Real Estate Law Articles

What you can do when good neighbors go gaudy What happens when someone decides they want to put up gaudy decorations on their front lawn or decides to let the yard “go back to nature” rather than mow it and keep it in shape? What do you do when a house in the community has a van parked out front ...

Inc 5000 names PeytonBolin #3,228 in list of fastest growing private companies PeytonBolin, a leading real estate law firm, has been named to the Inc. 5000 list of the nation's fastest growing private companies. The prestigious rankings were announced earlier today and PeytonBolin was honored...

How to respond to an HOA's demand letter or delinquent assessment notice Your homeowners association exists to govern community rules and administer common areas and activities that benefit the entire community. When you signed the closing agreement, you agreed to pay your mortgage, insurance, ta...

6 activities that can foster a vibrant, responsive and healthy community association A community with spirit is a community that takes pride in itself. Like safe neighborhoods, spirited communities attract like-minded residents and generally have higher resale values. The emotional investment res...

Unless registered with the Division of Florida Condominiums, Timeshares, and Mobile Homes, Citizens will not insure or renew. In a 2013 legislative session, changes were made to homeowners' association governance (720.303(13)) that require community association managers, or the management firm an...

Making the Right Decision for your Community Association Common lounge areas are a great way to bring your community together and give them a comfortable space to gather, meet, socialize, or simply relax. As its most basic level, your common lounge area can have a few couches or some tables and c...

Staying Safe in your Community As residents in a community association, part of your responsibility is to help maintain the different communal areas also known as common areas. While your association dues/assessments will take care of most of the tasks associated with community upkeep, you still ...

Jane Bolin, Founding Member of leading Florida-based law firm PeytonBolin, has been named to the Florida Rising Stars List for 2015. Compiled by the Super Lawyers rating service, only two and one-half percent of the lawyers in each state are selected for this honorable distinction. Jane F. Bolin,...

New Laws for Associations Effective July 1, 2015 What should HOA members should know? The Florida statutes for Homeowner Associations were updated on July 1, 2015 and are now officially in effect. These updates may change the way you and your association do things, so it's important to understa...

Joseph S. Giannell, Esq., Board Certified Real Estate Attorney and Partner at leading Florida-based firm PeytonBolin, has been named to the prestigious 2015 Florida Super Lawyers list. The patented third-party rating system combines peer evaluations with independent research and evaluates candida...

What should you consider before moving into a Community Association You've decided you want to simplify your life and move into a condo on the beach but you've never lived in a home where you were part of an association and you are not sure it is for you?  Here are some simple guidelines to help ...

Every community association needs a clear, concise code of ethics. These codes help protect the community and provide guidelines for leaders and board members. Community Association Institute  put together Principles for Community Association Success. We've highlighted some key information from t...

Consider these facts before advertising on your Community Association's Website. Your community association website should have one ultimate goal: enhancing communication. This includes communication between the board, residents, owners, and community leaders. Websites can be used to post notices...

How Community Associations Keep in Touch with Residents with effective ways of communication. Every community association, no matter how large or small, needs clear, concise, and consistent communication with its residents. Good communication helps board members and community leaders explain deci...

For some communities one of the top responsibilities of community associations, if not the #1 priority, is maintaining a safe, secure environment. Taking the right steps to prevent theft, vandalism, and violent crimes is essential for community leaders, and one of these potential measures is hiri...

Being a community leader with an association can be a very rewarding job. Leaders help the community thrive through events, communication, and activities, allowing you to be a part of something special for many years to come. Community Association Institute  put together Principles for Community...

As a homeowner in a community association, there is much that you can do to ensure everyone in your community enjoys a great neighborhood. Community Association Institute  put together a great resource guide on Principles for Community Association Success. We've highlighted some key information f...

Tips to Run an Effective Monthly HOA or Condo Association Meeting All homeowner's associations have meetings, but often those in charge do not take the meetings quite as seriously as they should. It's not to say there can't be some casual elements and some fun to the meetings. However, it's impor...

Tips for community associations to get more residents involved In order for a homeowner's association to work to its full potential, it needs to have the help of the entire community. However, that can be very difficult for a large number of the HOAs out there to get residents more involved in yo...

Are you involved with a condominium association or a homeowner's association (HOA)? If so, then you might be wondering about the benefits of using a property management company. A great property management company can help to improve the quality of a community, and can help with a host of various...

Leading Real Estate Law Firm PeytonBolin Honored with Platinum Level Readers' Choice Award for Legal Services from the Florida Community Association Journal For the second consecutive year, the PeytonBolin law firm has received a Readers' Choice Award for Legal Services from the Florida Community...

We've put together a resource guide of professional associations that serve community associations in the state of Florida.  Each of these organizations offer ways to stay informed about critical issues in your city and county and also opportunities to interact with others. The Broward Coalition:...

How to keep your condo rules in line with your residents and avoid condo association problems When the demographics of your condo or homeowner association start to change with an influx of younger residents  problems can and often will arise.  Is it possible to keep your longtime, solid, stable (...

3 Ways to Match Security with Tenants In this day and age, private communities are continuously evolving and rules are changing- and our ultimate goal is to make our tenants feel safe at all times. You may think it doesn't matter what security guard you have in your community, but it does. Your s...

4 Tips for Forming Positive Relationships with Volunteers As a property manager or community association, you've probably had to form and manage relationships with volunteers- and this can either work really well or it can be a struggle. On one side, having volunteers brings extra hands to the ta...