Source: https://www.floridahoalawyerblog.com/our-2011-legislative-update-fo/
Timestamp: 2019-04-21 08:30:17
Document Index: 106377079

Matched Legal Cases: ['§718', '§718', '§718', '§718', '§718', '§718', '§720', '§720', '§720', '§720', '§719', '§719', '§633', '§48', '§626', '§627', '§627', '§627', '§627', '§626', '§509']

Our 2011 Legislative Update for Community Associations — Florida HOA Lawyer Blog — June 26, 2011
Our 2011 Legislative Update for Community Associations
The Lawyers at Siegfried, Rivera, Lerner, De La Torre & Sobel, P.A.
The Construction, Real Estate and Community Association Law Firm of Florida
Letter of Introduction	ii
Condominium Associations	1-5
Homeowners Associations	6-10
Cooperative Associations	11-12
Applicable to all Types of Associations	13
Property and Casualty Insurance 14
Public Lodging & Mobile Home Parks	15
§718.111 The Association §718.111(12) Official Records. The Condominium Act now requires associations to obtain facsimile numbers in addition to the existing requirement to obtain email addresses for those members who opt to receive notices electronically. The email address and facsimile numbers are not accessible to other unit owners unless they are provided to fulfill association notice requirements or the unit owner first provides the association with their written consent to disclose the information. However, there is no penalty for an association’s inadvertent disclosure of this information. HB 1195
1.	Any record protected by the lawyer-client privilege as described in s. 90.502 and any record protected by the work-product privilege, including a record prepared by an association attorney or prepared at the attorney’s express direction, which reflects a mental impression, conclusion, litigation strategy, or legal theory of the attorney or the association, and which was prepared exclusively for civil or criminal litigation or for adversarial administrative proceedings, or which was prepared in anticipation of such litigation or proceedings until the conclusion of the litigation or proceedings.
3.	Personnel records of association or management company employees, including, but not limited to, disciplinary, payroll, health, and insurance records. For purposes of this subparagraph, the term “personnel records” does not include written employment agreements with an association employee or management company, or budgetary or financial records that indicate the compensation paid to an association employee.
4.	Medical records of unit owners.
5.	Social security numbers, driver’s license numbers, credit card numbers, e-mail addresses, telephone numbers, facsimile numbers, emergency contact information, any addresses of a unit owner other than as provided to fulfill the association’s notice requirements, and other personal identifying information of any person, excluding the person’s name, unit designation, mailing address, property address, and any address, e-mail address, or facsimile number provided to the association to fulfill the association’s notice requirements. However, an owner may consent in writing to the disclosure of protected information described in this subparagraph. The association is not liable for the inadvertent disclosure of information that is protected under this subparagraph if the information is included in an official record of the association and is voluntarily provided by an owner and not requested by the association.
§718.112 Bylaws Agendas. Agenda meeting notices must “identify all” agenda items. HB 1195
§718.117 Termination of Condominium Economic Waste. There are some new provisions pertaining to termination of condominiums in the event of total destruction that we certainly hope you’ll never need to implement as it applies to termination of all or a part of the condominium. In the event of total destruction, any unit owner can petition the court for judicial termination of the condominium. HB 1195
§718.303 Use Right Suspensions and Fines Use Right Suspensions and Fining for Non-Compliance. For failure to comply with the declaration, bylaws or reasonable rules, the association, through its Board, may suspend use rights or levy a fine not to exceed $100.00 per violation or $1,000.00 in the aggregate. Prior to levying a use right suspension or fine, the offending unit owner(s) must first be provided 14 days’ notice and an opportunity to appear in front of a committee comprised of other unit owners who are not on the board or residing with a board member. HB 1195
§718.703 Bulk Buyer Provisions These changes provide clarity as to the meaning of the terms “bulk assignee” and “bulk buyer” as they were initially intended when this legislation was adopted, effective July 1, 2010, to mean one who acquired more than 7 units in a single condominium. Most importantly, the legislation provides that one may not be deemed to be a bulk assignee or bulk buyer unless the condominium parcels were acquired on or after July 1, 2010, but before July 1, 2012. HB 1195
3.	Personnel records of association employees including, but not limited to, disciplinary, payroll, health, and insurance records. For purposes of this subparagraph, the term “personnel records” does not include written employment agreements with an association employee or budgetary or financial records that indicate the compensation paid to an association employee.
4.	Medical records of parcel owners or community residents.
HB 1195 [Please note that as to subparagraph 3 above, in comparison, the Condominium Act includes as a part of the records not accessible to the unit owners, “personnel records of a management company” while the Homeowner’s act fails to include a similar provision. Nevertheless, as applied, both of the Acts require the disclosure of any written employment agreement with a management company.]
