Community Update

To Notice, or Not to Notice, That Is the Question: Closed Board Meetings

By: Jay Roberts, Esq.

The answer to the question of whether all board meetings must be properly noticed to the members is YES. Even the emergency powers section of the community association statutes require notice to be given as is practicable.

What about “closed board meetings?”

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Tiffany Plaza Condominium Association v. Spencer

416 So.2d 823 (Fla. 2d DCA 1982)

By: Mark Friedman, Esq.

Last month we discussed material alterations and left you with the question, “when is a material alteration considered maintenance, allowing the board to move forward without membership approval (if required by your documents)?”

In Tiffany Plaza Condominium Association, Inc. v. Spencer, 416 So.2d 823 (Fla. 2d DCA, 1982), the condominium unit owners brought action against the association challenging the collection of an assessment for construction of a rock revetment on beachfront common property. The Circuit Court entered judgment for unit owners and the association appealed. The District Court of Appeal held that the association could properly assess all unit owners for construction of rock revetment to protect beachfront common element from damage if in fact construction of revetment was found to be necessary to protect the beachfront from erosion or damage. Therefore, this was considered maintenance and not an alteration requiring membership approval.

Two years later in Cottrell v. Thornton, 449 So.2d 1291 (Fla. 2d DCA, 1984), it was held that a vote of the unit owners was not required for repairs to canal systems, roadway systems, and a swimming pool to protect the common elements. Arbitrators from the Division of Florida Condominiums, Time Shares and Mobile Homes have extended this maintenance concept to also cover alterations and changes to the property to provide security. In Southridge Homeowners Association, Inc. v. Barbieri, (Arb. Case No. 94-0382), the arbitrator held that the association could have properly determined to install security lights without a vote of the owners if there existed convincing factual predicate that the board’s action was necessary to protect the common elements or inhabitants from a known danger. In Williams v. Sky Harbour Condominium Apartments, Case No. 93-0334), the arbitrator held that unit owner approval was not required for the construction of a fence on the condominium property where the condominium building was vulnerable to intrusion by persons without any legitimate connection to the project. The arbitrator stated:

. . . where there is a convincing factual predicate that a particular task undertaken by the board is necessary to protect the common elements or inhabitants from a known danger or peril, the board should be permitted to perform its maintenance, preservation, and protection function without the encumbrance of [the Florida Statutes]. This is consistent with Tiffany Plaza, . . . and its progeny. This result should obtain whether the perceived danger is from natural forces such as ocean erosion, or dangers posed by persons, whether would-be vandals, assailants, or mere trespassers, as the damage wrought by either force may be of the same gravity and proportion, and both are beyond the immediate ability of the association to control. (emphasis supplied)

So, why does THIS CASE (and its progeny) matter? There are times when a change is necessary to protect the condominium building. If an engineer provides that a certain type of change based on newer technology or other reasons would protect the condominium property, or a change in the law requires different materials or certain types of installations, or there is a convincing factual predicate that there is a preventable danger to the property, the board in its business judgment, after consultation with legal counsel, may (and I emphasize “may”) be able to do this without the vote on alterations required in the Declaration of Condominium or Section 718.113.

El avance de la tecnología en las leyes de las asociaciones

By: Lilliana Farinas-Sabogal, Esq.

Debido a la reciente pandemia del Covid-19, las asociaciones han tenido que modificar los protocolos de reuniones al vuelo. Más allá de los requerimientos de distanciamiento social, de la preocupación de los miembros y de las juntas con respecto a la propagación de la enfermedad, así como las ordenanzas que prohíben grupos de más de 10 personas, los asuntos de la asociación necesitaban ser atendidos. De hecho, la pandemia en sí requirió muchas reuniones de la junta para atender múltiples asuntos resultantes de la misma. ¿Cómo realizar esta tarea sin ir en contra de las nuevas restricciones o contactos sociales y al mismo tiempo proveer una ventana por la cual los miembros que lo deseen puedan observar los trámites de trabajo de la junta? Zoom y otras plataformas similares como Microsoft Teams u otras opciones.

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