Florida House of Representatives - 2003 - HB 861
Mandated Property Reform Task Force Bill
Filed by House Representative Gus Bilirakis
 ( R ) -- District 48

 
House 0861: Relating to Homeowners' Associations   
H861     GENERAL BILL by Bilirakis  Homeowners' Associations; provides powers for associations controlled by  unit owners other than developer; prohibits certain amendments to bylaws  of associations. Amends 720.303,.306.  
EFFECTIVE DATE: 07/01/2003.  
02/27/03 HOUSE  Prefiled
 
1  A bill to be entitled 
2           An act relating to homeowners' associations; amending s. 
3     720.303, F.S.; providing powers for associations 
4     controlled by unit owners other than the developer; 
5     amending s. 720.306, F.S.; prohibiting certain amendments 
6     to bylaws of the associations; providing an effective 
7     date. 
8            
9           Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 
10            
11           Section 1. Subsection (1) of section 720.303, Florida 
12     Statutes, is amended to read: 
13           720.303 Association powers and duties; meetings of board; 
14     official records; budgets; financial reporting.-- 
15           (1) POWERS AND DUTIES.--An association which operates a 
16     community as defined in s. 720.301, must be operated by an 
17     association that is a Florida corporation. After October 1, 
18     1995, the association must be incorporated and the initial 
19     governing documents must be recorded in the official records of 
20     the county in which the community is located. An association 
21     may operate more than one community. The officers and directors 
22     of an association have a fiduciary relationship to the members 
23     who are served by the association. The powers and duties of an 
24     association include those set forth in this chapter and, except 
25     as expressly limited or restricted in this chapter, those set 
26     forth in the governing documents. After control of the
27     association is obtained by unit owners other that the developer,  
28     the association may institute, maintain, settle, or appeal  
29     actions or hearings in its name on behalf of all members  
30     concerning matters of common interest to the members, including,  
31     but not limited to, the common areas; roof or structural  
32     components of a building, or other improvements for which the  
33     association is responsible; mechanical, electrical, or plumbing  
34     elements serving an improvement or building for which the  
35     association is responsible; representations of the developer  
36     pertaining to any existing or proposed commonly used facility;  
37     and protesting ad valorem taxes on commonly used facilities. The  
38     association may defend actions in eminent domain or bring  
39     inverse condemnation actions. If the association has the
40     authority to maintain a class action, it may be joined in an  
41     action as a representative of that class with reference to
42     litigation and disputes involving the matters for which the  
43     association could bring a class action. This subsection does not  
44     limit any statutory or common-law right of any individual member  
45     or class of members to bring any action without participation by  
46     the association. A member does not have authority to act for the 
47     association by virtue of being a member. An association may 
48     have more than one class of members and may issue membership 
49     certificates. 
50           Section 2. Subsection (1) of section 720.306, Florida 
51     Statutes, is amended to read: 
52           720.306 Meetings of members; voting and election 
53     procedures; amendments.-- 
54           (1) QUORUM; AMENDMENTS.-- 
55           (a) Unless a lower number is provided in the bylaws, the 
56     percentage of voting interests required to constitute a quorum 
57     at a meeting of the members shall be 30 percent of the total 
58     voting interests. Unless otherwise provided in this chapter or 
59     in the articles of incorporation or bylaws, decisions that 
60     require a vote of the members must be made by the concurrence of 
61     at least a majority of the voting interests present, in person 
62     or by proxy, at a meeting at which a quorum has been attained. 
63           (b) Unless otherwise provided in the governing documents 
64     or required by law, and other than those matters set forth in 
65     paragraph (c), any governing document of an association may be 
66     amended by the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the voting 
67     interests of the association. 
68           (c) Unless otherwise provided in the governing documents 
69     as originally recorded or permitted by this chapter or chapter  
70     617, an amendment may not materially and adversely alter the  
71     proportionate voting interest appurtenant to a parcel or
72     increase the proportion or percentage by which a parcel shares  
73     in the common expenses of the association affect vested rights 
74     unless the record parcel owner of the affected parceland all
75     record owners of liens on the affectedparcels join in the 
76     execution of the amendment. For purposes of this section, a  
77     change in quorum requirements is not an alteration of voting
78     interests. 
79           Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2003.