Fla. Stat. § 720.308

Assessments and charges.

assessmentsspecial-assessmentsindividual-chargesbudgetcollections

Plain-English summary

Common Elements summary — Section 720.308 is the HOA assessment-authority statute. It confirms that every parcel is subject to assessment for the parcel's share of the operating expenses of the association, and authorizes the association to levy regular assessments, special assessments, and individual charges for fines or for the cost of correcting a member's rule violation. Procedural rules: (1) regular assessments must be levied per the adopted budget; (2) special assessments require written notice describing the purpose and the amount to all members at least 14 days before the meeting at which they will be voted on; (3) individual charges for violation-correction costs require notice and hearing under 720.305(2); (4) all assessment authority must be grounded in the declaration — the statute does not create assessment authority where the documents don't provide it. For boards: the trap is special assessments. The 14-day notice with full disclosure of purpose and amount is non-waivable. A board that calls an "emergency meeting" with three days' notice to levy a $5,000-per-lot special assessment has created an unenforceable assessment and a fee-shifting fight. Plan ahead, notice properly, and document the financial necessity in the minutes.

Not legal advice. Statute reference is for education only — confirm citations on official sources and consult a Florida attorney for your situation.

Statutory text

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For any community created after October 1, 1995, the governing documents must describe the manner in which expenses are shared and specify the member’s proportional share thereof. (a) Assessments levied pursuant to the annual budget or special assessment must be in the member’s proportional share of expenses as described in the governing document, which share may be different among classes of parcels based upon the state of development thereof, levels of services received by the applicable members, or other relevant factors. (b) While the developer is in control of the homeowners’ association, it may be excused from payment of its share of the operating expenses and assessments related to its parcels for any period of time for which the developer has, in the declaration, obligated itself to pay any operating expenses incurred that exceed the assessments receivable from other members and other income of the association. (c) Assessments or contingent assessments may be levied by the board of directors of the association to secure the obligation of the homeowners’ association for insurance acquired from a self-insurance fund authorized and operating pursuant to s. 624.462. (d) This section does not apply to an association, no matter when created, if the association is created in a community that is included in an effective development-of-regional-impact development order as of October 1, 1995, together with any approved modifications thereto.

(a) Establishment of a guarantee. — If a guarantee of the assessments of parcel owners is not included in the purchase contracts or declaration, any agreement establishing a guarantee shall only be effective upon the approval of a majority of the voting interests of the members other than the developer. Approval shall be expressed at a meeting of the members voting in person or by limited proxy or by agreement in writing without a meeting if provided in the bylaws. Such guarantee must meet the requirements of this section. (b) Guarantee period. — The period of time for the guarantee shall be indicated by a specific beginning and ending date or event. 1. The ending date or event shall be the same for all of the members of an association, including members in different phases of the development. 2. The guarantee may provide for different intervals of time during a guarantee period with different dollar amounts for each such interval. 3. The guarantee may provide that after the initial stated period, the developer has an option to extend the guarantee for one or more additional stated periods. The extension of a guarantee is limited to extending the ending date or event; therefore, the developer does not have the option of changing the level of assessments guaranteed.

The stated dollar amount of the guarantee shall be an exact dollar amount for each parcel identified in the declaration. Regardless of the stated dollar amount of the guarantee, assessments charged to a member shall not exceed the maximum obligation of the member based on the total amount of the adopted budget and the member’s proportionate share of the expenses as described in the governing documents.

The cash payments required from the guarantor during the guarantee period shall be determined as follows: (a) If at any time during the guarantee period the funds collected from member assessments at the guaranteed level and other revenues collected by the association are not sufficient to provide payment, on a timely basis, of all assessments, including the full funding of the reserves unless properly waived, the guarantor shall advance sufficient cash to the association at the time such payments are due. (b) Expenses incurred in the production of nonassessment revenues, not in excess of the nonassessment revenues, shall not be included in the assessments. If the expenses attributable to nonassessment revenues exceed nonassessment revenues, only the excess expenses must be funded by the guarantor. Interest earned on the investment of association funds may be used to pay the income tax expense incurred as a result of the investment; such expense shall not be charged to the guarantor; and the net investment income shall be retained by the association. Each such nonassessment-revenue-generating activity shall be considered separately. Any portion of the parcel assessment which is budgeted for designated capital contributions of the association shall not be used to pay operating expenses.

The guarantor’s total financial obligation to the association at the end of the guarantee period shall be determined on the accrual basis using the following formula: the guarantor shall pay any deficits that exceed the guaranteed amount, less the total regular periodic assessments earned by the association from the members other than the guarantor during the guarantee period regardless of whether the actual level charged was less than the maximum guaranteed amount.

Expenses incurred in the production of nonassessment revenues, not in excess of the nonassessment revenues, shall not be included in the operating expenses. If the expenses attributable to nonassessment revenues exceed nonassessment revenues, only the excess expenses must be funded by the guarantor. Interest earned on the investment of association funds may be used to pay the income tax expense incurred as a result of the investment; such expense shall not be charged to the guarantor; and the net investment income shall be retained by the association. Each such nonassessment-revenue-generating activity shall be considered separately. Any portion of the parcel assessment which is budgeted for designated capital contributions of the association shall not be used to pay operating expenses.

Synced from the Florida Legislature’s official site. Verify the current version before citing.

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