Condominium & HOA Law

Caleb Pringle represents condominium associations, homeowners’ associations and individual unit owners throughout Lee, Collier and Charlotte Counties. He also teaches the law portion of the state licensing course for community association managers, which keeps him working with the same statutes and rules that boards and managers deal with every day.

Representing Associations

Most associations are run by volunteer boards trying to do the right thing for their community, often under governing documents that were written decades ago and haven’t kept up with changes in Florida law. The firm works with boards and their managers on day-to-day questions as well as larger projects, including interpreting the declaration, bylaws and rules, preparing meeting notices, agendas and proxies, amending or restating the governing documents, and sending violation notices when an owner or tenant isn’t following the rules.

Recent changes to Florida’s condominium laws have also put many associations in the position of funding repairs and reserves that were put off for years. When a board needs to levy a special assessment or sign a large construction contract, a careful review of the documents and the contract helps protect the association and keep the owners informed. After the last few hurricane seasons, that work has included a good number of repair and restoration projects.

Representing Unit Owners

Unit owners usually call when something has already gone wrong. They’ve received a fine, an assessment they don’t understand or a letter from the association’s attorney, or they can’t get a straight answer from the board. The first step is a review of the governing documents and the association’s records to see where the owner stands. Sometimes the board has the authority it claims, and the best course is to work it out. Other times the association hasn’t followed its own documents or Florida law, and the firm will take that up with the board or its counsel on the owner’s behalf.

Common matters include fining disputes, assessment issues, challenges to board action, election disputes and disagreements over hurricane repairs.

When a Unit Owner Dies

Many of the firm’s probate and estate planning clients own condominiums, and the two areas overlap more often than people realize. When an owner dies, the association may require approval before the unit can be transferred or leased, and any unpaid assessments will need to be resolved before the unit can be sold. Putting a unit into a revocable trust can raise similar questions under some declarations. Because the firm handles both condominium and probate matters, the estate and the association issues can be handled together, and the family doesn’t have to coordinate between two lawyers.

For questions about your association or your unit, call 239-332-4717 or send a message using the form below.