COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION STATUTES – NEW VERSIONS?

An Opinion By Jan Bergemann

Published September 23, 2025

All the new versions of the NEWEST STATUTES (2025 versions) are up on the Senate websites. While there are no changes to the FLORIDA HOA ACT (FS 720), there are lots of changes to the statutes regulating Condominiums, Co-Ops and Community Association Managers.

Despite the fact that the changes to the CONDO ACT (FS 718) were supposed to simplify matters for boards and owners, I honestly believe that the attempt really failed.

If even the so-called specialized attorneys come up with very different opinions interpreting the new version of FS 718, how should board members and owners really understand what these new regulations really mean?

Even if Florida’s legislators attempted with HB 913 to ease the financial problems for many condo owners without endangering the building safety, it looks like the wording used in the bill creates even more confusion.

Many of these new provisions are up for debate and create the question if they are all very helpful in the long run.

Even if the new laws allow financing of necessary payments, some folks seem to forget that even financed amounts have to be repaid – with interest!

And allowing board member certification seminars to be conducted by ZOOM must just be considered a JOKE! Remember my experience with the ZOOM BOARD CERTIFICATION SEMINAR OF THE DIVISION? It just tells you that ZOOM seminars are not much better than the former certificates where board members only had to certify that they “KNOW EVERYTHING”! 

Why is it not possible to create statutes that are easy to understand and to enforce? That surely would save associations, board members and owners lots of money!

What do you think about the often difficult interpretation of the laws regulating community associations?