HOA/CONDO CRIMINAL TASK FORCE ON THE HORIZON?

An Opinion By

Published June 10, 2025

After the Legislature unceremoniously killed HB 983 and SB 368 behind closed doors, recent headlines about arrests for criminal activities in Florida’s community associations must have gotten their attention. Law enforcement agencies of Miami-Dade County as the only county in Florida finally took it in their own hands to FIGHT CRIME in these communities.

Budget proposals of House and Senate set aside $573.000 for a CRIMINAL FRAUD TASK FORCE.

That reminds me of the year 2003, when our bills trying to create more owner-friendly bills were killed on the House floor.  Governors and Legislators love to create committees and task forces in order to avoid quick decisions. It’s just a way to postpone things that should have been done a long time ago.

Remember, in the year 2000 the Florida Legislature created FS 720  (now called the HOA Act) using the exact language from former FS 617.301-312. These provisions were definitely far from owner-friendly.

But after our bills died on the House floor, Governor Jeb Bush created the HOA TASK FORCE – a task force that held meetings all over Florida in 2003/2004 and succeeded in having SB 1184 enacted – a bill that added many owner-friendly provisions to FS 720.

Will we see something very similar this year? It looks like House and Senate set aside the necessary money for such Task Force. If such CRIMINAL FRAUD TASK FORCE will be created, one can only hope that not too many community association managers and attorneys will be members of such Task Force. Recent cases have shown only that CAMs and attorneys are often only too willing to help boards covering up criminal activities in order to keep the accounts.

There are enough knowledgeable legislators, law enforcement officers  and owners who fill such task force – people who are willing to create laws that will really make sure that ”bad actors” are not just getting away with a slap on the wrist!