Blogs & Resources

By: Austin B. Calhoun J.D. 2013

In Jacksonville, Florida, do you have the right to cut down trees on your own property at will? You might be surprised to learn the answer is “no.” Having recognized the vital role trees play in our ecosystem, Jacksonville, Florida has enacted tree removal laws to protect against the over-destruction of trees. In sum, these laws require a permit to remove “protected” trees, require mitigation for removed trees, and empower the city to enforce civil fines and criminal punishment for violation.

Likely not; however, the Court’s recent decision leaves the issue open to interpretation.  On March 7, 2013 the Florida Supreme Court published an opinion limiting the Economic Loss Rule to products liability actions.  Tiara Condominium Ass’n, Inc. v. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc., 38 Fla. L. Weekly S151a, WL 828003 […]

The depressed economy and housing market of the past several years has hit Florida’s timeshare industry especially hard. As unit owners become delinquent on their management fees and default on their payments, timeshare management associations find themselves in a credit crunch due to decreased revenues. Many associations are seeking ways to increase, or simply maintain, their revenue stream. If the association has the capacity and oversight capability, managing its own unit owner exchange program can be an excellent means of creating additional revenue.

Homeowners’ Associations (HOAs) have remedies available, under Florida law, when its residents fail to pay their periodic HOA assessments in a timely manner. One such remedy is a statutory lien pursuant to Chapter 720, Florida Statutes. According to Florida law, when a community is subject to mandatory HOA fees, the HOA has the statutory authority to levy assessments and to secure its claim for any unpaid assessments by placing a lien on the debtor’s property within that community. Fla. Stat. § 720.3085(1).

Ownership of waterfront property is very desirable in Florida and often involves unique real property considerations.  When it comes to private waterfront property ownership, it can be difficult to distinguish where the private land rights cease and the sovereign land ownership begins.  As a result, a subset of real property […]

Under Florida law, it is better for an HOA to charge installment dues over the course of a year rather than allow for a lump sum payment at the beginning of each year. This is because post-petition debts, including post-petition HOA fees, are not dischargeable in a bankruptcy.

For well over a century, Florida’s Constitution has made the homestead exempt from the claims of creditors. Public Health Trust v. Lopez, 531 So. 2d 946, 948 (Fla. 1988). Florida’s constitutional provisions provides one of the most debtor-friendly homestead exemptions in the country, and debtors are permitted to divert substantial assets to the purchase of new and extravagant homes that can be shielded from creditors. Florida’s Unlimited Homestead Exemption Does Have Some Limits: Part I, 77 Fla. Bar J. 60 (2003). There are, however, exceptions to the rule. This blog post will focus on one exception: the creditor’s ability to collect on homestead property located in a municipality that exceeds one-half acre.

Contract reformation is an equitable remedy that acts to correct an error not in the parties’ agreement but in the writing that constitutes the embodiment of that agreement. It is designed to correct a defective or erroneous instrument so that it reflects the true terms of the agreement that the parties actually reached and, at its essence, acts to correct an error not in the parties’ agreement but in the writing that constitutes the embodiment of that agreement. The doctrine has evolved such that if a document is to be reformed, it should reflect the true intention of the parties. Florida courts employ this equitable measure in order to preserve the sanctity of the contracting parties’ negotiations and the spirit of the deal.

Recently, we encountered a case reminiscent of a typical law school real property class hypothetical. Our experience with its prosecution inspired me to write a refresher on the law in this area for our readers. Our experience confirmed how we likely stood up in class and answered as a 1L- one spouse cannot transfer ownership of the marital homestead away from the other spouse without notice and permission from both spouses.

A tax deed is a written instrument which transfers title to real property from the nonpayment of property taxes. Black’s Law Dictionary (9th ed. 2009). Tax collection, tax deed sales and tax liens are governed in Florida by Chapter 197 of Florida Statutes and specifically section 197.522 illustrates the validity […]