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Article
Courtesy of The Hammocks Today
Published March 3, 2026
Lawmakers in Florida are pushing for major changes to how
the state handles disputes and oversight within homeowners associations (HOAs).
A new bill, HB 657,
has cleared a key hurdle in the House, receiving unanimous support from the
Budget Committee. The bill aims to create state-funded courts to handle HOA
and condo disputes, give residents a process to dissolve their HOAs, and
require HOA bylaws to automatically update when state laws change.
Why it matters
Florida has seen several high-profile HOA scandals in recent years,
involving millions in stolen funds and abuse of power by board members. The
current laws are seen as having "toothless" enforcement, allowing bad actors
to dodge consequences. This bill is a response to growing frustration among
Florida homeowners over HOA overreach, steep fines, and a lack of
accountability.
The details
HB 657 has three main components:
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Creating state-funded courts focused on HOA and condo
disputes, replacing the current mediation system.
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Giving residents a process to dissolve their HOA,
though it requires gathering petitions, holding an election, and getting
a judge's approval;
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Requiring HOA bylaws to automatically update whenever
state law changes, to hold boards more accountable.
HB 657 just cleared the House Budget Committee with
unanimous support. The matching Senate bill, SB 1498, has also cruised
through committees without a single 'no' vote. HB 657 now heads to the House
Commerce Committee, one more stop before a full House vote. SB 1498 still
has two more Senate committees to clear before reaching a full vote.
The players
Representative Juan Carlos Porras
Miami Republican leading the charge on HB 657, says the bill results from
years of pent-up frustration among Floridians living under HOA rules.
Spencer Henning, Esq
Florida's former condo ombudsman, who said the current laws have 'toothless'
enforcement, allowing HOA board members who act in bad faith to dodge
consequences.
Representative Fentrice Driskell
House Democratic Leader, who raised a question about the new judge positions
created by the bill, noting that the Legislature can set up new courts but
cannot limit the judges' authority to just HOA and condo cases.
Senator Jennifer Bradley
Republican Senator from Fleming Island, who introduced the matching Senate
bill SB 1498 that has also cleared its first committee with unanimous
support.
HOA Reform League
What they’re saying
“This is just a first step.” -- Juan Carlos Porras, State
Representative
“The current laws have 'toothless' enforcement, allowing board members who
act in bad faith to dodge consequences.” -- Spencer Henning, Former Florida
Condo Ombudsman
“The Legislature can set up new courts, like they did with Veterans Court
back in 2012, but these new judges won't be handling only HOA and condo
disputes.” -- Fentrice Driskell, House Democratic Leader
What’s next
HB 657 now heads to the House Commerce Committee, one more stop before a
full House vote. The matching Senate bill, SB 1498, still has two more
Senate committees to clear before reaching a full vote.
The takeaway
This proposed legislation aims to address long-standing frustrations among
Florida homeowners over HOA overreach, lack of accountability, and the
inability to easily dissolve their associations. If passed, it could
significantly reshape the HOA landscape in the state, providing more
oversight and giving residents more power to challenge problematic boards
and associations.
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