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By Adam Cervera

Almost every association has been through it. A deadbeat unit owner has stopped paying their mortgage and the lender brings a foreclosure action against them to enforce the note and mortgage. Not surprisingly, this same owner stops paying his maintenance fees to the association and the association finds itself stuck between a rock and a hard place: bring its own foreclosure action and attempt to obtain title, knowing that ultimately the lender will recapture this title from association as a superior lien holder, or wait for the bank to finish its foreclosure action and hope the new owner begins to pay all future maintenance fees.

For those associations opting for the latter option, a great deal of frustration arises when they see just how long it takes for the average bank foreclosure lawsuit to reach its resolution. While under the Tadmore decision an association can no longer force a lender to pay monthly maintenance fees while its case is pending, since they are not the “legal” owner of the property, all hope is not lost.

Associations have rights when mortgagees foreclose. Don’t let these mortgage foreclosures drag on and on and on ….

Ask for a Case Management Conference. This gives the association’s attorney the opportunity to request hard deadlines in the case. Judges can enter Orders requiring summary judgment motions filed and hearings set within a short period of time, generally 30 days or less. Summary judgment is key because once this is granted, the case is essentially over and all that is left to be done is to sell the property.

With the order on the case management conference in hand, the association now has a powerful tool in its arsenal that can only lead to positive results. If the lender’s attorney complies with the order, the final judgment clears the way for the property to be sold. If not, the door is wide open for the association to seek and recover sanctions against the lender for the delay.

Bank attorneys are often unable (or possibly unwilling?) to comply with scheduling orders. Judges hate when parties do not follow their orders and are often very quick to sanction or fine those plaintiffs. Sanctions can range from a one-time lump sum payment all the way up to daily fines that accrue every day until they take action. In short, associations can finally have the upper hand when a bank drags its feet in violation of a court order.

In Miami-Dade County alone, Becker & Poliakoff has collected several thousands of dollars in sanctions for associations who have filed motions against dilatory lenders and their slow moving counsel.

This is crucial - if an association finds itself in a situation where a lender’s case is in a standstill, set a case management conference as soon as possible. It is important to authorize counsel to act fast once the initial case management conference order deadline expires. Judges around the state are becoming more sympathetic to associations that get caught in the middle of lender foreclosure cases that go on forever. 

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In nearly every case where a first mortgage of record exists on a property, the association's lien is subordinate or inferior to that mortgage. This means if an association elects to foreclose its lien and takes title to the property, it will take title subject to the right of the first mortgagee to foreclose its mortgage.  Associations in the past were reluctant to foreclose when the mortgagee already commenced its own foreclosure action or when the value of the property did not exceed the amount of debt secured by the first mortgage.  That's changing now.  
 
Associations are now making the decision to foreclose more often under these circumstances. The primary reason for this is serious delay in the prosecution of the mortgagee's foreclosure case. These delays are brought on by a variety of factors including the sheer volume of cases handled by the mortgagee's law firm, protracted efforts to work with the borrower either to short sale the property or modify the loan, problems associated with serving necessary parties with the foreclosure complaint or locating original documents that are to be filed with the court, back log in the courts and even strategic decisions by mortgagees to slow down the process.
 
In some cases, associations can obtain favorable results when foreclosing, even against properties that have fair market values below their mortgaged amount.  Sometimes the homeowner has the means to pay the association but  has elected to spend money on other concerns.  Because foreclosure results in the owner losing title to the property, if the owner has the means to pay and does not desire to walk away, they pay rather than lose title.  Foreclsoure can be a powerful deterrent for owners who have the means to pay but elect not to or to pay late because they hear others doing the same.  Another option is the association's right to rent the property once it takes title, if permitted by the association's governing documents.  For some associations, the rental market is favorable and significant income can be recovered before the mortgagee forecloses and takes title.   
 
Many times the owner cannot or will not pay and rental is not a viable option. However, associations still make the decision to foreclose for any number of reasons. Because so many mortgage foreclosures are being contested by owners raising defenses unique to the mortgage foreclosure action, and thus stalling the mortgage foreclosure case for months or even years, the association can effectively render those defenses moot as they relate to the mortgagee's foreclosure by foreclosing the association's lien.  When the owner is divested of title by the association, the owner will drop or lose the fight against the lender in the mortgage foreclosure action, thus paving the way for the lender to take title and begin paying assessments.  Another option for associations taking title is negotiating a short sale with the lender or tendering a deed in lieu of foreclosure to the lender.  I have also filed motions in mortgage foreclosure actions notifying the court that the association has taken title and does not contest the mortgagee's foreclosure, therefore, speeding up the lender's acquisition of title.  These associations understand the key is getting a paying owner into the property sooner rather than later.  That way, more in terms of future assessments are recovered rather than lost while a mortgage foreclosure lingers on for years and no one pays the assessments.
 