§720.305 Obligations of Members Use Right Suspensions and Fining for Non-Compliance. For failure to comply with the declaration, bylaws or reasonable rules, the association, through its board, may suspend use rights and/or levy a fine. The offending member must be provided at least after 14 days’ notice and an opportunity to appear before a committee of at least three members appointed by the board who are not officers, directors or employees of the association or the spouse, parent, child, brother or sister of an officer, director or employee of the association. Upon the committee’s recommendation to the board, use rights may be suspended or a fine may be imposed not to exceed $100.00 per violation or $1,000.00 in the aggregate unless otherwise provided in the governing documents. If the committee does not agree with the fine or use right suspension, they may not be enacted. HB 1195
§720.306 Elections and Board Vacancies Delinquent monetary obligation. A person who is greater than 90 days delinquent in the payment of monetary obligation to the association is not eligible for board membership. HB 1195
§720.3085 Payment for assessments; lien claims Sub-Association Lien Priority. An association, or its successor or assignee, that acquires title to a parcel through the foreclosure of its lien for assessments is not liable for any unpaid assessments, late fees, interests or reasonable attorney fees and costs that came due before the association’s acquisition of title in favor of any other association which holds a superior lien interest on the parcel. HB 1195
§720.309 Agreements Entered Into By the Association Communication Services. If the governing documents provide for the cost of communications services as defined in s. 202.11, Fla. Stat., information services or internet services obtained pursuant to a bulk contract shall be deemed an operating expense of the association. If the governing documents do not provide for such services, the board may contract for the services, and the cost shall be deemed an operating expense of the association. However, the expenses must be allocated on a per-parcel basis rather than on a percentage basis, even if the governing documents provide for other than equal sharing of operating expenses. Any contract entered into before July 1, 2011, in which the cost of the service is not equally divided among all parcel owners may be changed by a majority of the voting interests present at a regular or special meeting of the association in order to allocate the cost equally among all parcels. HB 1195
Any contract entered into by the board for communications services, information or internet services, must provide, and shall be deemed to provide if not expressly set forth therein, that a hearing-impaired or legally blind parcel owner who does not occupy the parcel with a non-hearing-impaired or sighted person, or a parcel owner who receives supplemental security income under Title XVI of the Social Security Act or food assistance as administered by the Department of Children and Family Services pursuant to s. 414.31, may discontinue the service without incurring disconnect fees, penalties, or subsequent service charges, and may not be required to pay any operating expense charges related to such service for those parcels. As a result, if fewer than all parcel owners share the expenses of the communications services, information services, or Internet services, the expense must be shared by all participating parcel owners. The association may use the provisions of s. 720.3085 to enforce payment by the parcel owners receiving such services. HB 1195
§719.108 Rents and Assessments Collection Services. The language that provided that an association could lien a shareholder for the reasonable costs for collection services incurred by the cooperative has been removed from the statute. HB 1195
§719.303 Obligation of Owners Use Right Suspensions and Fining for Non-Compliance. For failure to comply with the cooperative documents or reasonable rules of the association, the association, through its Board, may suspend use rights or levy a fine against the unit owner or the unit’s occupant, licensee or invitee not to exceed $100.00 per violation or $1,000.00 in the aggregate, unless otherwise provided in the cooperative documents. Prior to levying a use right suspension or fine, the offending unit owner(s) must first be provided “reasonable notice” and an opportunity to appear in front of a committee comprised of “other unit owners.” HB 1195
When is the committee notice and hearing required? “Reasonable notice” to appear in front of a committee IS required for fining and use right suspensions for failing to comply with the cooperative documents, bylaws and/or the rules and regulations. The notice and opportunity to appear in front of a committee is NOT required for voting right suspensions or use right suspensions for failure to pay monetary obligations that are greater than 90 days past due. All use right suspensions and voting right suspensions enacted for failing to pay monetary obligations that are greater than 90 days past due must be levied by the board at a properly noticed board meeting, and are not effective until notice is provided by mail or hand delivery to the parcel owner, and if applicable, the parcel’s occupant, licensee, or invitee.
§633.0215 Fire Prevention Code A condominium, cooperative, or other multifamily residential building that is less than four stories in height and has an exterior corridor for egress is exempt from the requirement to install a manual fire alarm system. Simply, this change adds a floor to the exemption. In the past the limit was two stories, now it’s three. Also, the newly revised law applies far more broadly than its predecessor that only applied to condominiums. HB 1195
§48.031 Service of process generally; service of witness subpoenas A condominium, cooperative or other gated community must allow the unannounced entry of a Process Server into the community, including common areas and common elements, where the Process Server is attempting to serve process on a defendant or witness who lives in the community or is known to be within the community. HB 59
PROPERTY AND CASUALTY INSURANCE (effective May 17, 2011)
§626.70132 Notice of windstorm or hurricane claim The period of time in which a claim can be filed for damages incurred as a result of a hurricane/windstorm is greatly reduced from 5 to 3 years. SB 408
§627.062 Rate standards Premiums for reinsurance are increased from 10% per year to an allowable 15% per year. SB 408
§627.351 Insurance risk apportionment plans Claims in regard to sinkhole damages are now limited to “structural damage” to primary buildings.
§627.706 Sinkhole insurance; catastrophic ground cover collapse; definitions The term “structural damage” is defined to minimize what might otherwise be considered a frivolous claim. In addition, as applied to sinkhole coverage, the policy holder is required to provide notice to the insurer within 2 years from the time the policy holder knew or reasonably should have known of the claim. SB 408
§627.7011 Homeowners’ policies; offer of replacement cost coverage and law and ordinance coverage In the event of a total loss (total destruction) where the insurance policy is based on replacement cost, the insurer must pay the complete replacement costs without holdback for any depreciation of value. In less than total loss situations, where the insurance policy is based on replacement cost, the insurer must pay the cash value of the insured loss, less any applicable deductible. All remaining amounts are paid as expenses are incurred and work is performed. SB 408
§626.854 Public adjuster defined, prohibitions In so far as public adjusters are concerned, compensation for any reopened claim or supplemental claim cannot exceed 20% of the reopened supplement claim payment. SB 408
PUBLIC LODGING & MOBILE HOME PARKS (effective June 2, 2011)
§509.032 Duties Unless adopted on or before June 1, 2011, no local law, ordinance, or regulation may restrict the use of vacation rental, prohibit vacation rentals, or regulate vacation rentals based only on their classification, use, or occupancy. HB 883
This 2011 Legislative update is intended for clients of Siegfried, Rivera, Lerner, De La Torre & Sobel, P.A.