Year: 2015

Happy New Year to everyone.  In the condo and HOA world, with a few exceptions, the new year certainly means one thing; the annual meeting is almost here.  I’m often asked whether or not I recommend that an attorney be present at the annual meeting or if the association should simply allow the community association…

The weekly blog has been dealing with a lot of tough issues lately.  Whether or not birthdays of Lee and Davis should be state holidays, crime by board members, election fraud, crime by community association managers, etc.  Today, let’s step back and have some fun instead.  From now until November, 2016 we are going to…

Jan, Darlys and I write a lot.  We write 52 columns a year for the past several years.  No doubt, that’s a lot of talk. While we have said a lot throughout this year, and voiced our opinions and provided our comments, we want to conclude the year on a different note.  That is to…

So last week we blogged about the fact that your right to display religious symbols on your own property is limited.  In a condominium, you only have the right to display a small religious object on the frame or mantle of your door.  In an HOA, there is no statute whatsoever which gives you the…

I have been to some real nasty association meetings over the last 23 years.  I’ve personally been cursed at, screamed at, yelled at and insulted.  My wife can sometimes get that way. All kidding aside, I’ve attended meetings where control was totally lost and violence erupted.  It happened more than once and each time there…

It has been a long time since we blogged about whether or not officers and directors of our Florida community associations should get paid for their service to the community.  I certainly don’t know if payment to directors would cut down on theft of association funds and get more people to participate in the affairs…

As if there wasn’t enough to worry about in your condo or HOA, now we need to be concerned about flying objects that can take pictures of us while we are sitting in our back yard or even inside of our homes or condo units. About two years ago, a client of the firm called…

Two weeks ago, we made it clear that Florida community associations are allowed to borrow money absent a provision in the governing documents that would expressly prohibit it.  But, just because you can borrow money doesn’t necessarily mean that you should. Many associations have an open line of credit with a lending institution.  It’s almost…

You won’t hear an attorney say this too often, but I’ll say it today.  I got lucky.  About seven years ago, I simply wanted to do some advertising for my law firm on the radio.  Instead, I was somehow talked into doing my own radio show.  It happened real quick and I’ll admit it was…

Each year your condo association or HOA is required to pass an annual budget that in theory should pay all of the bills of the association.  The statutes require this.  Then a storm hits, or balconies start deteriorating and many Associations suddenly find themselves in desperate need to repair the common areas with no reserve…