As we discussed in our main 2018 Community Association Legislative Update post, this year’s statutory amendments included one of the biggest efforts to date to help community associations avoid the disaster of their governing documents being extinguished by the Marketable Record Title Act (MRTA). As a basic premise, if a community’s governing documents are subject
With another legislative session in the books, we are taking a closer look at the new laws to analyze how they will change association life as we know it. One important change impacts the retention of meeting minutes and electronic voting records.
In the past, most association records were maintained for seven (7) years, but
In this year’s legislative session, the Florida legislature passed two main community association related bills that will become law in 2018. The first, House Bill 841, provides extensive changes to the statutes governing Homeowner Associations, Condominium Associations, and Cooperative Associations. The second bill of major importance is House Bill 617, which establishes significant changes preserving
Florida’s 2018 Legislative Session is in full swing. Following a fairly busy Florida Legislative Session in 2017, there are again a number of proposed bills relating to community associations currently being considered in Tallahassee. As is our yearly ritual, we are keeping a close eye on proposed legislation relating to community associations. If passed and
Many community associations in the State of Florida are looking for ways to combat the growing number of rentals in their communities. About a year ago, the Second District Court of Appeals issued an opinion in Le Scampi Condominium Association, Inc. v. Hall, Case No. 2D15-3208 (Fla. 2d DCA 2016), which could help community associations
Last year, we wrote an article about the Florida Supreme Court ruling that each missed mortgage payment constituted a new default subject to a new five-year statute of limitations clock, meaning most lenders could proceed with foreclosure even after five years from the initial default. Recently, Justice C. Alan Lawson issued an opinion in Bollettieri
Real estate investors, municipalities, and community associations may gain some clarity about post-judgment liens if the Florida Supreme Court decides to hear Ober v. Town of Lauderdale By-the-Sea, Case No.: 4D14-4597 (Fla. 4th DCA, January 25, 2017). The case has garnered interest from municipalities, creditors and the real estate sector regarding the enforceability of liens
Many states have placed the legalization of medical marijuana on their ballots in recent years and Florida is no different. A measure legalizing medical marijuana failed in Florida in 2014, gaining only fifty-eight (58%) percent of the vote. However, this past November, Florida voters overwhelmingly approved Amendment 2 which legalized medical marijuana. Seventy-one (71%) percent
In the case of Federal National Mtg. Ass’n. v. Mirabella at Mirasol HOA, Inc., Case No. 4D 15-4792 (Fla. 4th DCA, November 23, 2016), Florida’s Fourth District Court of Appeal relied on specific language in the Homeowner Association Act’s safe harbor section to rule in favor of a homeowner association over Federal National Mortgage Association (“FNMA”) in
On September 13, 2016, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”) released final regulations that change how the Federal Fair Housing Act (“Act”) is applied to quid pro quo and hostile environment housing claims within community associations. The new rules, some of which went into effect on October 14, 2016, affect what community
