Senate Bill 1624

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    Florida Senate - 1998                                  SB 1624

    By Senator Dudley





    25-1037-98

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to condominiums; amending s.

  3         718.111, F.S.; providing for the regulation of

  4         resort condominiums; amending s. 718.112, F.S.;

  5         revising criteria for a unit owner to become a

  6         candidate for the board of administration;

  7         amending s. 718.116, F.S.; providing for the

  8         assessment of uninsured common expenses under

  9         certain circumstances; providing an effective

10         date.

11

12  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

13

14         Section 1.  Subsection (6) of section 718.111, Florida

15  Statutes, is amended to read:

16         718.111  The association.--

17         (6)  OPERATION OF PHASE AND RESORT CONDOMINIUMS.--

18         (a)  Notwithstanding any provision of this chapter, an

19  association may operate residential condominiums in a phase

20  project initially created pursuant to former s. 711.64 and may

21  continue to so operate such project as though it were a single

22  condominium for purposes of financial matters, including

23  budgets, assessments, accounting, recordkeeping, and similar

24  matters, if provision is made for such consolidated operation

25  in the applicable declarations of each such condominium as

26  initially recorded or in the bylaws as initially adopted.

27  Notwithstanding any provision in this chapter, common expenses

28  for residential condominiums in such a project being operated

29  by a single association may be assessed against all unit

30  owners in such project pursuant to the proportions or

31  percentages established therefor in the declarations as

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  1  initially recorded or in the bylaws as initially adopted,

  2  subject, however, to the limitations of ss. 718.116 and

  3  718.302.

  4         (b)  If authorized by the bylaws, common expenses of

  5  multiple condominiums operated by a single association may

  6  also be assessed against all owners in such condominiums,

  7  provided that such condominiums are all operated as part of a

  8  rental pool in a hotel or resort-type setting, where each unit

  9  of a similar type and square footage receives a uniform rental

10  income; the association determines that the proper maintenance

11  of the units and buildings in all condominiums participating

12  in such an agreement is important to the preservation of value

13  and marketability of each of the individual condominiums; and

14  the condominium units were registered and sold as securities

15  with the Securities and Exchange Commission and the prospectus

16  did not state that the owners in each condominium within the

17  complex would be solely responsible for expenses attributable

18  to the individual condominium.

19         Section 2.  Paragraph (d) of subsection (2) of section

20  718.112, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

21         718.112  Bylaws.--

22         (2)  REQUIRED PROVISIONS.--The bylaws shall provide for

23  the following and, if they do not do so, shall be deemed to

24  include the following:

25         (d)  Unit owner meetings.--

26         1.  There shall be an annual meeting of the unit

27  owners. Unless the bylaws provide otherwise, a vacancy on the

28  board of administration caused by the expiration of a

29  director's term shall be filled by electing a new board

30  member, and the election shall be by closed ballot; however,

31  if there is only one candidate for election to fill the

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    Florida Senate - 1998                                  SB 1624
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  1  vacancy, no election is required. If there is no provision in

  2  the bylaws for terms of the members of the board of

  3  administration, the terms of all members of the board of

  4  administration shall expire upon the election of their

  5  successors at the annual meeting. Any unit owner who is

  6  eligible to register to vote in the jurisdiction of his or her

  7  residence and who seeks desiring to become be a candidate for

  8  board membership must shall comply with subparagraph 3.

  9         2.  The bylaws shall provide the method of calling

10  meetings of unit owners, including annual meetings. Written

11  notice, which notice must include an agenda, shall be mailed

12  or delivered to each unit owner at least 14 days prior to the

13  annual meeting and shall be posted in a conspicuous place on

14  the condominium property at least 14 continuous days preceding

15  the annual meeting. Upon notice to the unit owners, the board

16  shall by duly adopted rule designate a specific location on

17  the condominium property or association property upon which

18  all notices of unit owner meetings shall be posted; however,

19  if there is no condominium property or association property

20  upon which notices can be posted, this requirement does not

21  apply. Unless a unit owner waives in writing the right to

22  receive notice of the annual meeting by mail, the notice of

23  the annual meeting shall be sent by mail to each unit owner.

