Definitions

Common Elements summary — Section 719.103 defines the foundational terms for Florida cooperatives. Unlike a condominium, a "cooperative" is a form of ownership in which the cooperative association (almost always a Florida nonprofit corporation under Chapter 617) owns the real property, and individual residents hold shares plus a proprietary lease — sometimes called an occupancy agreement — that gives them the right to occupy a specific unit. Key defined terms include "unit" (the part of the cooperative subject to exclusive occupancy under a proprietary lease), "cooperative documents" (articles, bylaws, ground lease, proprietary lease, and rules), "association property" (property owned by the cooperative association as distinct from individual units), and "common areas" (all portions of the cooperative not within any unit). For practitioners crossing over from condo work: the share-plus-lease structure is the single biggest mental switch. Members are technically tenants of the association, which gives the board landlord-like remedies under Chapter 83 in addition to the Chapter 719 enforcement toolkit. Get this distinction wrong in a foreclosure or eviction and you'll lose on standing alone.

Not legal advice. Click through to the official source for statutory text.