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 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 → It’s the end of the summer. Millions of kids across our state have to suck it up and return to school. And if the kids have to endure school for the next ten months, all of you can endure a measly three hours. I’m talking of course about Condo and HOA Board Certification. There’s a lot that goes into my…
Read: IT’S BACK TO SCHOOL TIME-PART 2 → think most lawyers would agree that some cases are simply more interesting than others. Over the last few weeks I have had the privilege of working on one of those interesting cases. It involves an attempted recall of two directors who were on the Board of a Hollywood Condominium association. I…
Read: IF YOU THOUGHT SOUTH CAROLINA WAS BAD…… LOOK AT YOUR OWN STATE → We already blogged about a new law that will bring further chaos and confusion to the association election process, and that is the law that now allows voting via the internet if a plethora of conditions are met. The Florida Legislature passed some other association laws as well this year. Let’s see what…
Read: SOME OTHER NEW LAWS THAT MAY OR MAY NOT APPLY IN YOUR ASSOCIATION → When the foreclosure crisis was at its peak, developers were complaining that they were in effect stuck with numerous condominium projects that simply weren’t selling. They wanted the ability to at least try and save the project by converting it into a rental community instead of being forced to maintain it…
Read: FLORIDA LEGISLATURE CORRECTS FLAWED TERMINATION PROCESS → 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 → Every now and then, the courts of our state issue an opinion in a case involving a condo or HOA that is very important and certainly worth mention. On June 1st, the 4th District Court of Appeals issued a decision in Pundit 2 Joint Venture v. Westwood Gardens HOA that does not bode too well for some…
Read: HOW ONE ASSOCIATION LOST BIG BY FAILING TO UPDATE THEIR DOCS. → Sometimes the exceptions to the rule swallow the rule, rendering the rule virtually meaningless. Mandatory competitive bidding is a fine example. The Florida Condominium Act provides: If a contract for the purchase, lease, or renting of materials or equipment, or for the provision of services, requires…
Read: THE FALLACY OF COMPETITIVE BIDDING → The long awaited decision by The Florida Supreme Court is finally in regarding what a licensed community association can do, without being accused of practicing law without a license. The Florida Bar tried hard to curtail what community association managers can do without a license to practice law, while…
Read: THE LAWYERS V. THE MANAGERS --- SO WHO WON? → Many of you may have seen the news again this week concerning allegations that another licensed community association manager misappropriated over $220,000.00 from a condominium association in Hollywood. Click here if you missed it:…
Read: CHECK YOUR CHECKS → As the weather begins heating up, our thoughts inevitably turn to the hurricane season that we deal with each and every year. Associations all across the state hope and pray that they’re able to escape the wrath of a storm for another year and that luck remains on their side. They have their fingers…
Read: DID YOU CORRECTLY WAIVE YOUR RESERVES? → In three days from now we sit around the table stuffing turkey down our throats while we simultaneously reflect on all the things we should be thankful for, other than the great tasting turkey. The easy ones are family and good health. Some might also be thankful for a new job, new car or good grades by…
Read: ARE THERE THINGS TO BE THANKFUL FOR IN YOUR COMMUNITY-PART 1? → 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: A TALE OF TWO ELECTIONS-PART 2 → This year’s legislative session is boring to say the least, when it comes to pending community association legislation. There is one bill however, Senate Bill 736, which is generating a lot of noise. In sum, when someone is selling a home or a condo unit, it is imperative for the buyer to obtain what is…
Read: THE FIGHT FOR EVEN MORE OF YOUR MONEY → We often times blog about how a Board member or a manager stole a few thousand dollars from the association and how they should be prosecuted for it. If someone should be prosecuted for stealing a few thousand dollars, what should happen to the people that steal 16 million dollars from condo owners over the…
Read: CONDO OWNERS – YOU SHOULD BE OUTRAGED → 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 → Last week’s blog spoke yet again about the rise in condo and HOA crime. It’s escalating and people are tired of it. The number of responses to the blog and “hits”were overwhelming. In fact, JanisLentz said: Help is on the way! The proposed FL House and Senate versions of HOA Reform 2015 bills… will…
Read: HALSEY WHO? → It’s the end of the summer. I watched my kids suck it up this week, pack their school bags and head off to school to return for another year of learning. Millions of kids across our state did the exact same thing. And if they can do it five days a week for the next ten months, each of you can do it for a…
Read: BACK TO SCHOOL TIME-PART 1 →Read it. Then watch it.
