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CarlosB3 (Florida)
Posts: 47
Posted:
Florida HOA

The board is meeting this week on two related issues involving one homeowner:

1. Unauthorized Modification of Common Area
The homeowner modified a section of the common area without prior approval.

The Grievance Committee reviewed the matter and determined a fine would be imposed if the area was not restored.

The homeowner has been fined the maximum allowed under statute for failure to restore the area ($100 a day, total $1,000)
Since the common area has not been restored, can we?

impose an additional fine for the continued non-compliance, or

proceed with restoring the area and then bill the homeowner for the cost of restoration?

From our By Laws: “The expense of any maintenance, repair or construction of any portion of the Common Areas necessitated by the negligent or willful acts of an Owner … shall be borne solely by such Owner, and the Townhome owned by that Owner shall be subject to an Individual Assessment for that expense.”
“An Owner shall be responsible for the removal of all landscaping and structures placed within easements or Common Areas without prior written approval of the Association.”

2. Delinquent Assessments
The same homeowner is five months behind in paying HOA assessments. He had indicated he would enter a payment plan (a one-time exemption offered by the Association) but has made no payments to date.
Before sending the 45-day lien notice, looking for clarification on whether:

the previously assessed fines may be included in the total amount due on the lien notice ($1,000), and

if the Association restores the common area and bills the homeowner for the restoration costs, that amount may be included in the lien notice (Once its past due)

Now, keep in mind the right now the only thing past due 90 days is HOA assessments (including late fees) but any fines or if we restore the area is not part of past due amount
so technically can we even include that since it's not technically past due?

Thank you in advance.
DeanJ
Posts: 1,786
Posted:
Quote:
Posted By CarlosB3 on 11/10/2025 7:24 AM
Florida HOA

The board is meeting this week on two related issues involving one homeowner:

1. Unauthorized Modification of Common Area
The homeowner modified a section of the common area without prior approval.

The Grievance Committee reviewed the matter and determined a fine would be imposed if the area was not restored.

The homeowner has been fined the maximum allowed under statute for failure to restore the area ($100 a day, total $1,000)
Since the common area has not been restored, can we?

impose an additional fine for the continued non-compliance, or

proceed with restoring the area and then bill the homeowner for the cost of restoration?

From our By Laws: “The expense of any maintenance, repair or construction of any portion of the Common Areas necessitated by the negligent or willful acts of an Owner … shall be borne solely by such Owner, and the Townhome owned by that Owner shall be subject to an Individual Assessment for that expense.”
“An Owner shall be responsible for the removal of all landscaping and structures placed within easements or Common Areas without prior written approval of the Association.”

2. Delinquent Assessments
The same homeowner is five months behind in paying HOA assessments. He had indicated he would enter a payment plan (a one-time exemption offered by the Association) but has made no payments to date.
Before sending the 45-day lien notice, looking for clarification on whether:

the previously assessed fines may be included in the total amount due on the lien notice ($1,000), and

if the Association restores the common area and bills the homeowner for the restoration costs, that amount may be included in the lien notice (Once its past due)

Now, keep in mind the right now the only thing past due 90 days is HOA assessments (including late fees) but any fines or if we restore the area is not part of past due amount
so technically can we even include that since it's not technically past due?

Thank you in advance.

<

Since you seem uncertain what you may and may not do, this is a good time to first speak to the HOA attorney for advice.

IMO the HOA is within its rights to repair the common area and add the expense to the owner’s account and place a lien of the property for the unpaid assessments, fines and repair costs. Then move to foreclosure if the owner ignores the HOA.

MarkF19 (Ohio)
Posts: 5
Posted:
5 months behind? We would be moving toward foreclosure.
SheliaH (Indiana)
Posts: 6,964
Posted:
What Dean said. I understand what Mark is saying about foreclosure, but I'd have to see how much is at stake (the unpaid assessments, late fees, costs of collection to date) before taking that step.

Why does this one homeowner have you and your board in a tizzy as to what to do? Maybe it's me, but if you have a fining schedule and have assessed them with no payment or correction to the common area, you take legal action. Ditto for the delinquent fees - the longer you sit around wringing your hands, the harder it will become for the association to do anything. There are lots of conversations on this website about rule enforcement and collecting delinquencies - read a few for some ideas and bring your questions back to this conversation so you'll get updated information.

If you're worried about legal expenses, I understand that too because there is a chance you will spend a lot of money and it'll take forever to recoup your expenses (you should always ask for reimbursement when suing anyone) - but if this has been going on for 5 months anyway, you may as well take that step. Schedule that meeting with your attorney, come up with a strategy and do your thing.

Now would also be a good time to look at your collection and rule enforcement policies to see if something needs to be changed. You can discuss that with your attorney, and once you come up with something, the board can vote to adopt them at an open board meeting via resolution. Inform the community of the updated policies and the effective date (at least 30 days out to give people a chance to fix anything). After that, follow your policy consistently and fairly, and document what you do and when. Some people will threaten to sue and a few will do it, but that's when you need to make sure your side is on point and are willing to demonstrate that to a judge. Get a few wins under your belt and the homeowners will see the board is serious. Good luck!

If it is not right do not do it; if it is not true do not say it. Marcus Aurelius

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