Whether you own a single family home, attached townhouse or a condominium unit in Florida, you might be living within a shared interest development.   If so, there will be an association, such as a condo or home owner association (HOA) in place whose job and obligation it is to enforce and establish rules and regulations and maintain the common areas and amenities such as ponds, pools, landscaping and the clubhouse.  Associations are generally run by a board of directors made up of people living in the community who volunteer and are elected to serve.

The board of the association must follow, enforce and act within the requirements of what are called by-laws, covenants (called protective covenants, restrictive covenants, the declaration of restrictive covenants, and CC&Rs).   From time to time, disputes will arise between the members of the board and one or more homeowners over a wide variety of issues about how the community is managed and if the board is managing and properly enforcing all the by-laws.  It is not easy to resolve these disputes.  Communities are large and everyone has their own opinion how things should be run.  Disputes can quickly escalate and can become VERY complicated, time-consuming and expensive to resolve.  In Florida, there are some very simple procedures available to try to settle these disputes quickly using mediation and arbitration.

The Department of Business and Professional Regulation Division of Florida Land Sales, Condominiums and Mobile Homes Homeowners' Associations can administer an arbritration process to resolve disputes involving the election and recall of board members in associations.  Other types of disputes regarding the enforcement of covenants (bylaws) can now be privately mediated.  The department has prepared a list of frequently asked questions to assist owners and association board members with the specific dispute resolution procedures available in Florida.  Contact an attorney or contact the department directly for further information regarding the various dispute resolution procedures available in Florida.  Please contact me if you and/or your association would like more details how I can mediate any of your HOA or condo association disputes.

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