By Nichole Soto — July 9, 2013 In a lawsuit alleging construction defects in homeowners’ individual townhomes, Florida’s Second District Court of Appeal ruled that a homeowners’ association was bound by arbitration agreements between its members and the developer. The … Continue reading
Posted – July 14, 2013 The Supreme Court says Gov. Rick Scott and the Legislature went too far when it tried to settle a legal dispute on behalf of a developer being sued by a homeowners association. The ruling Thursday said … Continue reading
Orlando Sentinel: Arrested developer resigns from Bimini Bay HOA By Mary Shanklin posted – July 1, 2013 Beleaguered homeowner-association president David Meadows, who has been arrested twice for stealing from his half-built community’s HOA, has resigned just as a new state … Continue reading
Orlando police seize firearms and silencers from head of the Fine and Hearing Violations committee. By Henry Pierson Curtis posted July 5, 2013 A resident watching fireworks explode late Thursday over The Hamptons at MetroWest on Turkey Lake said she feared … Continue reading
Posted — July 5, 2013 by: Roetzel & Andress – Steven M. Falk, Ashley D. Lupo, Sean Ellis and Jennifer A. Nichols Three bills have recently been signed into law by the Florida Governor that may be of particular interest to condominium, homeowners’ and cooperative … Continue reading
‘First Step’ legislation goes into effect July 1 Author: Mike Holfeld, Problem Solver, [email protected] Published On: Jun 28 2013 11:14:07 PM EDT ORLANDO,Fla. – Effective Monday July 1 a new H.O.A. reform bill goes into effect essentially ending the run of so called … Continue reading
POSTED ON: JUNE 24, 2013 , BY LAURA MANNING-HUDSON A decision earlier this month by the Third District Court of Appeal serves as a good lesson to community associations and their attorneys about the importance of working closely with their process servers to ensure … Continue reading
Posted: 3:33 p.m. Saturday, June 15, 2013 By Frank Cerabino — Palm Beach Post Staff Writer Robert Kortenhaus was hoping I could get to the bottom of his problem. “I do not own boxer shorts and have never worn boxer shorts in … Continue reading
By Dorothy M. Atkins — Tuesday June 18, 2013 When rich condo owners fight it out over money and property, it’s not a pretty sight.The ugliness — a sliding condo market, mystery phone calls and accusations of fraud — belies … Continue reading
by Mike Masnick — Tuesday, March 26th 2013 from the but-of-course dept I’m not sure what it is about “Homeowners Associations” (HOAs), but I can’t recall ever coming across one which didn’t involve all sorts of acrimony. A few years back, I lived in … Continue reading
From Naples News.com — Posted June 16, 2013 Q. I am on the board of my condominium association. We want to be doing everything we can to be in compliance with Florida laws. I have heard that there will soon … Continue reading
Peter Jamison — June 1, 2013 CLEARWATER — Ivan “Van” Farber, 68, careens through suburban traffic beneath a Florida sky the color of ash and indigo, squinting against the wind as his convertible speeds and slows. Farber’s is a face that … Continue reading
By Wayne K. Roustan and Erika Pesantes June 5, 2013 Luck finally ran out for a Pembroke Pines condo association president accused of gambling away the community’s maintenance money at a casino. Nancy Marquez, 58, was arrested on charges she stole $148,012 from the … Continue reading
By Katie Kustura —- June 1, 2013 A Port Orange man, frustrated over a disagreement with his homeowners association, fired shots into two occupied homes in the Countryside neighborhood, police said. No one suffered injuries in two separate incidents in which … Continue reading
by Martin A. Schwartz — posted May 13, 2013 HB 73- Omnibus Legislation This bill containing 74 pages is a “stripped down” version of a bill which passed the House last year but failed to obtain Senate approval. It contains a … Continue reading
May 13, 2013 Belle Isle, Fla. – There are plans to turn a house in the middle of a quiet residential neighborhood into an assisted living facility. The house is in a subdivision in Belle Isle. On a quiet cul-de-sac … Continue reading
This bill containing 74 pages is a “stripped down” version of a bill which passed the House last year but failed to obtain Senate approval. It contains a potpourri of changes to the Condominium Act, the Cooperative Act and the … Continue reading
By Jean Winters — May 10th, 2013 This has been a busy year for homeowner association (HOA) bills. Early in the year, Senator Hays proposed SB596 that was a blanket rewrite of Chapter 720, originally proposed by a “consumer advocacy” … Continue reading