24  Where a unit is owned by more than one person, the association

25  shall provide notice, for meetings and all other purposes, to

26  that one address which the developer initially identifies for

27  that purpose and thereafter as one or more of the owners of

28  the unit shall so advise the association in writing, or if no

29  address is given or the owners of the unit do not agree, to

30  the address provided on the deed of record. An officer of the

31  association, or the manager or other person providing notice

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  1  of the association meeting, shall provide an affidavit or

  2  United States Postal Service certificate of mailing, to be

  3  included in the official records of the association affirming

  4  that the notice was mailed or hand delivered, in accordance

  5  with this provision, to each unit owner at the address last

  6  furnished to the association.

  7         3.  After January 1, 1992, the members of the board of

  8  administration shall be elected by written ballot or voting

  9  machine. Proxies shall in no event be used in electing the

10  board of administration, either in general elections or

11  elections to fill vacancies caused by recall, resignation, or

12  otherwise, unless otherwise provided in this chapter. Not less

13  than 60 days before a scheduled election, the association

14  shall mail or deliver, whether by separate association mailing

15  or included in another association mailing or delivery

16  including regularly published newsletters, to each unit owner

17  entitled to a vote, a first notice of the date of the

18  election. Any eligible unit owner or other eligible person

19  seeking desiring to become be a candidate for the board of

20  administration must give written notice to the association not

21  less than 40 days before a scheduled election.  Together with

22  the written notice and agenda as set forth in subparagraph 2.,

23  the association shall mail or deliver a second notice of the

24  election to all unit owners entitled to vote therein, together

25  with a ballot which shall list all candidates. Upon request of

26  a candidate, the association shall include an information

27  sheet, no larger than 8 1/2 inches by 11 inches, which must be

28  furnished by the candidate not less than 35 days before the

29  election, to be included with the mailing of the ballot, with

30  the costs of mailing or delivery and copying to be borne by

31  the association. However, the association has no liability for

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  1  the contents of the information sheets prepared by the

  2  candidates.  In order to reduce costs, the association may

  3  print or duplicate the information sheets on both sides of the

  4  paper. The division shall by rule establish voting procedures

  5  consistent with the provisions contained herein, including

  6  rules providing for the secrecy of ballots.  Elections shall

  7  be decided by a plurality of those ballots cast. There shall

  8  be no quorum requirement; however, at least 20 percent of the

  9  eligible voters must cast a ballot in order to have a valid

10  election of members of the board of administration. No unit

11  owner shall permit any other person to vote his or her ballot,

12  and any such ballots improperly cast shall be deemed invalid.

13  A unit owner who needs assistance in casting the ballot for

14  the reasons stated in s. 101.051 may obtain assistance in

15  casting the ballot. Any unit owner violating this provision

16  may be fined by the association in accordance with s. 718.303.

17  The regular election shall occur on the date of the annual

18  meeting. The provisions of this subparagraph shall not apply

19  to timeshare condominium associations. Notwithstanding the

20  provisions of this subparagraph, an election and balloting are

21  not required unless more candidates file notices of intent to

22  run or are nominated than vacancies exist on the board.

23         4.  Any approval by unit owners called for by this

24  chapter or the applicable declaration or bylaws, including,

25  but not limited to, the approval requirement in s. 718.111(8),

26  shall be made at a duly noticed meeting of unit owners and

27  shall be subject to all requirements of this chapter or the

28  applicable condominium documents relating to unit owner

29  decisionmaking, except that unit owners may take action by

30  written agreement, without meetings, on matters for which

31  action by written agreement without meetings is expressly

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  1  allowed by the applicable bylaws or declaration or any statute

  2  which provides for such action.

  3         5.  Unit owners may waive notice of specific meetings

  4  if allowed by the applicable bylaws or declaration or any

  5  statute.

