Orlando Sentinel: Judge rules Bimini Bay developer must sever ties with HOA December 26, 2013 — By Mary Shanklin A Polk County circuit judge has added his voice to those of legislators and homeowners in trying to distance Lake Mary developer … Continue reading
NBC-2.com: FPL ordered to restore electricity in East Naples neighborhood (HOA claims it paid the bill to its master association) December 18, 2013 — By Rick Ritter EAST NAPLES, FL – After more than a month with no streetlights, power will … Continue reading
Jan Bergemann: HOAs now subject to some oversight Article Courtesy of The Palm Beach Post By Rhonda Swan for The Post Editorial Board — Published December 24, 2013 The Florida Legislature was right to require the Department of Business and Professional Regulation … Continue reading
HIGHLANDS TODAY: Homeowner’s association disbands By Gary Pinnell — December 16, 2013 SEBRING -The Highlands County Homeowner’s Association has conducted its last meeting. “We were putting on meetings and only three representatives would show up,” said Rick Ingler, a former chairman … Continue reading
SBY News: Florida: New Rules Prohibit Children From Playing On The Street December 21, 2013 The motto in Lakewood Ranch is “Live. Work. Play.” “They’re always itching to come outside and play,” said mom Luisa Capra. But on Miramar Way, … Continue reading
WEARTV.com: Christmas lights banned from La Chateau Condos December 14, 2013 — By Kavontae Smalls Residents at La Chateau Condominiums in Pensacola have received notice, they cannot decorate for Christmas. This comes as a shock to many since they claim nowhere … Continue reading
Sun Sentinel: Weston’s controversial, decades-long cable deal ends this month By Heather Carney — December 8, 2013 WESTON — Come the New Year, cable will once again be in the hands of the residents. The long-standing agreement with local Advanced Cable Communications for … Continue reading
CBS12.com: Frustrated Family Faces Obstacles Just Getting Home By Chuck Weber — December 6, 2013 WELLINGTON, Fl. — You take for granted being able to come and go from your home as you please. But for Sarit Levy and Sean Solender … Continue reading
NapleNews.com: Muck: The enemy lurks deep in Indian River Lagoon “One solution is free: minding our grass clippings.” Jim Waymer – Florida Today — November 30, 2013 ROCKLEDGE, Fla. (AP) — At the Indian River Isles subdivision south of Rockledge, so … Continue reading
Tampa Bay Times: Beach cities battle illegal short-term rentals By Sheila Mullane Estrada — December 3, 2013 ST. PETE BEACH — Renting single-family homes or condominiums to tourists for a day, week or month is against the rules in many beach communities, … Continue reading
firstcoastnews.com: HOA Reverses Decision on Statue Honoring Vets December 3, 2013 Gannett VALRICO, Fla. — A retired army veteran facing fines from his HOA after refusing to remove a statue honoring military veterans has won his fight.”My 23 years in the service … Continue reading
wpbf.com: Kenneth Torrence mounts costly legal battle against HOA to keep dog By Terri Parker — November 22, 2013 WELLINGTON, Fla. —A Palm Beach County Sheriff’s deputy is facing a costly legal battle to keep his 4-year-old mixed-breed dog Sasha, after … Continue reading
WTSP.com: HOA asks Valrico vet to remove soldier statue honoring troops December 3, 2013 By Andre SeniorValrico, Florida – A Valrico man is locked in a dispute with his homeowners association over a statue of a soldier on the front lawn … Continue reading
wtsp.com: Corporation forces homeowners to sell property By Mike Deeson — November 21, 2013 Palm Harbor, Florida- Several homeowners say they are being forced to sell their Pinellas condos at a loss. Stephanie Krasowski bought her condo home several years ago for around … Continue reading
jacksonville.com: Bill takes aim at vacation rentals that turn into “mini-hotels” By Matt Dixon – November 28, 2013 TALLAHASSEE | Groups of vacationers that each year turn vacation rentals into “mini-hotels” might be out of luck if lawmakers pass legislation filed by … Continue reading
WPTV.com: “No kids” painted on grandfather’s car in Vero Beach, someone upset that his grandaughter visits By Meghan McRoberts — 11-14-2013 VERO BEACH, Fla.– A Treasure Coast Grandfather believes his granddaughter was the reason someone vandalized his cars. Now, he’s uneasy … Continue reading
