arbitrators and the Condominium Ombudsman. The purpose of the meeting was to hear from the public in regards to the new condominium statute that…
Read: ELECTRONIC VOTING – IS IT A SOLUTION OR A PROBLEM? → You have all heard the saying “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Apparently, The Florida Legislature overlooked this concept when it recently passed a bill which authorizes owners in community associations to vote by e-mail in their elections and for other unit owner votes. In condos, H.O.A.s and co-ops,…
Read: VOTING BY COMPUTER --- LET THE GAMES BEGIN → It seems like no matter how early, or on what day of the week we hold our Board Certification seminars for both condominium and HOA members, the classes are packed to the rafters. There’s often times complaints about communities going to hell because of unit owner apathy. When you see a room full of…
Read: BOARD MEMBER APATHY →Read it. Then watch it.
