Posted in Condominium & Homeowner Association Law

A community association’s board of directors is often tasked with making difficult and sometimes controversial decisions regarding community issues, such as covenant enforcement, collection action against delinquent owners, or larger issues with neighboring associations or governmental entities, among other issues. The gravity of these critical decisions can be stressful for board members and create questions regarding their own exposure to liability. A common question and concern from community association directors in these situations is, “Can I be held personally responsible for my actions as a director?”

Posted in Business Law,IRS & Tax Information

Closing a business can be a difficult and challenging task. First, before you close your business, find out if tax relief, your local county, or the CARES Act legislation can help you stay open. Also, be sure to consult with your professional team such as an attorney or accountant.

There are typical actions that are taken when closing a business. This blog post focuses on tax responsibilities with the IRS and FL Department of Revenue. It does not address non-tax obligations such as those associated with the vendors, contracts, or the FL Division of Corporations.

Posted in IRS & Tax Information

On August 8, 2020, the President issued a Memorandum entitled Deferring Payroll Tax Obligation in light of the Ongoing COVID-19 Disaster. The Memorandum authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to defer certain payroll tax obligations. The purpose of the Memorandum is to produce a targeted action that “will put money directly in the pockets of American workers and generate additional incentives for work and employment.”

Posted in Condominium & Homeowner Association Law

The purpose of bankruptcy laws is to provide an opportunity for a fresh start to honest but unfortunate individuals (or debtors in the bankruptcy context) and to allow for the equal treatment of creditors who may be owed money.  The successful completion of a bankruptcy plan generally entitles the debtor to a discharge of certain debts.  The discharge of a debt prevents creditors from later attempting to collect the discharged debt.  Additionally, 11 U.S.C §362(a) imposes an automatic stay on any collection activity against the debtor or their assets.  The automatic stay begins immediately upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition and acts as a temporary injunction preventing collection activity by creditors.  Generally, the automatic stay will remain in place during the life of the bankruptcy proceedings unless the creditor obtains a court order granting relief from the automatic stay.

Posted in IRS & Tax Information

Now that this year’s Tax day has passed, you may have discovered that you owe more on your tax return then you can afford to pay. Here are some tax resolutions and tips to get your IRS debt resolved before it’s too late:   

1. Installment Agreements

Individuals who owe $50,000 or less in income tax and businesses that owe $25,000 or less in payroll tax may qualify for an Online Payment Agreement. You can set up the payment for any amount you can afford as long as the debt is paid in full within 72 months (6 years). You can also modify installment agreements through the program as well. 

Posted in IRS & Tax Information,Real Estate Law

As most Florida homeowners know, the Florida Constitution provides for a valuable homestead tax exemption. In general, to qualify for this exemption under Section 196.031 of the Florida Statues, you must have legal or beneficial title to your home and in good faith make the home your “permanent residence” as of January 1^st.  Determining whether you make the home your “permanent residence” can be complicated for those who have multiple homes or sometimes rent the home on occasion.

Posted in Condominium & Homeowner Association Law

Collections practices in Community Association law are largely controlled by Florida Statutes (Section 720.3085  for Homeowners Associations or Section 718.121 for Condominium Associations) as well as adherence to Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and the Association documents such as the Declaration of Covenants. Once courtesy notices have sent to a delinquent owner, accounts should generally be turned over to your attorney for collections. The legal collection process typically starts with a Notice of Intent to Lien being sent to the property owners of record, giving condominium owners thirty (30) days to respond and homeowners association members forty-five (45) days to respond.

Posted in Condominium & Homeowner Association Law

On March 27, 2020, the Secretary of the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (“DBPR”) issued Emergency Order 2020-04 (found here), which clarifies that community associations, including condominium, homeowner and cooperative associations, can exercise the use of emergency powers in light of the Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).