GMA.yahoo.com: HOA Fires Back at Fla. Man Who Said He Was Fined $5K Short Trees By Susanna Kim Good Morning America November 15, 2013 After a Florida man says he was fined $100 a day, or $5,000, for having two … Continue reading
livablecities.org: HOAs v. Kids: The New Shared Space Debate Think about your childhood. What are your favorite memories? For many of us, favorite childhood memories include playing in the street (and all over the neighborhood) with our friends, and summer … Continue reading
Chron.com: Builder claims drilling rights under Florida homes November 16, 2013 — By Drew Harwell, Tampa Bay Times BRANDON, Fla. (AP) — When Mallory and Zach Sinclair were looking for their first home, they swooned over a new townhouse in the Brandon subdivision … Continue reading
consumerist.com: HOA fines homeowner 5K for planting trees that are currently too small November 13, 2013 — By Mary Beth Quirk The thing about trees is, they grow. But not fast enough for one Homeowner’s Association, which has been fining a … Continue reading
heraldonline.com: Florida Homeowner Scores Permanent Injunction Against HOA After Guests Denied Entry to His Home By David Acosta ORLANDO, Fla., Nov. 4, 2013 — /PRNewswire/ — A circuit court judge has ordered a Central Florida homeowners association to stop its practice … Continue reading
nbc-2.com: Condo association manager accused of grand theft November 5, 2013 By Lucas Seiler, Charlotte County Reporter PORT CHARLOTTE, FL – A former Port Charlotte condo association manager has been charged with grand theft after investigators say she stole over … Continue reading
OrlandoSentinel.com: When golf courses close, development wipes out homeowners’ fairway views By Martin E. Comas, Orlando Sentinel — October 28, 2013 When Bob Bruno bought his house in the Sabal Point neighborhood more than two decades ago, he felt he’d found … Continue reading
HERALD-TRIBUNE: Homeowners want developer to turn over control, but can it? When threshold of 90 percent completion was reached, developer added more acreage for more homes, thwarting turnover. Now it’s “a convoluted system”. By Josh SalmanPublished: Friday, October 25, 2013 at 6:36 p.m. MANATEE … Continue reading
pawnation.com: Fla. Disabled Navy Vet Says POA Won’t Let Him Keep Service Dog By Paul Ciampanelli Oct 9th 2013 A property owners association in Hobe Sound, Fla., has told one of its residents that he cannot keep his dog, but the … Continue reading
ccfj.net: Guard’s gunfire to cost condo Article Courtesy of The Palm Beach Post By Jane Musgrave —October 14, 2013 By his own admission, Jack Abrams lost it when a woman left the door to the laundry room open at Northlake … Continue reading
The title of this post seems intuitively obvious. The plaintiff in any court action must always prove its case. However, it may not be as obvious as it seems. In Boyle v. Hernando Beach South Property Owners Assoc., Inc., the … Continue reading
WPTV.com: Neighbors worry about being left in the dark after FPL plans to shut off street lights Meghan McRoberts October 10, 2013 PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — Some Palm Beach Gardens homeowners will soon be left in the dark. Florida … Continue reading
ClickOrlando.com: HOA to cut down as many as 400 trees Tree roots damaging sidewalks, creating potential lawsuits Mike DeForest, Reporter October 3, 2013 OCOEE, Fla. -A Central Florida Homeowners Association is planning to cut down as many as 455 trees … Continue reading
SpaceCoastDaily.com: HOA TREASURER ARRESTED FOR FRAUD, THEFT By Space Coast Daily September 27, 2013 Economic Crimes Unit Make Multiple Charges BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – An investigation by the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office Economic Crimes Unit determined that a former treasurer of … Continue reading
CLICKORLANDO.com: Deputies seek larceny charges against Kissimmee HOA president in trash can caper Mike Holfeld, Problem Solver — September 25, 2013 KISSIMMEE, Fla. -Local 6 has confirmed that the Osceola County Sheriff’s office is seeking petit theft larceny charges against the … Continue reading
