I was just forwarded a press release from Florida’s Department of Business and Professional Regulation announcing the creation of its website for mandatory homeowners’ associations to register online.
As my blog readers may recall, Florida’s legislature recently passed a law that for the first time requires all mandatory homeowners’ associations (governed under Chapter 720 of the Florida Statutes) to provide certain information to the State. Community Association Managers should remember that it appears from this legislation that any CAM that manages an HOA is responsible for filing this information.
The content of this press release follows:
To: Members of the media
Date: September 27, 2013
From: DBPR Communications Office, 850.922.8981
Registration website for HOA and Community Association Managers live
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) today launched the website where homeowners associations (HOA) and Community Association Managers (CAM) are now required to register. The website was created as part of recently passed state legislation (Chapter 720, FS), which requires community association managers, community association management firms or HOAs, in the absence of a CAM, to report information about the associations before the deadline of November 22, 2013.
“We’ve worked really hard to create a website that collects all of the data required by law to track the number of homeowners associations in the state,” said Secretary Ken Lawson. “It’s important that associations become aware of the new reporting requirement and meet the deadline.”
During the 2013 Legislative Session, HB 7119 made several changes to HOA governance, including the requirement for HOA associations to register with DBPR. Additionally, the legislation provided DBPR with authority to take administrative action against a community association manager’s license for violations of state laws relating to condominiums, cooperatives and homeowners’ associations that are committed during the course of performing contractual community management services.
Associations may now register with the Department at www.myfloridalicense.com/hoa. If individuals have any questions throughout the one-time registration process, they may contact the Department at 800.226.9101.
The Department of Business and Professional Regulation’s mission is to license efficiently and regulate fairly. The Department licenses and regulates more than one million businesses and professionals ranging from hotels and restaurants, real estate agents and certified public accountants to veterinarians, contractors and cosmetologists. For more information, please visit www.MyFloridaLicense.com.
We’ll next have to wait and see exactly what type of curriculum the DBPR’s developed to meet the new laws requiring newly appointed board members in cooperatives and mandatory HOA’s to meet the educational or certification requirements previously only applicable to board members in condominium associations. That’s an entry for another day.