Posts by Gelfand & Arpe
2021 Legislative Session
THE 2021 LEGISLATIVE SESSION It is still too early to determine which community association bills will be adopted by the Florida Legislature and, of course, which may be vetoed by the Governor. Though we are a month into the 2021 Legislative Session significant new proposals are making their way into bills, and provisions that were…
Read MoreDOES IT MATTER WHAT PHASE IT IS? COMMUNITIES RESPONDING AS ADULTS, NOT ADOLESCENTS!
Floridians brace for a potential autumn resurgence of COVID-19. “Snowbirds” reevaluate whether it is safe to return to Florida. In the midst of all this directors and managers seem to be caught in a vortex trying to meet their duties, generally to the public and more specifically to owners and residents. The current proliferation of…
Read MorePunitive Damages
PUNITIVE DAMAGES: PUNISHMENT FOR MANAGEMENT LANDSCAPING CONDUCT? Can a manager subject a Florida community association to punitive damages? Over landscaping?? For $15 million??? Because an association normally is a corporation, the purpose of punitive damages, to punish, is not always clear cut, and thankfully, few and far between. But, bad things do happen! Because there…
Read MoreSuspension and Termination
New Decision: Suspension and Termination (Voluntary Association) (The Naked Lady Ranch v. Wycoki) Never argue with a naked lady? Lady Godiva may be recalled by the appellant’s name, but punishment for a perceived transgression was a serious issue in Wednesday’s decision, Naked Lady Ranch, Inc. v. Wycoki, Case No. 4D18-2868 (Fla. 4th DCA November 20,…
Read MoreBEWARE OF ASSOCIAITON PRESIDENT “GONE CRAZY” AND PERSONAL AND ASSOCIATION LIABILITY
What happens when a Florida community association volunteer tries to do what they think is the right thing, assisting in the collection of assessments, but makes negative comments about an owner whose assessments are delinquent? Can a volunteer officer or director be held personally liable for monetary damages? How about the manager? Even if the…
Read MoreNew Decision: Fair Debt (Kelly v. Duggan)
New Decision: Fair Debt (Kelly v. Duggan) Michael Gelfand 10/25/2019 Conflict is joined on debt collection! Wednesday, Florida’s First District Court of Appeal certified conflict with the Fifth District Court of Appeal, holding that condominium assessments are consumer debts under the Florida Consumer Collection Practices Act (“FCCPA”), §§ 559.55 – .785, Fla. Stat., such that a consumer may…
Read MoreWAIVER OF RIGHTS BY SKIPPING ARBITRATION
WAIVER OF RIGHTS BY SKIPPING ARBITRATION In another decision emphasizing the importance of properly interpreting Florida community association documents, the question arose as to what happens when a homeowners’ association fails to timely submit a dispute to mediation or arbitration? A Florida appellate court ruled that an Association waived its claim against a homeowner where…
Read MoreWaiver of Claims (Guan v. Ellingsworth Residential C.A.)
Highlighting the hidden dangers in lengthy covenant enforcement provisions, the Fifth District Court of Appeal addressed the interplay between a covenant’s alternate dispute resolution requirement and the Homeowners’ Association Act’s mandatory pre-suit mediation procedures in § 720.311 Fla. Stat. (2015), in Guan v. Ellingsworth Residential Community Ass’n, Inc., Case No. 5D18-3633 (Fla. 5th DCA, August 23, 2019). BACKGROUND…
Read MoreNew Decision: Assessments
New Decision: Assessments – Joint and Several Liability with Previous Owners (Coastal Creek v. FLA Trust Services) The battle is joined! The prize is whether pursuant to § 718.116(n)(a), Fla. Stat. (2017) a current condominium unit owner is jointly and severally liable for delinquent assessments accruing during the ownership of a remote owner. The result…
Read MoreDefamation Claims: Loose Lips & E-Mails
What should your association do when there seems to be evidence that an ex-officer might have misappropriated association funds? An internal investigation is a likely option. Sometimes there may be public accusations. Incriminating statements, talk and emails may lead to inuendo and rumors. What is next? It is not unusual for the accused to fight…
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