Tool · Florida §718.116(8) & §720.30851
Florida caps what an association may charge to prepare an estoppel certificate. The cap moves with two things: whether the account is delinquent and whether the request is expedited (3-business-day turnaround). Set those conditions below to see the maximum allowable fee. If you were quoted a stack of line items, run them through the charge auditor.
Statute citations reviewed by the Common Elements editorial team, which includes a Florida-licensed community association manager (LCAM) and insurance broker - Florida Licensed Community Association Manager, 2-20 & 6-20.
Is the account delinquent?
Expedited request (3 business days)?
Maximum allowable fee
$299
Standard request - current account
The same caps apply to condos under §718.116(8) and HOAs under §720.30851. Figures reflect the DBPR's 2022 inflation adjustment of the statutory base ($250), in effect until the next adjustment on July 1, 2027. Fees above the cap are unenforceable.
Compare notes with other boards and closing agents in the Common Area.
Ask the Common AreaAn estoppel certificate is a document an association provides during a unit sale that states all amounts owed by the seller: assessments, fines, fees, and interest. It is legally binding on the association: the buyer can close in reliance on the amounts stated. Florida §718.116(8) requires the association to provide it within 10 business days and caps the preparation fee.
Expedited requests (3 business days) carry a higher fee cap to compensate for the short turnaround. The requesting party - usually the closing agent or buyer's attorney - can demand the expedited timeline and must pay the higher cap if they do.
Common Elements is where Florida boards and managers compare estoppel and closing vendors, run structured RFPs, and talk through the operational realities the statute doesn't cover.
Charge auditor
The most common form of estoppel overcharging is stacking extra line items on top of the capped fee. Enter every charge you were quoted - exactly as it was labeled - and the auditor sorts each one into what the statute authorizes, what is a separate non-estoppel fee, and what has no basis in the estoppel framework. The tone is factual, not accusatory: where a charge has no statutory basis, the right next step is simply to ask the association to cite its written authority.
Enter every line on the invoice exactly as it was labeled. The tool sorts each charge into what the estoppel statute authorizes, what is a separate fee, and what has no basis in the estoppel framework.
Is the account delinquent?
Delivered within 3 business days?
Quoted total
$0
Lawful ceiling for this request
$299
Every line maps to a charge the estoppel statute authorizes for this request, and the total is at or below the lawful ceiling.
Estoppel certificate fee$0
Counts toward the estoppel cap
This is the estoppel certificate fee itself. It is capped, and the cap already covers preparation and delivery, so a separate 'preparation' or 'delivery' line is not a second chargeable item. Cap for this line: $299.
§ 718.116(8)(f) / § 720.30851(6)
Compare your itemized quote with other boards and closing agents in the Common Area.
Ask the Common AreaThe statute does more than cap the fee. These are the deadlines and rights that travel with every Florida estoppel certificate.
This is an educational tool, not legal advice
This auditor classifies charges against the Florida estoppel statute; it does not decide whether a specific fee on your invoice is lawful. Governing documents, the association’s written fee resolution, and the facts of your transaction can all change the answer. Use it to ask better questions - then confirm your specific situation with your association attorney or closing agent before withholding payment or acting on a flagged line.
Dollar caps reflect the DBPR's 2022 inflation adjustment of the statutory base figures (base $250, delinquent +$150, expedited +$100; SB 398, 2017), in effect until the next scheduled adjustment on July 1, 2027. The DBPR republishes the figures every five years; verify the current amounts on the DBPR website before relying on a specific dollar figure. The same caps and rights apply to condominiums under § 718.116(8), cooperatives under § 719.108, and HOAs under § 720.30851.
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