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
Remember the TV show Eight Is Enough? Apparently, that’s how The Florida Legislature feels about your right to serve on a condominium board of directors. Eight years in a row is enough. This does not mean however that if you already served eight years in a row on a condo board that you are precluded from…
Read: CONFUSION REIGNS IN CONDOMINIUM ELECTIONS → In Iezzi Family Limited Partnership, v. Edgewater Beach Owners Association, Inc., the owner of a condominium unit filed a 27-count complaint against the condominium’s Association and seven current or former directors or officers of the Association, seeking both equitable and legal relief. The trial court…
Read: NEW CASE MAKES IT HARDER TO SUE A CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION → Many of you live in condominiums that have a “Master Association.” But what is a Master Association? Is it a condominium association? Is it a homeowner’s association? Is it neither? This question was recently addressed by the Third District Court of Appeal in Dimitri v. Commercial Center of Miami…
Read: SO JUST WHAT IS A “MASTER ASSOCIATION?” → tried to avoid posting any blog about the embarrassment that is Broward County’s election system. I almost made it. One interesting...
Read: FLORIDA’S CONDO AND HOA ELECTION LAWS ARE BETTER THAN THE ELECTION LAWS FOR OUR STATE AND FEDERAL OFFICERS → We all know that condominium and homeowner associations sue and get sued all the time. Are there any specific obligations to inform the unit owners that the association has filed suit? Are there any specific obligations to inform the owners or potential buyers that the association has been sued? Believe…
Read: LITIGATION LIMITS → Some years are quiet when it comes to the passage of new laws affecting Florida community associations. This was definitely not one of those years. Here are the new laws in summary form as a result of the passage of HB 841. 718.111 —- OFFICIAL RECORDS: The law now makes it clear that the association must…
Read: HERE THEY ARE………..THE NEW ASSOCIATION LAWS FOR 2018 → Several months ago, I blogged about confusion that exists in the 2017 condo crime bill. That new statute states that: A board member may not serve more than four consecutive 2-year terms, unless approved by an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the total voting interests of the association or unless there…
Read: SOME ELECTION CONFUSION MAY SOON GET CLEARED UP → So as you now know, Florida condominium law is amended to make it a crime for board members to: forge a ballot envelope or voting certificate used in a condominium association election; and destroy official records or refuse to allow inspection or copying of an official record of a condominium association……
Read: DO THE NEW LAWS DETER PEOPLE FROM SERVING ON THEIR CONDO BOARD? → This year, The Florida Legislature starts early. In fact, it is already in session. So what’s in store for community associations in...
Read: SO WHAT’S IN STORE FOR 2018? → To be frank, some blogs are more important than others. If you live in an HOA this is one of the important ones. There has been lots of...
Read: DOES THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING “AS AMENDED FROM TIME TO TIME” LANGUAGE APPLY IN YOUR HOA’s GOVERNING DOCS? → 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 → Idon’t know if you heard, but two identical looking HOAs are being built right next to each other. They look the same, have the same style and quality of houses and the homes in each community cost exactly the same. OK, there is one difference though. In the first community, the streets are simply labeled by…
Read: A TALE OF TWO HOAs → 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: AVOIDING CHAOS AT YOUR HOA ELECTION → Last week we blogged about some confusion that exists in the new condo crime bill. Make no mistake, these “glitches” need to be fixed during the next legislative session if the intent of these statutes are ever to be realized. Until then, because of the ambiguities contained therein, rest assured that…
Read: ARE THERE TERM LIMITS OR NOT? → As you know, the condo crime bill was quickly rushed through The Florida Legislature this year. Unfortunately, as a result, the statute may have created more questions than answers in some circumstances. Clearly, The Florida Legislature wanted to prevent board members from continuing to make a buck off of…
Read: THERE’S A CONFLICT IN THE NEW CONFLICT LAWS → 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 → In June of 2015, The Florida Supreme Court decided what a licensed community association can do, without being accused of practicing law without a license. The truth is…..The Florida Bar tried hard to curtail what community association managers can do without a license to practice law, while the community…
Read: COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION ATTORNEYS AND MANAGERS NEED TO WORK TOGETHER → 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 →Read it. Then watch it.
