Category: Law & Legislation

Law & Legislation Keeping Board Elections Honest
2016 September Keeping Board Elections Honest

Los Sueños—a 13-building, 396-unit condominium complex on Hialeah’s west side—takes its name from the Spanish word for 'dream,' but the outcome of its November 2015 owners’ association board election was a nightmare. Although each unit had …

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Law & Legislation Q&A: Quorum Conundrum
2016 June Q&A: Quorum Conundrum

Q. I’m curious about this, and I live in a co-op versus a condo. Is there such a law in Florida that allows us to conduct a meeting without having reached a quorum? This situation occurred recently. We need more than 50 percent of the vot…

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Law & Legislation Handling Litigation
2016 June Handling Litigation

No one likes a lawsuit. Whether filing one or finding yourself on the receiving end of one, they can cause stress, anxiety and an upending of daily life. They can be expensive, take months—even years—to resolve, and often result in hurt fee…

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Law & Legislation Six Big Things Attorneys Wish Boards Knew
2016 June Six Big Things Attorneys Wish Boards Knew

Whether you serve on the board of a co-op, condo or HOA, chances are you and your fellow community administrators are volunteers. Perhaps you're fortunate enough that you or one of your colleagues has professional legal expertise to bring t…

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Law & Legislation Legislative Roundup
2016 June Legislative Roundup

The legislative season is upon us, and in many states, bills specifically dealing with co-ops, condos, and HOAs are wending their way through the legislative process. Even when bills aren't aimed directly at those forms of home ownership, m…

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Law & Legislation Going Overboard
2015 December Going Overboard

Condos and homeowner associations have made headlines over the years for passing all kinds of overreaching and downright silly rules and regulations—everything from forbidding the flying of the American flag to having prohibitions about han…

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Law & Legislation Who Do You Call?
2015 October Who Do You Call?

In most instances, the board or management team of a condo or HOA is equipped to handle the wide variety of issues that arise day-to-day, from a leaky roof to dealing with municipal bureaucracy. There are other, bigger issues—things like e…

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Law & Legislation Avoiding Litigation
2015 June Avoiding Litigation

With dozens—and sometimes hundreds—of people living in a community governed by neighbors, acquaintances, and friends, disputes can transpire frequently, as is the case with condos and co-ops. Undoubtedly, disagreements among residents, boa…

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Law & Legislation Legal Tales from the Sunshine State
2015 June Legal Tales from the Sunshine State

Work in any business long enough, and chances are nothing will surprise you anymore. This is especially true of co-op and condo lawyers. Along with property managers, attorneys are keepers of some of the best stories to come out of South F…

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Law & Legislation The Condo as Legal Entity
2015 June The Condo as Legal Entity

In South Africa, it’s called a “sectional title.” In Quebec, it’s a copropriété divise or “divided co-property.” In Italy, they call it “condominio,” derived from Latin. Regardless of location, a condominium—commonly referred to as “condo”…

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