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
So Tuesday has come and gone. We can finally watch TV again without being told which political candidate is the lesser of two evils during every single commercial break. No more annoying pop up ads on the internet begging for money or spam e-mails begging for your vote. Election season is finally over.…
Read: NOW THE REAL ELECTION SEASON KICKS IN → You look around the world and see that bombs are falling in neighborhoods throughout the Middle East, violent demonstrations are happening in European countries and tornadoes and floods seems to be destroying towns across the United States. Those are difficult problems to live with day in and day out. So…
Read: ARE THINGS REALLY THAT BAD? → KAREN: GOOD AFTERNOON, AND WELCOME BACK TO CONDO CRAZE AND HOAS HERE ON 850 WFTL. I’M KAREN CURTIS, AND I’M HERE AGAIN TODAY, AS WE ARE EACH SUNDAY AT NOON, WITH ATTORNEYS ERIC GLAZER AND SCOTT SHAPIRO FROM GLAZER AND ASSOCIATES, P.A. A LAW FIRM PRACTICING COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION LAW THROUGHOUT FLORIDA.…
Read: CONDO CRAZE AND HOAS - WEEK 223 → My column two weeks ago regarding the estoppel fee bill and what has happened since, has proven a point made long ago by fellow blogger Jan Bergemann. The community association laws are written by, directed, guided and championed, not by the people who live in these communities, but rather by the people…
Read: WHO TO TURN TO FOR HELP-PART 1 → My column two weeks ago regarding the estoppel fee bill and what has happened since, has proven a point made long ago by fellow blogger Jan Bergemann. The community association laws are written by, directed, guided and championed, not by the people who live in these communities, but rather by the people…
Read: WHO TO TURN TO FOR HELP-PART 2 → Without a doubt, one of the most common complaints unit owners hurl at their Board of Directors is that the Board hold private meetings that the owners simply never get notice of. May owners complain that these meetings violate the “Sunshine” laws that require public meetings, but they are incorrect, as the…
Read: SO WHEN IS A MEETING A MEETING? → Last week we blogged about the ability to have Bingo games in our communities. I may be wrong, but I have never seen Bingo games catch on among men. Generally, Bingo is for the women, while the men like to play cards, more specifically poker and rummy. My dad loved both and never once went to play bingo.…
Read: CAN WE GAMBLE IN THE CONDO OR HOA? → It’s April 15th. That means by midnight tonight, you better have your tax return in the mail. I have met with several associations over the years that believe that simply because their condominium or homeowner’s association is a not for profit corporation, the association does not have to file a federal…
Read: THE PERFECT DAY TO TALK TAXES AND YEAR-END FINANCIAL REPORTING → Republicans always knock the Democrats for never actually solving a problem, but choosing instead to form a committee to investigate solutions that may one day hypothetically come up with the answer to the problem and which may ultimately and possibly be utilized in the future to solve the problem, after…
Read: GOVERNOR SCOTT………THE DEMOCRAT → Today we discuss an often litigated topic, “material alterations.” As many of you know, a board of directors in a condominium can’t make “material” changes to the common areas unless a vote of the community is obtained. Usually, a 75% vote in favor of the change is required. You may be surprised to learn…
Read: MATERIAL ALTERATIONS – LOOK BEFORE YOU LEAP → Originally, I was going to blog about resolutions that Board members should make for 2014, but that topic has been written about a million and one times. Everyone seems to have suggestions about how to be a better Board member. Let’s flip it around this time and resolve to be better unit owners, neighbors…
Read: A NEW YEAR AND SOME NEW RESOLUTIONS → HOA owners who never heard of Florida’s Marketable Record Title Act, better known as MRTA, better get to know this topic well. To simplify what the Act stands for, it basically means that your governing documents in your homeowner’s association can literally expire and disappear after they have been…
Read: HEY HOA OWNERS – YOU NEED TO MEET MRTA → Every survey seems to confirm that people are simply fed up with politics and their elected politicians. Approval ratings have never been lower. Compromise is not an option and stalemate is the new norm. Perhaps until now. This year, at least as far as the few million owners in homeowner associations go,…
Read: THANK YOU FLORIDA LEGISLATURE → Let’s do the blog a little differently this week. Before reading on, click here and watch this report and then come back: http://www.clickorlando.com/news/kissimmee-hoa-walks-off-with-residents-trash-bins/-/1637132/21985458/-/66by62z/-/index.html Now that you watched the news report, I would love to get…
Read: ONE BOARD'S OBSSESSION WITH GARBAGE CANS → Idon’t know if any of you heard yet, but a new Florida law has been passed that says: Public schools are no longer under an obligation to accept your children. Hospitals are under no obligation to treat you or your family medically. Florida business establishments can refuse entry to you and your family;…
Read: BROWARD'S NEW ORDINANCE → As we all know from even our early school days, this country was founded upon the principle of no taxation without representation and one man one vote. After achieving the ability to govern ourselves as a nation, women and minorities fought for and ultimately obtained the right to vote as well. It’s pretty…
Read: LOSING YOUR RIGHT TO VOTE → It’s time to tell the members of the association all about the association’s finances, like it or not. Both the Florida condominium and homeowner statutes mandate the following: Within 90 days after the end of the fiscal year, or annually on a date provided in the bylaws, the association shall prepare…
Read: YEAR END FINANCIAL REPORTING → Afew years ago, the Florida Legislature passed a new law effecting board members of Florida condominium associations only. The law states: Within 90 days after being elected or appointed to the board, each newly elected or appointed director shall certify in writing to the secretary of the association that…
Read: SHOULD EDUCATION BE REQUIRED FOR ALL BOARD MEMBERS? →Read it. Then watch it.
