association foreclosure litigation Tag Archives

An article by the firm’s Michael Toback was posted today as the featured expert guest commentary column on the homepage of the website of the Daily Business Review, South Florida’s exclusive business daily and official court newspaper, and will soon be appearing in the “Board of Contributors” page of the print edition. The article, which is titled “Ruling Illustrates Perils in Foreclosures of Noncompliance With Documents, Miscalculating Claim of Lien,” discusses a recent ruling by the state’s Fourth District Court of Appeal that highlights not only the significance of associations complying with the provisions of their governing documents in foreclosures, but also the implications of a mistake in the calculation of the “assessment amount due” in determining the ultimate validity of an association’s claim of lien.

Michael’s article begins by noting that most community association governing documents require the association to provide an annual budget to each homeowner with the assessments for the coming year and their due dates, as well as a certificate setting forth the amount of current assessments upon request. If an owner becomes delinquent in their assessment payments, Florida law calls for associations to issue a demand letter to the owner outlining the amounts that are outstanding. If such demands prove unsuccessful after 45 days (30 days for condominiums), associations may then file a claim of lien against the owner’s residence for the assessment amount due.

His article continues:

. . . In Pash v. Mahogany Way Homeowners Association, the HOA filed a foreclosure against unit-owner Gary Pash claiming he had failed to pay outstanding quarterly assessments and costs. Both parties filed dueling summary judgment motions, and the circuit court ultimately entered summary judgment for the HOA and denied summary judgment for the owner.

The Fourth DCA panel’s majority opinion overturned the HOA’s summary judgment, concluding that the evidence presented by the HOA failed to include each of the relevant budgets and notices, together with the proof they were provided to the unit owner, in order to combat Pash’s affidavit in opposition.

The firm’s Michael L. Hyman 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 “Owner Who Sells During Foreclosure Litigation Still Entitled to Legal Fees,” focuses on a recent case illustrating how associations can become liable for the attorney fees and costs of unit owners who prevail in foreclosure actions for past-due assessments even if the owners sell their unit during the pendency of the litigation. His article reads:

. . . In Victor Tison v. Clairmont Condominium F Association, the Fourth District Court of Appeal reversed the lower court’s final order denying Tison’s motion for attorney fees and costs. The appellate panel found that as the prevailing party in a lawsuit brought against him by his condominium association for unpaid assessments, Tison was indeed entitled to recover prevailing party attorney fees even though he sold his interest in the condominium unit during the pendency of the foreclosure action.

The case began in December 2015 when the association filed a lawsuit against Tison and another defendant seeking to foreclose on an assessment lien against their residence and recover damages for unpaid assessments. The defendants responded by filing an answer with affirmative defenses, which they later amended, and they alleged that they would be entitled to recover attorney fees and costs.

More than a year later in March 2017, the trial court denied the association’s motion for summary judgment, and the defendants sold the residence. Another entire year after that, the trial court entered a final order dismissing the action for lack of prosecution.

Articles Tagged with association foreclosure litigation

Article by Michael Toback in Today’s Daily Business Review: “Ruling Illustrates Perils in Foreclosures of Noncompliance With Documents, Miscalculating Claim of Lien”

Article by Michael Hyman in Today’s Daily Business Review: “Owner Who Sells During Foreclosure Litigation Still Entitled to Legal Fees”