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Articles Posted in Rules and Restrictions

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MTobacksrhl-law2-200x300The firm’s Michael Toback authored an article that was featured as the “Board of Contributors” guest commentary column in today’s edition of the Daily Business Review, South Florida’s exclusive business daily and official court newspaper.  The article, which is titled “Case to Watch: HUD Complaint Against Condo Association Ban on Religious Meetings,” focuses on a recent complaint to the Department of Housing and Urban Development regarding alleged Fair Housing Act violations by a Florida condominium association that banned religious meetings from its community room.  Michael’s article reads:

Bans of any kind against the use of the community room, such as those for specific gatherings, should be considered only after prudent consultation with experienced legal counsel. Furthermore, a ban against religious gatherings can prove particularly troublesome due to the potential for violations of the federal Fair Housing Act.

Such cautious considerations may have been overlooked in the decision by a board of directors of a Port Charlotte condo association to prohibit prayers and religious meetings in their community’s common room. The ban by the association for the Cambridge House of Port Charlotte led to the filing of a complaint with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development alleging violations of the federal Fair Housing Act as well as Florida condominium laws.

The complaint was filed on March 6 on behalf of Cambridge House resident Donna Dunbar, who is a lay minister in the Seventh Day Adventist Church and the leader of a women’s Bible study group that formerly met in the Cambridge House common room for two hours on Monday mornings. It alleges that on Feb. 6 the Cambridge House’s board of directors adopted a resolution to prohibit prayers, religious services and religious meetings in the common areas.

The allegations also state that Dunbar and her Bible study group faced discrimination before the Cambridge House prohibited their meetings, claiming that the board of directors had previously required her to purchase insurance in order to hold the gatherings. Dunbar claims this requirement was despite the Cambridge House not mandating that other groups holding movie and game nights obtain similar coverage.

Dunbar_Piano_Image-1-300x225After the ban was imposed, Dunbar alleges that religious displays at Cambridge House were removed, including the removal by property management staff of a St. Francis of Assisi fountain and statue. Dunbar further claims that a sign was posted on an organ in the lobby declaring: “ANY AND ALL CHRISTIAN MUSIC IS BANNED!”

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Condominium association boards of directors are always considering measures to help maintain and enhance the quality of life of their community’s owners and residents.  Some associations grow concerned about too many occupants per unit and the burden that additional residents place on a community’s amenities and services, so they decide to implement occupancy restrictions in order to limit the number of people residing in each unit.

However, as a Palm Beach County condominium recently found out, overly aggressive occupancy restrictions have the potential to run afoul of the federal Fair Housing Act bans on discriminatory housing practices against couples with children, and nonprofit housing agencies are willing and able to take up the case of aggrieved residents or proposed residents.

A fair housing advocacy group called the Fair Housing Center of the Greater Palm Beaches filed suit in federal court recently against the condominium association for the Fontana Condominium in Palm Beach as well as its president and property manager.  The suit alleges that the defendants have discriminated against families, including those with minor children, by enacting and enforcing policies that limit the number of persons and children who may reside in the community’s units.  It is seeking preliminary and injunctive relief as well as damages for the alleged discrimination against familial status in housing that violates the Fair Housing Act and the Civil Rights Act of 1968.  The suit also seeks punitive damages, attorneys’ fees and a court order mandating that the defendants establish a victims’ fund for those were victimized by their discrimination.

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EvonneAndris-srhl-law-200x300Firm shareholder Evonne Andris authored an article that was featured as the “My View” guest commentary column in today’s edition of the Miami Herald’s Business Monday, the newspaper’s weekly business supplement.  The article focuses on the brouhaha that drew considerable media attention in Orlando earlier this year involving an HOA’s dispute with a homeowner family over a “Little Free Library” book-sharing box installed in the front yard of their home.  Evonne’s article reads:

The library in question is a red wood box that resembles a birdhouse and is mounted on a sturdy wood post. The box, which is 24 inches tall, 20 inches deep and 24 inches wide, is part of the “Little Free Library” (www.littlefreelibrary.org) nonprofit organization’s network of free book exchange boxes that encourage reading and enable people to share books with their community. While popular in the central part of the state, there are approximately 10 Little Free Libraries in the South Florida area and more than 60,000 Little Free Libraries across the country.

agarik-1024x576The news reports indicate that within a few days of homeowners Bob and Autumn Garick installing the library box in their front yard, the property manager for Bentley Woods wrote to thank them for their efforts and suggest that they move the box to a common area in the neighborhood. The Garicks declined the offer, noting that the suggested area was about a half-mile from their home and would make it impractical for them to maintain the library.  Pictured here are the Garicks with their Little Free Library (photo courtesy, Autumn Huff Garick).

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RobertoBlanch2013As leaders in the field, our firm’s community association attorneys are often contacted by journalists for their insights into timely issues involving condominium associations and HOAs.  The latest example of one of our partners serving as an industry source on association topics comes in an article featuring quotes and analysis from Roberto C. Blanch that appears on the front page of today’s Daily Business Review, South Florida’s only business daily and official court newspaper.

