'OUR FAILED EXPERIMENT': Legislator renews calls to abolish HOAs following deadly Port St. Lucie dispute

Article Courtesy of Channel 5 WPTV

By Kate Hussey

Published November 21, 2025

A deadly shooting in Port St. Lucie this week has renewed focus on violent crimes connected to homeowner associations across Florida, as lawmakers consider legislation that could allow communities to vote to abolish their HOAs.

Port St. Lucie police say 62-year-old Paul Maraio barricaded himself in his neighbor's home after shooting and killing two neighbors over what investigators describe as a bitter HOA feud.

The dramatic scene unfolded as officers stormed the residence, with authorities revealing the HOA was actively seeking to evict Maraio from the community.

"Unfortunately it happens a lot more often than one would think," said Eric Perez, an HOA attorney with Perez Mayoral Law in Coral Gables.

Perez, whose firm represents thousands of homeowners, says HOA violence isn't rare — it's routine. He's witnessed even minor disputes escalate into physical confrontations.

"You know, temperatures are sometimes at an all-time high when there's an ongoing dispute, and people may unfortunately take to physical violence," Perez said.

Attorney Jeff Kominsky says he's seeing more HOA disputes escalate into legal action, and recent data may explain why.

A study from Onyx Capital Management shows HOAs nationwide now top 373,000, up 10% from 2024, with Florida making up nearly half of those associations.

"When you have a built-in high number or quantities of associations, things can happen," Kominsky said.

While FBI and DOJ data doesn't specifically flag HOA-related violence, Florida court records reveal case after case of escalating disputes.

In December 2022, Martin County deputies say Hugh Hootman shot and killed his neighbors at Cedar Point Condos. A 911 call obtained by WPTV reveals it started as an HOA argument.

"There's been an ongoing dispute," the caller reported.

That same year, a Broward County HOA president was arrested, accused of pointing a gun at neighbors. In 2023, Miami Beach police arrested a former condo president accused of sending threatening texts to an HOA board member and trying to set a resident's truck on fire. This year, a judge sentenced a Seminole County man for intentionally setting his own condo on fire over HOA problems.

"I think these, some of these disputes are very under-counted. I think this is one of the more common issues surrounding Florida at the moment," said Republican Representative Juan Carlos Porras of Miami.

Porras is now drafting legislation that could let communities vote to abolish their HOAs — not a statewide ban, but a path to eliminate HOAs that residents believe aren't working.