Community associations

January 8, 2018

Tackling Hoarding in Community Associations

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. Continue reading

November 8, 2017

Tackling the New Website Requirement for FL Condominium Associations

by Nicole R. Kurtz

Nicole R. Kurtz

Florida condominium associations with 150 or more units, which do not manage timeshare units, must have an independent website or web portal by July 1, 2018, according to Section 718.111, Florida Statutes. These websites or web portals can either be wholly owned and operated by the association, or operated by a third-party provider. It is important that associations that meet the 150+ unit prerequisite begin to take the necessary steps to ensure that they are in compliance with the new law by the July 1^st deadline.

October 23, 2017

Dealing with Noisy Neighbors

by Nicole R. Kurtz

Nicole R. Kurtz

Does your neighbor’s loud music, barking dog or late-night visitors keep you up at night? If you live in a condominium building, your answer is probably ‘yes.’ A recurring complaint that we receive from condominium unit owners is that they are able to hear their neighbors through shared walls, followed by the frustration of feeling as if there is no recourse. Here are some tips on how to deal with noisy neighbors:

Take a minute to think: Is this excessive noise?

Depending on the materials that were used to build your condominium building, it is possible that the walls are to blame for hearing everything your neighbor says or does. From routine noises, such as walking or watching television, to noisier activities, such as blasting music or operating loud appliances, the building’s lack of insulation may be the reason that noises become magnified in your place of retreat. Take a second to think about whether or not the noise you are stewing about is intentional. Recognizing that your neighbor may be hearing the same type of commotion coming from your unit may provide a different perspective. With that said, if your neighbor is creating excessive noise, and frequently at odd hours of the day, feel free to take the next step.

September 20, 2017

When Residents Break Rules

by Nicole R. Kurtz

Nicole R. Kurtz

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.

September 18, 2017

Post-Irma Impacts on Association Annual Meetings and Elections

by Siegfried Rivera

Siegfried Rivera

While recovery from property damage and power outages may take precedence in the hours and days following a hurricane, it is also important to consider—and to take swift action to recover from— not-so-apparent implications of a storm.

As we enter into the “season” of Annual Meetings and Elections, deadlines are soon approaching for community associations to distribute their Notice(s) of Annual Meeting and Election to Owners. The Florida Statutes, Florida Administrative Code and association governing documents provide us with a strict protocol of when such Notice(s) must be distributed, depending upon an association’s scheduled or required date to hold the Annual Meeting and Election. Following a storm such as Hurricane Irma, a few hours or days without power may affect a printing company or management office’s work hours, and, in turn, make it difficult or impossible to timely distribute Notice(s) of Annual Meeting and Election in accordance with statutory and governing-document-based protocols.

August 22, 2017

Debit Card Provision Uncertainties Answered

by Laura Manning-Hudson

Laura Manning-Hudson

The outcome of this year’s legislative session evoked a lot of confusion from property managers and boards of directors serving the community association industry. As a result, we have received a lot of requests from our readership asking for clarification on some of the laws that were enacted. In this post, we will be tack cc-article-photo-fb-3-300x158 ling the debit card provision in an effort to clear up some misconceptions about the new legislation.

January 18, 2016

Article by Michael Hyman in Today’s Miami Herald: Florida Estoppel Bill Would Force Owners in Associations to Pay Fees for Failed Sales

by Michael L. Hyman

Michael L. Hyman

The firm’s Michael L. Hyman authored an article that appeared as a “My View” guest column in today’s Business Monday section of the Miami Herald. Michael’s article shed light on the new estoppel bill that is being considered by the Florida Legislature and how it would lead to increased fees for most associations. His article reads:

“. . . with the backing of the powerful real estate industry and title companies, a new version of the bill now seeks to take the burden of paying for the preparation of estoppels away from some of their clients and place it on the existing homeowners in the communities where their clients wish to buy.

House Bill 203, this year’s version of the measure, has already passed the House’s Civil Justice Committee, and it is on track for a vote during the 2016 legislative session that began on Jan. 12. It calls for changes to allow estoppel certificates to be delivered electronically and require them to include specific content as well as effective periods. The amount that associations can charge home buyers for the certificates would be capped at $500, and the certificates would be required to be prepared and delivered within 10 business days of a request.

None of these changes are the one that presents the most concerns for associations, although the requirement for a 10 business-day turnaround will prove difficult in complex cases that may include fines in addition to delinquent maintenance dues and/or litigation. Bear in mind that the size and sophistication of community associations varies greatly, and small associations with antiquated bookkeeping will find these difficult cases to be particularly daunting. In addition, any differences between the capped amounts that home buyers can be charged for the preparation of an estoppel and the actual cost of creating it would be passed on to all of the unit owners of an association.”

Michael’s article concludes:

“. . . the most troubling aspect of the bill for associations is that they and their unit owners would be on hook for these fees in many cases when sales fail to close. The bill calls for associations to wait for a sale of a unit to close until they get paid for the work and fees that they incurred in preparing an estoppel to facilitate the sale. If the home or condominium sale did not close, the association would ultimately be responsible for these fees and costs if it were unable to collect them from the seller of the unit, as would often be the case with so many distressed properties being sold by owners already delinquent on their association dues.

This aspect of the bill is sure to have a deleterious financial impact on many condominium associations and HOAs throughout the state. Real estate sales fail to close all of the time due to failed inspections, and the associated costs for conducting these home inspections are always rightfully borne by the prospective buyers. Estoppel certificate fees, which are typically less than $400, are actually among the smallest expenses of all of the closing costs and fees incurred in connection with real estate transactions.

Community associations in Florida have had to overcome dire financial strains in order to recover from the collapse of the housing market and the foreclosure crisis. HB 203 seeks to shift estoppel fees to the associations and their unit owners, and take them away from those who enter into contracts for the purchase of a property and then fail to close. Association directors and members as well as property managers should contact the Florida lawmakers for their district to voice their opposition.”

Our firm congratulates Michael for sharing his insights with the readers of the Miami Herald on the potential negative impact of this legislation on community associations in Florida. Click here to read the complete article in the newspaper’s website.