By Drew Dixon — Posted May 4, 2013 A Green Cove Springs woman was arrested Thursday at a homeowners meeting over a dispute about her holiday lawn nativity scene, according to the Clay County Sheriff’s Office. Kathleen Sue Thomas, 61, was … Continue reading
Notice of Filing Proposed Advisory Opinion The Standing Committee on UPL, pursuant to R. Regulating Fla. Bar 10-9.1(f)(3), provides this notice of filing a proposed advisory opinion on the activity of community association managers. The proposed opinion will not change … Continue reading
By Kelli Stegeman — May 2, 2013 A Fort Myers Beach veteran fighting a deadly illness is desperate. He says his condo association is threatening to punish him for using a critical tool that’s helping keep him alive. He wants to know … Continue reading
By Lisa J. Huriash, Sun Sentinel posted May 5, 2013 The Woodlands Homeowners Association has threatened to sue one of its residents, a self-proclaimed “loudmouth” who has a website about the going-ons within the community. An attorney for the law firm Becker … Continue reading
By Anthony Clark — Posted May 2, 2013 Law enforcement is investigating a Gainesville property management company after several homeowners associations reported that money was missing from their accounts. The Alachua County Sheriff’s Office is working with the Gainesville Police … Continue reading
By: Dave Gould Posted May 2, 2013 OCEAN RIDGE, Fla. – Robert Bucchere has been arrested by Ocean Ridge police on charges that he took almost $62,000 from the Wellington Arms Condominium Association. An arrest report issued by police says … Continue reading
By Alex de Armas – Published April 24th, 2013 GAINESVILLE- The scandal involving homeowners’ associations being ripped off is growing. Today we learned at least four more associations are involved in the Sun Lu Properties investigation. Yesterday we told you that … Continue reading
May 2, 2013 Last week the House of Representatives and the Senate passed Bill 7119 providing many needed amendments to Florida Statute 720, the statute regulating homeowner associations. We are now waiting for the governor to sign the bill into … Continue reading
By Stephen Thompson | Tribune Staff – April 21, 2013 PALM HARBOR – Her arms and legs left immobile by multiple sclerosis, Anne Kiekhofer doesn’t take advantage of many of the amenities offered by Highland Lakes, a 55-and-over community overlooking Lake Tarpon. Not … Continue reading
Some residents of the Trailwood Home Owners Association told WFTV’s Myrt Price that they can’t believe that someone they trusted, a law enforcement officer and someone who had been their HOA president for seven years, could be accused of something … Continue reading
A Jacksonville couple believes their homeowner’s association isn’t allowing them to park in a handicapped space, despite having all of the required placards. They called the On Your Side team to see whose rules supersede whose and to get help.and … Continue reading
Author: Mike Holfeld – April 26, 2013 TALLAHASSEE.Fla. – The Florida House unanimously approved new home owners association reform legislation by a vote of 37-0 Friday sending what advocates are calling “much needed consumer protection” to Governor Rick Scott’s desk for his signature. … Continue reading
By Michael A. Fletcher, — April 22, 2013 MIAMI — Big investors are pouring unprecedented amounts of money into real estate hard hit by the housing crash, bringing those moribund markets back to life but raising the prospect of another Wall … Continue reading
By Donna DiMaggio — April 22, 2013 Occasionally, I will hear from an older Florida homeowners’ association that is considering allowing its restrictive covenants to simply expire by application of law. In some of these communities, there is not much … Continue reading
By AISLING SWIFT — Naples Daily News — Posted April 15, 2013 at 6:15 a.m. EAST NAPLES — Pickup trucks parked in driveways are a no-no in many gated communities in Naples. But when the truck belongs to a paralyzed man and it’s rigged … Continue reading
As we head into the last two weeks of the 2013 Legislative Session, it looks like there will be at least one major community association bill that will pass, and possibly a significant HOA bill. In addition, the mortgage foreclosure … Continue reading
By Alexandra SeltzerPalm Beach Post Staff Writer – April 1, 2013 For years, acting as the president of a suburban West Palm Beach condo association, Harold Hart went to the treasurer of the association for her signature. While suffering from diabetes, obesity, … Continue reading