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The Florida Senate

2019 Florida Statutes

Title XL REAL AND PERSONAL PROPERTY
Chapter 718 CONDOMINIUMS Entire Chapter
SECTION 113
Maintenance; limitation upon improvement; display of flag; hurricane shutters and protection; display of religious decorations.
F.S. 718.113
718.113 Maintenance; limitation upon improvement; display of flag; hurricane shutters and protection; display of religious decorations.—
(1) Maintenance of the common elements is the responsibility of the association. The declaration may provide that certain limited common elements shall be maintained by those entitled to use the limited common elements or that the association shall provide the maintenance, either as a common expense or with the cost shared only by those entitled to use the limited common elements. If the maintenance is to be by the association at the expense of only those entitled to use the limited common elements, the declaration shall describe in detail the method of apportioning such costs among those entitled to use the limited common elements, and the association may use the provisions of s. 718.116 to enforce payment of the shares of such costs by the unit owners entitled to use the limited common elements.
(2)(a) Except as otherwise provided in this section, there shall be no material alteration or substantial additions to the common elements or to real property which is association property, except in a manner provided in the declaration as originally recorded or as amended under the procedures provided therein. If the declaration as originally recorded or as amended under the procedures provided therein does not specify the procedure for approval of material alterations or substantial additions, 75 percent of the total voting interests of the association must approve the alterations or additions before the material alterations or substantial additions are commenced. This paragraph is intended to clarify existing law and applies to associations existing on July 1, 2018.
(b) There shall not be any material alteration of, or substantial addition to, the common elements of any condominium operated by a multicondominium association unless approved in the manner provided in the declaration of the affected condominium or condominiums as originally recorded or as amended under the procedures provided therein. If a declaration as originally recorded or as amended under the procedures provided therein does not specify a procedure for approving such an alteration or addition, the approval of 75 percent of the total voting interests of each affected condominium is required before the material alterations or substantial additions are commenced. This subsection does not prohibit a provision in any declaration, articles of incorporation, or bylaws as originally recorded or as amended under the procedures provided therein requiring the approval of unit owners in any condominium operated by the same association or requiring board approval before a material alteration or substantial addition to the common elements is permitted. This paragraph is intended to clarify existing law and applies to associations existing on July 1, 2018.
(c) There shall not be any material alteration or substantial addition made to association real property operated by a multicondominium association, except as provided in the declaration, articles of incorporation, or bylaws as originally recorded or as amended under the procedures provided therein. If the declaration, articles of incorporation, or bylaws as originally recorded or as amended under the procedures provided therein do not specify the procedure for approving an alteration or addition to association real property, the approval of 75 percent of the total voting interests of the association is required before the material alterations or substantial additions are commenced. This paragraph is intended to clarify existing law and applies to associations existing on July 1, 2018.
(3) A unit owner shall not do anything within his or her unit or on the common elements which would adversely affect the safety or soundness of the common elements or any portion of the association property or condominium property which is to be maintained by the association.
(4) Any unit owner may display one portable, removable United States flag in a respectful way and, on Armed Forces Day, Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day, and Veterans Day, may display in a respectful way portable, removable official flags, not larger than 41/2 feet by 6 feet, that represent the United States Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard, regardless of any declaration rules or requirements dealing with flags or decorations.
(5) Each board of administration of a residential condominium shall adopt hurricane shutter specifications for each building within each condominium operated by the association which shall include color, style, and other factors deemed relevant by the board. All specifications adopted by the board must comply with the applicable building code.
(a) The board may, subject to s. 718.3026 and the approval of a majority of voting interests of the residential condominium, install hurricane shutters, impact glass, code-compliant windows or doors, or other types of code-compliant hurricane protection that comply with or exceed the applicable building code. However, a vote of the owners is not required if the maintenance, repair, and replacement of hurricane shutters, impact glass, code-compliant windows or doors, or other types of code-compliant hurricane protection are the responsibility of the association pursuant to the declaration of condominium. If hurricane protection or laminated glass or window film architecturally designed to function as hurricane protection that complies with or exceeds the current applicable building code has been previously installed, the board may not install hurricane shutters, impact glass, code-compliant windows or doors, or other types of code-compliant hurricane protection except upon approval by a majority vote of the voting interests.
(b) The association is responsible for the maintenance, repair, and replacement of the hurricane shutters, impact glass, code-compliant windows or doors, or other types of code-compliant hurricane protection authorized by this subsection if such property is the responsibility of the association pursuant to the declaration of condominium. If the hurricane shutters, impact glass, code-compliant windows or doors, or other types of code-compliant hurricane protection are the responsibility of the unit owners pursuant to the declaration of condominium, the maintenance, repair, and replacement of such items are the responsibility of the unit owner.
