Association Representation
Our Mission for Associations
Community associations are very common in Florida, with more than 2,000,000 residents living in communities managed by condominium or homeowner associations. Our firm represents associations and, unlike many association law firms, represents individual homeowners as well. We feel our representation of both provides us with a unique experience which enables us to achieve our mission of providing quality legal representation to our association clients without disrupting the harmony of the community. Our main objectives are to:
- Continuously educate our association clients regarding the latest laws which are in the form of annual revisions to the statutes or case law from recent court rulings;
- Provide general corporate advice for creating the community homeowners love and appreciate rather than the one they dread;
- Provide association clients with the tools needed to be proactive rather than reactive;
- Assist our clients in implementing assessment collection policies to maximize collections while using costly litigation as a last resort;
- Assist our clients in implementing and publishing covenant enforcement policies as an effective means to reducing disputes;
- Counsel our clients to be as self-sufficient as possible so the line item in the budget for legal expenses is not a major portion of the total budget.
Association living poses special problems not only for the board members managing the associations but for property owners as well. These problems are usually the result of misunderstandings and miscommunication. Our mission is to foster communications as a preventative measure. One size does not fit all and our staff works with each association to address the areas which are the cause of their concern. Our staff, lawyers and non-lawyers alike, are experienced in business management and financial analysis.
The exact number of people living in associations is unknown because regulation of condominiums is limited and regulation of homeowner associations is currently non-existent. The number of disputes between property owners and associations is on the rise. With attorneys’ fees and court costs averaging $100,000 or more to bring a case to trial, litigation is not the most effective way to resolve a dispute. Our firm supports alternate dispute resolution methods and encourages mediation as a less costly method of resolving disputes.