Common Fees To Expect When Dealing with an Association

If you own a condominium or a house that is governed by a homeowners association, you will more than likely have homeowners association fees to pay. The homeowners association fee refers to the amount of money that you are required to pay as a residential property owner every single month to your association. These HOA fees may also be referred to as maintenance fees or charges, or even common charges, depending on how the contract has been written up that is provided by your homeowners association in Florida.

Homeowner association fees are almost always in place for people who own condominiums, but many times are also in place for the owners of single-family homes that live in an area that is governed by a homeowners association. The homeowners association normally collects the fees to help maintain and improve the properties that fall under the association’s guidance. 

To understand your contract with your homeowners association or condo association better, you may want to list the assistance of a Miami-Dade County HOA lawyer or a South Florida HOA attorney.

What Do Association Fees Cover?

While every Association community is different, it is imperative that when you are searching for a house or condo to purchase, you also request a copy of each Asociation’s standards, policies, rules, and regulations so you do not end up in an Association that is too restrictive for you and your preferences. This document in a Homeowners Association is known as the Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions (CC&Rs). In a Condominium Association this document is known as the Declaration of Condominium, and you are allowed to receive a copy of it under the association laws in Florida.

Asociatoin fees usually cover – 

Municipal Services

If your HOA provides some services, such as lawn maintenance or security, part of your fees will help to fund it.

Homeowners Association Insurance

If an incident happens in a common area of your Association, the insurance held by the Association will help pay for any injuries or other costs associated with the incident. Common areas can include recreational areas, sidewalks, and other exterior locations that can be utilized by everyone in the Association.

Maintenance And Repairs 

Maintenance and repairs normally include common spaces throughout the association,  including lawn care and maintaining parking lots. You, however, are responsible for your own lawn and outdoor areas on your own property.

Amenities And Services

If your Association offers amenities, such as a clubhouse for all residents to use or a pool that everyone can use, some of your fees will go towards amenities and services. Some services can include valet services or even rooftop lounges.

The Association Reserve Account

A portion of the fees you pay may  be set aside to save back into the Association’s reserve fund account in case it needs them in the future. The Association may use it to fix the plumbing in the restroom of the pool building or to replace a roof of the condominium building. 

Basically, Association fees are monthly dues that are collected by the Association from the property owners that live in an area that is governed by an association. These fees are standard ones for the majority of planned communities with single-family homes or condominium units. These fees are used to pay for a variety of things, such as repairs to the association’s common property, maintenance, and even amenities that residents that live in these areas enjoy. 

An Association is set up to create and enforce rules for the properties in residence who reside under their jurisdiction. When you purchase one of these types of properties, you automatically become a member of the homeowners association or condo association in that area, and you must pay the monthly fees that are due as part of your agreement to live there. These fees normally go towards maintaining a variety of common areas that are used by all of the people within the association, such as patios, landscaping, lobbies, elevators, and even swimming pools or tennis courts.

What Happens If You Don’t Pay Association Fees?

If you or another property owner within the jurisdiction of an association fail to pay your monthly or annual assessment, along with any special assessments, the Association can take action against you or other property owners who don’t pay. These types of actions will depend on the language in the contract that was signed between the Association and you, the homeowner or condo owner. 

Sometimes the Association is allowed to charge late fees if it’s already in the contract, which means they can initiate a lawsuit against you, place a lien on your property, or even for clothes on your property or another person’s property who is not paying their fees. If you are having a dispute with your homeowners association or have disagreements about your fees, you should check with an attorney who has experience in this field of expertise in South Florida. 

Contact our HOA Attorneys

Whether you are having a dispute with your homeowners association or condo association or simply have stopped paying your monthly or annual assessments or maintenance, you will need to enlist the assistance of an attorney that specializes in HOA and Condo law to find a solution to your issue while protecting your property. Call the experienced and highly skilled HOA and Condo law attorneys at the Ferrer Law Group to help find a resolution to this stressful situation.