Basics surrounding HOA election challenges
The Leger
By Dan Rich
14 June 2017

Few things generate more animosity and drama within a homeowners association than contested board-of-director elections.

This tension might result in residents seeking legal action against the HOA in the form of an election contest. Sadly, most HOA residents have zero clue about the rules regarding an election contest.

Florida law states that any election dispute or challenge in the homeowners association context must be submitted to mandatory arbitration with the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation.

The window for submitting an election contest is not open for long. Instead, Florida law provides that any person who wishes to challenge an HOA election must file their petition for arbitration within 60 days of the election results being announced. The announcement almost always occurs at the election itself, which means that the clock starts ticking the second the meeting concludes.

Florida law goes on to provide that prior to filing an arbitration petition with DBPR, the resident must also provide his or her HOA with the following:

•	Advanced written notice of the specifics regarding the dispute.
•	A written demand for relief, and a reasonable time for the HOA to provide said relief.
•	Notice of the resident’s intent to file an arbitration petition in the absence of a resolution.

If the resident fails to comply with these three requirements, then DBPR will be forced to dismiss the election challenge.

Often, the “written notice of the specifics regarding the dispute” is initially founded upon rumors, hearsay and mere hunches. To avoid basing your HOA election challenge on speculation, it is recommended that the disgruntled resident investigate the accuracy of the information prior to filing the arbitration petition with DBPR.

You may be asking yourself, why should I take the time to investigate? This answer is simple. Florida law provides that the prevailing party in a DBPR election contest is entitled to recover from the losing party all of his or her attorneys’ fees and costs.

To minimize this risk, Florida law provides that any resident of a HOA can inspect the official records of the association. Florida law mandates that election materials, such as ballots, proxies and the sign-in sheet be preserved for inspection by residents who request to review the documentation. Once a request is submitted, the HOA must make all requested materials available within 10 days. Then, the requestor must take time to review the documents, which often requires a time commitment based on the sheer amount of papers involved.

The importance of confirming the basis for any election challenge is imperative, but it narrows the 60-day timeframe that a resident has to file a petition. That’s why I recommend that a resident seeking to challenge an HOA election, or an HOA facing an election challenge itself, seek the advice of a knowledgeable lawyer who can help navigate the complexities of an election challenge under Florida law.

Dan Rich is an lawyer with the law firm Clark, Campbell, Lancaster & Munson, P.A. in Lakeland. Questions can be submitted to thelaw@cclmlaw.com.

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