A NEW law has limited an HOA’s power to dictate which cars can be parked in residents’ driveways, and neighbors are overjoyed.
Starting July 1, HOAs in Florida will no longer have the power to prevent homeowners from parking pickup trucks or work trucks in their private driveways.
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At Lakewood Ranch, located in Tampa, it was revealed that many of the community members have vehicles that were previously prohibited from parking in the garage overnight.
“It’s not uncommon for people to drive up in a pickup truck and say, ‘Wait a minute. I didn’t understand. Is there a way around this? ‘”Mike Miller, a former board member, told local ABC affiliate WFT.
He told the station that the HOA never relented, forcing homeowners to find another place to park their trucks.
But now, residents only have to wait a few more days before they can park their vehicles.
Governor Ron DeSantis officially signed HB 1203 into Florida law on May 31, changing the way HOA fees are imposed and records are kept.
Under this new law, the only vehicles that HOAs have the right to ban are trucks that weigh more than 26,000 pounds with “official insignia” and “visible designations.”
Resident Prisco Solis, who works installing roofs, had previously criticized his HOA for the ban.
“You have to pay for the HOA somehow. How are you going to get to work if you don’t have a vehicle?” Solis said.
Commissioner Ray Turner also hinted that previous HOA rules were outdated.
“My problem with pickup trucks is that they are now luxury vehicles,” he said The Watcher.
“When these CDDs and HOAs were formed early on, these pickup trucks weren’t exactly what they are today, so there’s going to need to be some flexibility because in a lot of cases, it’s not a work truck for people. “
RESIDENTS’ PROBLEMS
Not everyone is happy about HB 1203 taking effect next month.
Miller explained that he thinks the law is too vague and could negatively affect his community.
“It says vehicle. So it could be a trailer. It could be a bus. It could be anything someone drives and considers their personal vehicle,” he said. “It could be a monster truck.”
Florida HOA Application
Here is more information about House Bill 1203, Florida’s new HOA regulation:
Florida has placed a number of guardrails around the enforcement of HOA fines.
Here’s a list of changes homeowners will see by July 1:
- HOAs can no longer restrict personal vehicle parking if they follow state regulations
- Associations must give adequate warnings for infractions such as trash removal and holiday light displays
- HOAs must keep official records of meetings
- High-ranking HOA officials are subject to criminal prosecution if they accept bribes
- Associations with more than 100 units must publish public information on their website
The law will have the greatest impact on pickup truck drivers and emergency vehicle operators.
HOAs will not be able to issue fines to pickup truck drivers who park their vehicles in the garage.
The law also prohibits associations from fining property owners for parking emergency vehicles.
“The community really loses all control and capacity for self-management.”
He also expressed concern about how it will affect other people who have been fined recently.
“The lady said there is a new state law that will go into effect in July that will allow me to park a pickup truck [in her driveway]so I don’t think the HOA should fine me now,” Miller recalled.
“We’re looking around and saying, ‘What?’ We have a team of HOA certified professionals.
“We have lawyers who presumably are aware of pending legislation.
“I’ve talked to people in other communities and it’s the same story – they’ve never heard of it.”
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
