Several years ago, our firm was involved in a lawsuit representing many condominium unit owners against their association, alleging that material alterations were made without a 75% vote of the unit owners before the material alterations were made. We alleged that the amount of the assessments for these material alterations were staggering and the 75%…
Author: admin
MATERIAL ALTERATIONS – LOOK BEFORE YOU LEAP
Today we discuss an often litigated topic, “material alterations.” As many of you know, a board of directors in a condominium can’t make “material” changes to the common areas unless a vote of the community is obtained. Usually, a 75% vote in favor of the change is required. You may be surprised to learn though…
A NEW YEAR AND SOME NEW RESOLUTIONS
Originally, I was going to blog about resolutions that Board members should make for 2014, but that topic has been written about a million and one times. Everyone seems to have suggestions about how to be a better Board member. Let’s flip it around this time and resolve to be better unit owners, neighbors and…
A NEW YEAR.
Each year at this time the New Year’s Resolutions start flying. We promise ourselves that from now on we will do this or that to make us act better, look better and feel better. By around the 10th of the month we’re no longer exercising, we go back to eating unhealthy and we’re still drinking.…
MERRY CHRISTMAS
This week, I simply write to say that I thank each and every one of you for sharing your Monday mornings with me for another year. It is truly an honor and a privilege to know that so many of you participate in reading our blog and enjoy posting your comments. Please know that each…
HAVE I GOT A DEAL FOR YOU
We all know that in both a condo and an HOA board members serve without compensation. Suppose however that a member of the Board owns a business and that business wants to enter into a contract with the association? For example, let’s say the condominium needs a paint job. The condo President is a general…
A NEW YEAR, A LOOK BACK AND A PEEK INTO THE FUTURE
My what a difference a year makes. This time last year, we had no idea how many HOAs there were in the State of Florida, unit owners weren’t allowed to use their cameras and cell phones to take pictures of the official records, exorbitant fees were being charged by some management companies for copies of…
HEY HOA OWNERS – YOU NEED TO MEET MRTA
HOA owners who never heard of Florida’s Marketable Record Title Act, better known as MRTA, better get to know this topic well. To simplify what the Act stands for, it basically means that your governing documents in your homeowner’s association can literally expire and disappear after they have been recorded for thirty years. The intent…
HOLIDAY DECORATIONS --- WHAT ARE THE LIMITS?
Now that Thanksgiving is over, there’s a race to get those Christmas decorations up. It’s no longer too early to start as recently suggested by one HOA. Twinkle the lights, plug-in the blow-ups, put up the signs, sprinkle the lawn with fake snow, place reindeer in the driveway and most of all, get in the…
RESERVES: SHOULD WE FUND THEM OR SHOULD WE WAIVE THEM?
It’s the time of year when Boards are concentrating on passing the association’s new budget. In a Florida condominium, the budget must contain fully funded reserve accounts that shall go into effect, unless a majority of a quorum of unit owners vote to waive or reduce the funding of reserves. Reserves must be kept for…