  6         6.  Unit owners shall have the right to participate in

  7  meetings of unit owners with reference to all designated

  8  agenda items. However, the association may adopt reasonable

  9  rules governing the frequency, duration, and manner of unit

10  owner participation.

11         7.  Any unit owner may tape record or videotape a

12  meeting of the unit owners subject to reasonable rules adopted

13  by the division.

14

15  Notwithstanding subparagraphs (b)2. and (d)3., an association

16  may, by the affirmative vote of a majority of the total voting

17  interests, provide for different voting and election

18  procedures in its bylaws, which vote may be by a proxy

19  specifically delineating the different voting and election

20  procedures. The different voting and election procedures may

21  provide for elections to be conducted by limited or general

22  proxy.

23         Section 3.  Paragraph (a) of subsection (9) of section

24  718.116, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

25         718.116  Assessments; liability; lien and priority;

26  interest; collection.--

27         (9)(a)  No unit owner may be excused from the payment

28  of his or her share of the common expense of a condominium

29  unless all unit owners are likewise proportionately excused

30  from payment, except as provided in subsection (1) and in the

31  following cases:

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    Florida Senate - 1998                                  SB 1624
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  1         1.  If the declaration so provides, a developer or

  2  other person who owns condominium units offered for sale may

  3  be excused from the payment of the share of the common

  4  expenses and assessments related to those units for a stated

  5  period of time subsequent to the recording of the declaration

  6  of condominium.  The period must terminate no later than the

  7  first day of the fourth calendar month following the month in

  8  which the closing of the purchase and sale of the first

  9  condominium unit occurs.  However, the developer must pay

10  those the portion of common expenses incurred during that

11  period which exceed the amount assessed against other unit

12  owners. However, if the developer-controlled association has

13  maintained all the insurance coverages required by s.

14  718.111(11), the common expenses incurred during the foregoing

15  period which resulted from a natural disaster or an act of God

16  and which are not covered by insurance proceeds from the

17  insurance maintained by the association shall be assessed

18  against all unit owners owning units on the date of such

19  natural disaster or act of God and their successors and

20  assigns, including the developer with respect to units owned

21  by the developer.  Each unit owner and his or her unit shall

22  be assessed a pro rata amount of such uninsured costs based

23  upon such unit's undivided share of the common elements.

24         2.  A developer or other person who owns condominium

25  units or who has an obligation to pay condominium expenses may

26  be excused from the payment of his or her share of the common

27  expense which would have been assessed against those units

28  during the period of time that he or she has guaranteed to

29  each purchaser in the purchase contract, declaration, or

30  prospectus, or by agreement between the developer and a

31  majority of the unit owners other than the developer, that the

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  1  assessment for common expenses of the condominium imposed upon

  2  the unit owners would not increase over a stated dollar amount

  3  and has obligated himself or herself to pay those any amount

  4  of common expenses incurred during that period and not

  5  produced by the assessments at the guaranteed level receivable

  6  from other unit owners. The guarantee may provide that after

  7  an initial stated period, the developer has an option or

  8  options to extend the guarantee for one or more additional

  9  stated periods. However, notwithstanding the foregoing

10  limitation, if the developer-controlled association has

11  properly maintained all insurance coverages required by s.

12  718.111(11), the common expenses incurred during the period of

13  guarantee which resulted from a natural disaster or an act of

14  God and which are not covered by insurance proceeds from the

15  insurance maintained by the association shall be assessed

16  against all unit owners owning units on the date of such

17  natural disaster or act of God and their successors and

18  assigns, including the developer with respect to the units

19  owned by the developer.  Each unit owner and his or her unit

20  shall be assessed a pro rata amount of such uninsured costs

21  based upon such unit's undivided share of common elements.

22         Section 4.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

23  law.

24

25            *****************************************

26                          SENATE SUMMARY

27
      Provides for the regulation of resort condominiums.
28    Revises criteria for a unit owner to become a candidate
      for the board of administration. Provides for the
29    assessment of uninsured common expenses.

30

31

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