CLICKORLANDO.COM: Kissimmee HOA walks off with residents’ trash bins September 24, 2013 — By Mike Holfeld KISSIMMEE, Fla. – If you live in the Turnberry Reserve Neighborhood in Kissimmee, your trash cans and recycling carts better not be in plain sight or … Continue reading
Heleski v. Harrell, 2D12-4136 (Fla. 2d DCA 2013): The Heleskis began building a structure on their property without notifying or getting approval from the HOA. The structure is 24 feet by 24 feet and is separate from the Heleskis’ main house. The … Continue reading
Pulte Home Corp. sought review of an order denying its renewed motion to compel arbitration of an action brought by Bay at Cypress Creek Homeowners’ Association (“HOA”) for alleged building code violations under Florida Statute §553.84. The Second District reversed … Continue reading
wfla.com: Pinellas condo owners could be forced to sell at a loss By Shannon Behnken — August 31, 2013 PALM HARBOR, FL – Three years ago, Stephanie Vandenbroeke, a single mother of two, poured her life savings into a condominium at … Continue reading
mypalmbeachpost.com: Boynton condo owners fear corporate takeover as their homes revert to apartments By Kimberly Miller — August 31, 2013 BOYNTON BEACH — All summer they’ve been leaving, one by one, sometimes in hushed deals shielded from public record. The Polish couple in … Continue reading
By Jean Winters — August 30th, 2013 On Wednesday, the Fourth District Court of Appeals issued another opinion with significant ramifications for Florida community associations. In Yang v. Sebasian Lakes Condominium Assoc., Inc., the Court reversed a summary judgment on behalf … Continue reading
By Jean Winters, Esq. — August 23rd, 2013 Homeowners now have an important ruling enabling them to challenge covenants that were recorded more than five years before they purchased their home. To challenge covenants, homeowners may seek a declaratory judgment … Continue reading
August 21, 2013 — By Donna DiMaggio Berger On August 14, Florida’s Third District Court of Appeal ruled that a bank which had taken title to two condominium units was entitled to its attorney’s fees from a condominium association just … Continue reading
On August 14, 2013, Florida’s Third District Court of Appeal ruled that a bank which had taken title to two condominium units was entitled to its attorney’s fees from a condominium association just as any other condominium owner would be … Continue reading
wsvn.com: Help Me Howard: Therapy Dog vs Condo August 7, 2013 — By Patrick Fraser Some people with a disability medication or constant doctors visits and some people find relief with a therapy dog. That’s what was helping one South Florida … Continue reading
The Sun Sentinel: Broward sues condo over alleged discrimination against woman, 90, and her service dog By Susannah Bryan — August 15, 2013 A condo on Galt Ocean Mile discriminated against a 90-year-old blind woman and her service dog Nittany, … Continue reading
Herald-Tribune.com: Protest eyed at Venice condo barring unmarried couples August 15, 2013 — Staff Report VENICE – UPDATE… Word is spreading on social network websites that protestors are expected today at Casa Di Amici, the condominium complex in Venice that has barred gay and other … Continue reading
The Justice Department announced today that the Townhomes of Kings Lake HOA Inc. (HOA) and Vanguard Management Group Inc. have agreed to pay $150,000 to settle a lawsuit alleging violations of the Fair Housing Act (FHA). The lawsuit alleged that … Continue reading
By Joseph Adams on August 6th, 2013 — Posted in Legislation, Reader Q&A Today’s column continues with our review of laws of interest to community associations enacted during the 2013 Legislative Session. Suspension of Use Rights: A “glitch” in the previous version of the condominium statute was … Continue reading
By Michael Sasso | Tribune Staff — July 28, 2013 TAMPA – Investors eager to snap up homes while they’re still cheap and rent them out may have a new obstacle to achieving real estate riches: homeowners associations growing anxious about the … Continue reading
March 17, 2013 Lauren Ritchie, COMMENTARY Sixteen homes, 16 sets of panicked owners. The residents of a Leesburg subdivision that went belly up during the real-estate bust face a financial dilemma that’s the result of greedy investors, a failure by … Continue reading