The Florida Senate

719.304  Association's right to amend cooperative documents.--

(1)  If there is an omission or error in any cooperative document, or in other documents required by law to establish the cooperative, the association may correct the error or omission by an amendment to the cooperative document, or the other documents required to create a cooperative, in the manner provided in the document to amend the document, or, if none is provided, then by vote of a majority of the voting interests. The amendment is effective when passed and approved. This procedure for amendment cannot be used if such an amendment would materially or adversely affect property rights of unit owners, unless the affected owners consent in writing. This subsection does not restrict the powers of the association to otherwise amend the cooperative documents, or other documentation, but authorizes a simple process of amendment requiring a lesser vote for the purpose of curing defects, errors, or omissions when the property rights of unit owners are not materially or adversely affected.

(2)  If there is an omission or error in a cooperative document, or other documents required to establish the cooperative, which would affect the valid existence of the cooperative and which may not be corrected by the amendment procedures in the cooperative documents or this chapter, then the circuit courts have jurisdiction to entertain petitions of one or more of the unit owners therein, or of the association, to correct the error or omission, and the action may be a class action. The court may require that one or more methods of correcting the error or omission be submitted to the unit owners to determine the most acceptable correction. All unit owners and the association and mortgagees of a first mortgage of record must be joined as parties to the action. Service of process on owners may be by publication, but the plaintiff shall furnish all unit owners not personally served with process with copies of the petition and final decree of the court by certified mail, return receipt requested, at their last known residence address. If an action to determine whether the cooperative documents or other documents comply with the mandatory requirements for the formation of a cooperative contained in this chapter is not brought within 3 years of the filing of the cooperative documents, the cooperative documents and other documents shall be effective under this chapter to create a cooperative, whether or not the documents substantially comply with the mandatory requirements of this chapter. However, both before and after the expiration of this 3-year period, circuit courts have jurisdiction to entertain petitions permitted under this subsection for the correction of the documentation, and other methods of amendment may be utilized to correct the errors or omissions at any time.

History.--s. 2, ch. 76-222; s. 224, ch. 77-104; s. 29, ch. 86-175.