What every association should consider is each case is different and the association is well served if it carefully considers all of its options and selects a strategy that works best in any given case.  In this ever changing environment, there is no one size fits all approach.

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As promised in my last post, today we are continuing our discussion on borrowing money with a focus on things to look out for and the types of documents involved.

First, the Association should never pledge its real property as security for the loan. It should also not use its reserves to collateralize the loan. It can however secure the loan with the Association’s regular assessments and only in limited circumstances by special assessments. Again, limitations in the governing documents may apply such that involvement of the Association’s counsel is highly recommended to ensure all elements of the loan are within those guidelines.

Second, there are two primary documents involved in the borrowing of money by an Association, an Agreement and a Promissory Note. The Agreement provides the definitions which apply to the loan including language regarding assessments and collateral. It may also discuss:

• how the proceeds are to be used;
• provides insurance requirements;
• requires declarations regarding litigation (actual and/or threatened suits whether or not filed by the Association);
• sets forth requirements for the Association’s financial statements (these may differ from the Association’s applicable Statute or governing documents);
• sets forth whether a depository relationship is to be created/continued with the lender;
• sets forth requirements for inspection and access to Association records;
• sets limitations regarding the indebtedness of the Association;
• sets parameters and relief should the Association default on the loan; and
• addresses UCC-1 filings

The Promissory Note addresses issues of importance regarding guarantors and attorneys fees in addition to serving as the actual instrument from which the funds are borrowed.

To some degree terms within the Agreement and Promissory Note are negotiable. The key is to ensure that certain impermissible terms are not hidden within these documents which would inappropriately bind among other things, the Association’s reserves, assets, or lien rights.

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What does an Association do if it has an unexpected repair or improvement and does not have sufficient money in its budget to fund the work? What if the Association had the money to fund the repairs through its reserves but now needs to replenish the account.

There are two options available to the Association. The first option is a straight forward special assessment. The problem is there may be limitations in the governing documents as to the extent of a special assessment which can be approved by the Board versus one which must be placed before the membership for approval. Also, in this economy passing a special assessment does not necessarily mean the Association will receive those funds. Additionally, efforts to foreclose to recover the special assessments result in Associations taking title to properties which have no equity and are subject to a first mortgagee. This leads the Association to its second option, borrowing the money.

If the Association is successful in negotiating its loan, it would permit ready access to the funds needed. More importantly it could result in only a minimal increase to the regular assessments making the payments easier for owners to make. The key to ensuring a loan offers these benefits is to have the Association’s counsel involved in the process from the start.

Basic Steps to Obtaining a Loan
1. Confirm the Association has the authority to borrow money. This requires an analysis of both Florida Statutes and the governing documents of the Association.

2. During duly noticed Board meetings the Board must decide to borrow money, approve the loan terms and approve the loan documents.

Loan Types
There are three primary types of loans an Association can obtain:
1. Line of Credit - The Association borrows a specific amount of money but only draws on the funds as needed. As such, the Association only has to repay the amount used and interest is only determined based on the outstanding balance.

2. Term Loan - The entire loan amount is funded to the Association at the time of the loan closing. The Association is then required to pay the loan back over a specific period of time (a/k/a term).

3. Combination (line of credit + term loan)

Upcoming Post Preview
My next post will briefly discuss things to avoid and the types of documentation involved in a loan.

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Economic Stimulus Package Changes COBRA and mini-COBRA Procedures and Rules.

On February 17th, 2009, President Obama signed a $787 billion economic stimulus plan known as the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009.   Changes to both federal COBRA and state ("mini-COBRA) regulations may require action on the part of employers. The Act includes Federal funds to subsidize sixty-five (65%) percent of COBRA or state continuation (Mini-COBRA) premiums for up to nine months.  Eligibility is limited by income.

Federal COBRA impacts any employer with twenty (20) or more employees.  Many community associations do not have this many employees and therefore are not concerned with the changes.

However, in Florida, entities with less than twenty (20) employees are subject to "mini-COBRA" regulations.  Any employees "involuntarily separated" from employment between Sept. 1, 2008, and Dec. 31, 2009 qualify for the subsidy. Employees who lost their jobs between Sept. 1, 2008, and February 19th, 2009,  but failed to initially elect COBRA because it was unaffordable, have sixty (60) days to elect COBRA and receive the subsidy, however, they will have to pay the full premiums for the coverage period from the date of separation to the date of enactment of the law.

If the employee elected to take COBRA on or after September 1, 2008, they will be eligible to receive the subsidy prospectively for up to the maximum nine-month period.  

Associations with employees are encouraged to confirm that their payroll vendors or COBRA administrators have systems in place to ensure compliance.  Consultation with legal counsel is also recommended.

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