Commissioner Gonzalez speaks out against HOA fraud and urges the Florida Legislature to approve protections for HOA communities

MIAMI-DADE – Commissioner Roberto J. Gonzalez sponsored legislation that passed at the Tuesday, March 7 Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners meeting, which urges the Florida Legislature to enact House Bill 919 and Senate Bill 1114 to strengthen laws against fraud and mismanagement by Homeowner Associations (HOA) and enhance protections for HOA communities.

“Owning a home is part of the American dream that so many work hard to achieve. I will always fight for homeowners who are being taken advantage of. It is a shame that there are a few HOAs that have abused their power. I am working with my counterparts at the state level to bring justice to those that have been harmed and to create a mechanism to hold bad actors accountable moving forward. I also commend the homeowners who have bravely taken the initiative to bring these issues to our attention,” said Commissioner Gonzalez.

Commissioner Gonzalez will be in Tallahassee on March 8 to advocate for House Bill 919, introduced by Representative Juan Carlos Porras, and Senate Bill 1114, introduced by Senator Ana Maria Rodriguez. These bills will increase powers concerning civil and criminal HOA matters, such as the removal of officers or directors charged with specified crimes, provide criminal penalties for certain actions, and provide monetary damages for transactions resulting in improper personal benefit by such officers. It will also prohibit the use of HOA and reserve funds for the payment of attorneys’ fees and defense of the HOA and board members in legal proceedings and introduce strict administration requirements for HOAs, such as the appointment of recordkeepers, among other measures.