(c) The board may operate shutters, impact glass, code-compliant windows or doors, or other types of code-compliant hurricane protection installed pursuant to this subsection without permission of the unit owners only if such operation is necessary to preserve and protect the condominium property and association property. The installation, replacement, operation, repair, and maintenance of such shutters, impact glass, code-compliant windows or doors, or other types of code-compliant hurricane protection in accordance with the procedures set forth in this paragraph are not a material alteration to the common elements or association property within the meaning of this section.
(d) Notwithstanding any other provision in the residential condominium documents, if approval is required by the documents, a board may not refuse to approve the installation or replacement of hurricane shutters, impact glass, code-compliant windows or doors, or other types of code-compliant hurricane protection by a unit owner conforming to the specifications adopted by the board.
(6) An association may not refuse the request of a unit owner for a reasonable accommodation for the attachment on the mantel or frame of the door of the unit owner of a religious object not to exceed 3 inches wide, 6 inches high, and 1.5 inches deep.
(7) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section or the governing documents of a condominium or a multicondominium association, the board of administration may, without any requirement for approval of the unit owners, install upon or within the common elements or association property solar collectors, clotheslines, or other energy-efficient devices based on renewable resources for the benefit of the unit owners.
(8) The Legislature finds that the use of electric vehicles conserves and protects the state’s environmental resources, provides significant economic savings to drivers, and serves an important public interest. The participation of condominium associations is essential to the state’s efforts to conserve and protect the state’s environmental resources and provide economic savings to drivers. Therefore, the installation of an electric vehicle charging station shall be governed as follows:
(a) A declaration of condominium or restrictive covenant may not prohibit or be enforced so as to prohibit any unit owner from installing an electric vehicle charging station within the boundaries of the unit owner’s limited common element parking area. The board of administration of a condominium association may not prohibit a unit owner from installing an electric vehicle charging station for an electric vehicle, as defined in s. 320.01, within the boundaries of his or her limited common element parking area. The installation of such charging stations are subject to the provisions of this subsection.
(b) The installation may not cause irreparable damage to the condominium property.
(c) The electricity for the electric vehicle charging station must be separately metered and payable by the unit owner installing such charging station.
(d) The unit owner who is installing an electric vehicle charging station is responsible for the costs of installation, operation, maintenance, and repair, including, but not limited to, hazard and liability insurance. The association may enforce payment of such costs pursuant to s. 718.116.
(e) If the unit owner or his or her successor decides there is no longer a need for the electronic vehicle charging station, such person is responsible for the cost of removal of the electronic vehicle charging station. The association may enforce payment of such costs pursuant to s. 718.116.
(f) The association may require the unit owner to:
1. Comply with bona fide safety requirements, consistent with applicable building codes or recognized safety standards, for the protection of persons and property.
2. Comply with reasonable architectural standards adopted by the association that govern the dimensions, placement, or external appearance of the electric vehicle charging station, provided that such standards may not prohibit the installation of such charging station or substantially increase the cost thereof.
3. Engage the services of a licensed and registered electrical contractor or engineer familiar with the installation and core requirements of an electric vehicle charging station.
4. Provide a certificate of insurance naming the association as an additional insured on the owner’s insurance policy for any claim related to the installation, maintenance, or use of the electric vehicle charging station within 14 days after receiving the association’s approval to install such charging station.
5. Reimburse the association for the actual cost of any increased insurance premium amount attributable to the electric vehicle charging station within 14 days after receiving the association’s insurance premium invoice.
(g) The association provides an implied easement across the common elements of the condominium property to the unit owner for purposes of the installation of the electric vehicle charging station and the furnishing of electrical power, including any necessary equipment, to such charging station, subject to the requirements of this subsection.
History.—s. 1, ch. 76-222; s. 1, ch. 89-161; s. 8, ch. 90-151; s. 6, ch. 91-103; s. 5, ch. 91-426; s. 4, ch. 92-49; s. 8, ch. 94-350; s. 43, ch. 95-274; s. 855, ch. 97-102; s. 54, ch. 2000-302; s. 10, ch. 2002-27; s. 1, ch. 2003-28; s. 9, ch. 2008-28; s. 26, ch. 2008-191; s. 89, ch. 2009-21; s. 59, ch. 2010-176; s. 4, ch. 2011-196; s. 4, ch. 2013-188; s. 2, ch. 2014-74; s. 3, ch. 2018-96.