The article focuses on a complaint to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development against a Florida condo that is accused of religious discrimination for prohibiting prayers and religious meetings in its social rooms.  The association for the Cambridge House condominium in Port Charlotte is alleged to have violated the Fair Housing Act when its board voted to forbid religious meetings in the common rooms.

Dunbar_Piano_ImageThe complaint, which was filed earlier this week, is on behalf of resident Donna Dunbar against both the association as well as its management company.  It states that as a lay minister in the Seventh Day Adventist Church, Dunbar led a women’s Bible study group with about 10 women, including Cambridge House residents and guests, in a common room for two hours on Monday mornings, but the board of directors voted Feb. 6 to prohibit prayers, religious services and religious meetings in the common areas.  It then posted a sign on an organ in the lobby reading “ANY AND ALL CHRISTIAN MUSIC IS BANNED!”.

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Community associations often have to wrestle with challenging issues and areas of concern that can be extremely difficult to remedy.  While directors are charged with developing appropriate rules and regulations to solve all of the difficulties that may arise, without the proper guidance from highly experienced and qualified management and legal professionals they can easily make the mistake of over-reaching with responses that wind up doing more harm than good.

Such appears to be the case with the California association that made national headlines recently for its reaction to its discovery that an owner was allowing tenants to reside in their converted garage.  To address the problem, the association for Auburn Greens in Placer County taped notices on all of the residents’ doors informing them that their garage doors must be kept open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, effective immediately, with violations resulting in $200 fines and an administrative hearing.

bad-garage-300x225As one would imagine, the outcry from residents was severe.  Residents had legitimate security concerns about the rule, which left them without any effective means for protecting their belongings in their garages during the day.

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Our firm’s other community association attorneys and I are often called upon by association boards of directors and property managers with issues involving obstinate and disruptive unit owners who become a serious nuisance to directors, management and other residents.  In such cases, after warnings, incident reports and fines have failed to have any effect, legal action can serve as an effective recourse.

Such appears to be the case in the recent lawsuit filed by the condominium association for The Mark Yacht Club on Brickell Bay (pictured here) in Miami-Dade Circuit Court. the-mark-yacht-club-on-brickell-bay The association is suing Nuri Munis, Pelin Munis Cakov and Seda Munis, who own two units in the 36-story condo building, for putting the board of directors, property manager, staff and fellow residents through a hellish ordeal.

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Hoarding is becoming an increasingly common problem throughout the nation, especially for community associations where people are forced to cohabitate at close proximities. Depending on its gravity, hoarding can pose health threats to fellow residents, causing foul odors and pest control issues that spill over into hallways and neighboring units. Despite being a nuisance, it is important to remember that compulsive hoarding is a disorder, one which usually implicates some sort of mental health issue. As a result, community association board members and property managers should be sensitive and discrete when handling hoarding concerns in their communities.Hoarding-300x157 Continue reading

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https://www.floridahoalawyerblog.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/139/2017/12/back-the-blue-sign_1509060539503_4416124_ver1.0_640_360.jpgA fairly common problem area for homeowners association communities is the use of lawn signs by residents, especially during election season.  When HOAs attempt to crack down on the use of signs in accordance with their governing documents, they sometimes become the subject of unfavorable media attention.

Such was the case recently in St. Cloud, Fla. near Orlando when an HOA’s battle with some of its homeowners over a yard sign supporting law enforcement became one of the lead stories by the local Fox Network television affiliate for Central Florida.  According to the report, the Burgess family’s “Back the Blue” yard sign supporting the police in the wake of two Kissimmee officers being shot and killed in the line of duty became the subject of a major brouhaha with their association.  Dozens of other residents began supporting them and displaying the same sign, which their association said had to go.

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All too often, we are asked by boards of directors and property managers what steps can be taken to prevent residents from continuing to break rules in their communities. Seldom, however, do we hear community associations that are active and persistent in disciplining their rule breakers. Typically, violations range from disobeying noise ordinances to more problematic ones such as ignoring an association’s prohibition of short-term rentals. Regardless of how big or small—or even how chronic—an infraction may be, it is important that board members do their part in enforcing the rules and regulations of their associations. Follow-Rules-300x157

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Florida community associations are always seeking to implement the most cost-effective options at their disposal to collect unpaid dues and compel unit owners/residents to comply with their rules and restrictions.  CPool-300x227ondominium associations used to have very few practical remedies at their disposal to address delinquencies and violations.  They could file lawsuits or arbitration actions, but the costs of pursuing these cases can be a significant expense, and the imposition of fines requires the use of a fining committee and can be difficult to collect.

As a result of legislative changes to the state’s Condominium Act a number of years ago, associations are now able to suspend the rights of an owner, tenant or guest to use common elements and facilities if the owner of the unit is delinquent more than 90 days in paying a monetary obligation to the association.  Condominium associations may also suspend, for a reasonable period of time, the right of an owner and/or resident to use common elements and amenities for the failure to comply with any provisions of the association’s declaration, bylaws or rules. Continue reading

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