New Florida House Bill Signed Into Law Affects Homeowners Associations and Condos
New Florida House Bill Signed Into Law Affects Homeowners Associations and Condos Aug 29, 2017 On June 14th, Florida House Bill 398—affecting condominium and homeowners associations —was signed into law. It is important to note how the legislation expands the scope of the current statutory provision and affects estoppel certificates. Specifically, the bill revises requirements relating to the issuance of an estoppel certificate to certain individuals, requiring a condominium and/or homeowner’s association to designate very specific information for estoppel certificates and prohibiting the association from charging certain fees for making claims if said certificates are not delivered within a specific timeframe, amongst making various other changes. Changes to Estoppel Certificates & Fees Estoppel certificates are legal documents sent by homeowners associations that inform people of any amount of money—usually homeowners fees or unpaid fines—that that may be owed to the association. However, these certificates can cost quite a bit to prepare due to the time and research that goes into them. Thus, one thing that the measure also does is allow the association issuing the certificate to charge up to $250 to prepare and deliver the certificate, with an additional $150 if there are also delinquent amounts owed to the association. Other Changes In addition, House Bill 398 technically amends Florida statutes 718.116, 719.108, and 720.30851 to: Require that a condo homeowners’ association designate a street or email address on its website for estoppel certificate requests; Specify delivery requirements for estoppel certificates; Authorize that estoppel certificates can be completed by specific persons; Require that certificates contain very specific information; Provide an effective period an estoppel certificate (based upon the date of issuance and form of delivery); Prohibit associations and condos from charging preparation and delivery fees and/or making certain claims if they fail to deliver the certificate within a certain timeframe; Revise fee requirements for preparing and delivering certificates under certain conditions; Authorize the statement of moneys due to be delivered in certificates under certain circumstances; and Require that the authority to charge a fee for certificates be established by a specified written contract or resolution. Reach Out to Our Experienced Florida HOA/Property Management Lawyers Estoppel certificates are incredibly important to condominium and homeowners’ associations in preserving and enhancing the marketability of property. They ultimately affect the ability for landlords to sell property and secure financing because they are typically presented to the buyer or lender during its diligent review of the property itself. At HD Law Partners, our Orlando, Sarasota, and Tampa homeowners’ association attorneys provide knowledgeable, proactive, experienced legal representation for both homeowners’ associations and condominiums when it comes to estoppel certificates and many other issues. We ensure that you get the prompt, professional legal service you deserve. With over 40 years’ combined experience, our lawyers have the skill to help ensure your property’s interests and assets are protected. Contact us today. Resource: flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2017/398 Tags: Florida HOA/Property Management Attorney Posted in Homeowners Association | No Comments » Connect with us Archives May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 July 2025 June 2025 January 2025 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 November 13 Categories Alimony Appellate Arbitration Auto Accidents Auto Insurance Business Corporate Business Insurance Law Child Custody Child Support Criminal Law Divorce Family Law FEMA Insurance Payments Florida’s Mandatory 2‑Hour Legal Professionalism CLE: Foreclosure Defense Fort Myers Hurricane Insurance Attorney General Guardianship HD Law Partners Service HOA/Property Management Homeowners Association Homeowners Insurance Hurricane Claims Hurricane Insurance Insurance Bad Faith Insurance Claims Insurance Defense Insurance Litigation Landlord Tenant Law Enforcement Liability Loan Modifications Mold Water Damage Parental Rights Paternity Personal Injury Premises Liability Law Prenuptial Agreements Private Security Property Distribution Property Owner Law Sarasota Insurance Litigation Attorney Slip Fall Tampa Business and Corporate Attorneys tampa family attorney Tampa Insurance Attorneys Timeshare Timesharing Uncategorized HD Law Partners is proud to be your trusted full-service law firm Quick Links Property & Casualty Business & Corporate Litigation Family Law Contact Us Careers Get In Touch 2002 North Lois Avenue Suite 510 Tampa, FL 33607 813-253-5333 Contact Us