Doing Business in Florida Blog

Developer Can Use Working Fund Contributions to Offset its Financial Obligations to a Homeowner Association

October 23, 2019
Jeffrey R. Margolis  |  Real Estate Development, Homeowners Association, Working Fund

It is common practice for developers to collect working fund contributions or initial contributions upon the sale of homes in communities operated by homeowner associations.  The amount of working fund contributions or initial contributions can be either a specific dollar amount or an amount equal to 2-3 months of association assessments.  In a recent opinion, a Florida appellate court ruled that such contributions may be used by the developer to offset the developer’s deficit funding obligation to the homeowner association. 

Governor Signs Condominium and Homeowners Association Legislation

June 14, 2017
Jeffrey R. Margolis  |  Condominiums, Homeowners Association, Real Estate, Real Estate Development, Residential Real Estate

Florida Governor Rick Scott signed House Bill 398 into law on June 14, 2017. House Bill 398 addresses estoppel certificates and expands the scope of the current statutory provision.  Specifically, the legislation changes the process and requirements for issuance of estoppel certificates by condominium and homeowners associations as follows: The time

Drones Are in the Air and "Should Also Be on Associations' Agendas”

April 13, 2017
Jeffrey R. Margolis  |  Condominiums, Drones, home owners associations, Real Estate Development, Residential Real Estate

Drones may be put to use for a variety of purposes including recreational use, videography and photography, inspection of facilities, and safety purposes. In the near future it is likely that drones will be widely used in commercial ventures including delivery of packages to individual residences.  There are so many potential uses for drones that one

"Frustration" in the Florida Appellate Court: A Commercial Landlord's Battle to Defeat a Tenant's Excuse for Non-Performance

February 19, 2017
Jeffrey S. Wertman  |  Appellate Litigation, Commercial Real Estate, Condominiums, Construction & Design, Construction Litigation, Litigation, Real Estate, Real Estate Development

A recent Florida appellate opinion is likely to have a material impact on how future commercial real estate leases are drafted. Florida landlords wishing to avoid tenants’ defenses for nonperformance based on the doctrines of frustration of purposes, impracticality, or impossibility of performance should now more carefully assess how particular future events can affect a tenant’s performance and assign that risk to tenants in a lease.

The Rise of Transit Oriented Development

February 16, 2017
Jeffrey R. Margolis  |  Commercial Real Estate, Condominiums, Construction & Design, Environmental, Hospitality & Leisure, Land Use & Zoning, Real Estate, Real Estate Development, Urban Redevelopment

Millennials have now overtaken baby boomers as America’s largest generation, and developers must cater to this segment’s desire for convenience, connectivity and access to the urban core. As density of downtowns grow, mixed use development will emerge in suburban neighborhoods that may be farther out from the city center, but still enjoy the proximity to