The Tampa Tribune: Dade City HOA loses suit; can’t charge for legal fees
March 25, 2014
DADE CITY — The neighborhood at the center of a costly dispute over wheelchair access to its homeowners association meetings has no legal authority to assess homeowners for its mounting legal bills, a Pasco County judge has ruled.Judge William Sestak agreed with three Bayhead Landings homeowners that the association board failed to follow its own procedures for extending the neighborhood deed restrictions in 2010. He issued a court order Monday ruling that the deed restrictions and covenants expired three years ago.
“When you don’t have deed restrictions, the association becomes voluntary,” said Barbara Stage, the attorney who represented homeowners in their lawsuit against the Bayhead Landings Property Owners Association. “They’re trying to get another special assessment passed, but they can’t because they have no legal authority.” Read more: http://tbo.com/pasco-county/dade-city-hoa-loses-suit-cant-charge-for-legal-fees-20140325/