The COVID-19 pandemic has led to widespread economic problems from high unemployment to significant business closures. With the news focused on the latest round of governmental assistance for taxpayers and businesses, it’s normal to wonder how your neighborhood association or fellow homeowners may be affected. Many homeowners are facing long-term financial instability and job vulnerability which can have rippling effects on both HOAs and Condo Associations. We’ve previously discussed on our webinars and in blog entries the reasons that community associations can’t just halt payment collections and the potential results from not collecting assessments but what other aspects should your board be thinking about? Here are some ways boards can handle the changing state of the economy while supporting community residents and making ends meet with management and operations costs. What to Expect Associations should be ready for residents to have difficulties paying dues and maintenance fees consistently during this

The end of the year is approaching fast. One of the many things homeowners’ associations and condominium associations need to decide on is whether to do a financial review vs audit. While the two may sound similar, they are two very different tools an association can use to see where their finances are at and what they can do for their community in the coming year. What is a Financial Review? For an HOA or a condominium association, a financial review is a review of the association’s financial records. This review is done by a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), who will analyze the records using basic accounting principles to determine that the financial records are correct. What Is a Financial Audit? An audit is a thorough look at the association’s financial situation. In addition to reviewing the association’s financial records, a CPA will verify the information they have been given

The State of Florida is currently trying to figure out the daunting prospect of what it may mean to ask residents to evacuate for their safety during a storm after asking them to stay at home for the coronavirus. Hurricane Season officially kicked off on June 1st, and in the middle of a pandemic, the most difficult decision to ask residents to evacuate coastal cities becomes complicated by fears of contagion. Temporarily moving in with a relative might expose older family members to the coronavirus. Friends might be wary of letting in evacuees from outside their quarantine bubble. People who might otherwise book a flight out of town worry about getting infected on a plane. And the more than 1.5 million Floridians who are out of work or may still be trying to play catch-up from not having an income for a few months might be unable to afford gas

A homeowner association and a condominium association have a duty to maintain their common property. That duty is generally provided for in Florida Statutes and the express duties are usually set forth in the Declaration of Covenants and Restrictions. For homeowners’ associations, the duty is set forth in Fla. Stat. 720.305(1) (“Each member and the member’s tenants, guests, and invitees, and each association, are governed by, and must comply with, this chapter, the governing documents of the community, and the rules of the association…”) For condominium associations the duty is set forth in Fla. Stat. 718.303(1) (“Each unit owner, each tenant and other invitee, and each association is governed by, and must comply with the provisions of, this chapter, the declaration, the documents creating the association and the association bylaws which shall be deemed expressly incorporated into any lease of a unit.”); see also, Fla. Stat. 718.113(1) (“Maintenance of the

Pursuant to Florida Statute 718.111(5), an Association has the irrevocable right to access each unit during reasonable hours for the purposes of maintenance, repair or replacement of any common elements or of any portion of a unit to be maintained by the Association. The term “reasonable” is not defined by the Florida Statutes but it has come to mean during daylight hours. Regardless of whether entering occurs during reasonable hours, the recommendation is to give prior Notice at all times. Additionally, the Association cannot reasonably be allowed or expected to enter a unit during the night hours, unless an emergency arises, and usually, notice must be given. It is also important to review the Condominium Documents and bylaws in regards to this matter as well. Further, a Condominium Association, at the sole discretion of the Board of Directors, may enter an abandoned unit to inspect the property and adjoining common