TALLAHASSEE, Fla. \u2014 Florida\u2019s long-simmering fight over homeowners associations is hitting a turning point. A sweeping reform bill was officially filed this week, answering months of growing calls from residents and protestors who say the system is broken.<\/p>\n
Leer en espa\u00f1ol<\/a><\/p>\n After months of rising frustration from homeowners, news investigations<\/a>, and a rally<\/a> outside the Capitol, Florida\u2019s HOA reform debate now has a bill number, HB 657<\/a>.<\/p>\n Filed by Rep. Juan Carlos Porras, a Miami Republican, the 32-page package<\/a> would overhaul how HOA and condo disputes are handled, create a new community association court and, for the first time, give homeowners a legal pathway to dissolve their HOA.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is going to be one of the largest HOA reform packages of our state\u2019s history. We\u2019re completely reinventing the wheel when it comes to HOA and condominium disputes,\u201d Porras said.<\/p>\n Porras says the bill directly responds to the outcry from residents<\/a> across Florida who say they\u2019ve been trapped by abusive boards, runaway fines, or overwhelming legal costs. Many of the concerns, he said, often directed at the state\u2019s main enforcement agency, DBPR.<\/p>\n \u201cHomeowners are going to have the ability to petition that court and be able to sue their HOA without having to deal with the bureaucracy of the state,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n If homeowners want to eliminate their HOA entirely, the bill outlines strict requirements: 20% of homeowners must support a dissolution petition, then two-thirds must vote to approve it. A judge would then review a final plan before an HOA could be legally wound down.<\/p>\n The filing comes just weeks after Paul and Brandy Miller, a Tampa Bay couple<\/a> leading the HOA Reform League \u2013 Florida<\/a>, rallied frustrated homeowners outside the Capitol. The couple delivered lawmakers a thick stack of letters from residents who say current laws offer them little protection.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re here to have a voice,\u201d Paul Miller said. \u201cTo the all the people that are out there right now that are on our social networks, that are cheering us on via text messages and posts on our Facebook group\u2014 they\u2019re saying, you know, \u2018Yay, thank you so much for being our voice.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n But industry leaders aren\u2019t sold. While they\u2019re monitoring the bill, they\u2019ve previously warned that major overhauls may be unpopular and unnecessary.<\/p>\n Polling cited by management groups shows 80% of HOA residents enjoy living in their communities and believe the benefits are worth the dues. They argue the real solution is enforcing existing laws \u2014 not dismantling associations or creating new systems.<\/p>\n