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Category – Insight
Jennifer Horan has spent over twelve years addressing and resolving a myriad of issues facing community, condo, and homeowners’ associations. Below is a collection of her insights regarding association board roles and responsibilities, managing disputes, COVID-19 health and safety protocols and enforcement, and more.
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When teaching contract law to my undergraduate students at Florida International University, I always begin with a question: “How many of you sign a contract without reading it?” A simple question and one would think that everyone reads before they sign. But no. Mostly everyone signs without reading, whether a credit card agreement, apartment lease, …
Although the advent of vaccines signals the end of COVID-19, the pandemic remains a fixture in our landscape and undoubtedly will for some time to come. As Southwest Florida community associations typically have most of their meetings during the “season,” this presents recurrent questions about the applicable laws and “sunshine rules,” especially regarding “remote participation.” …
Other than political debate, perhaps nothing else evokes more of an “emotional” response than the issue of emotional support animals in a no pet community. While this is not a new issue, and has been discussed many times in this forum and others, new laws in Florida may affect how your community may handle a …
This article is Part I of a two-part series on the vital subject of amending community association governing documents. This article will focus on the common reasons why a community association should consider amending its governing documents. Part II will focus on how to amend governing documents. There are three common …
The line between what an association’s board can legally do as a matter of law and what the board should do as a matter of good practice is often blurred without any practical guidance available for well-intentioned directors who want to do the very best they can for their community based …
Chapter 558, Florida Statutes and Section 553.84, Florida Statutes are consumer-friendly statutes drafted and signed into law years ago to protect Florida homeowners, HOAs, and condominiums, provide for the resolution of construction defect claims, and promote the settlement of claims without resorting to litigation. Bills filed recently by Florida politicians would severely hamper the protections …
Some boards only engage legal counsel when a situation has become dire. Others are overly cautious and all the attorney at the drop of a hat, but unusually high legal bills often lead to membership scrutiny.
More often than not, however, boards don’t consult legal counsel enough. It’s a dangerous way …
Despite a year that has drastically curtailed traveling due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, the popularity of online vacation and short-term rental platforms, such as Airbnb and others, has persisted as people have sought escapes to private homes instead of hotels and to upgrade their work-from-home routines to somewhere with a view. Airbnb is only …
Q: Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, many of the seasonal owners in our condominium will not be returning this year. This raises concerns about how we should conduct the election for directors. …
Some older individuals choose to live out their final years in their personal residences, alone, rather than in nursing homes or assisted-living facilities. Additionally, there are times that other individuals may experience certain mental health issues that make them unable to adequately care for themselves. Associations are often at a loss with how to assist these …
When Do Annoying Behaviors and Activities Within and Surrounding the Community Become a Legal Nuisance and How Can Your Community Deal with It? …