Is Our HOA Keeping Us in the Dark? New Florida Law Says It Can’t

📢 Is Our HOA Communicating the Way Florida Law Now Requires?

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been reviewing how our community (Silver Shores) communicates with homeowners, and comparing that to the updated requirements under
Florida Statutes Chapter 720

What I found raises some important concerns—and opportunities for improvement.

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🧭 How Our HOA Currently Communicates

Today, communication in our community happens in three main ways:

1. 🌐 The HOA Website

• The website exists (https://silver-shores.com), but:
• It is outdated
• Documents are incomplete or duplicated
• Key information is missing

👉 This makes it difficult for homeowners to stay informed or access important records.

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2. 📧 Emails from Property Management

• Emails are sent by KW Property Management & Consulting
• However:
• Most emails are about minor issues or events
• There are no consistent updates about board meetings
• No summaries of decisions or resolutions

👉 Many homeowners may not even realize these emails are official HOA communication.

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3. 📌 Physical Bulletin Board Notices

• Meeting notices are posted on a temporary foam board at the entrance
• Usually, only a few days in advance
• Meetings are held on weekdays around 7 PM

👉 This method is:

• Easy to miss
• Not accessible to everyone
• Not aligned with modern communication standards

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⚖️ What the New Law Requires

Under Florida Statutes Chapter 720

Communities like ours (with 150+ homes) are expected to:

✅ Maintain a Functional Website

• Provide access to:
• Governing documents
• Financials
• Meeting notices

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✅ Properly Notify Homeowners of Meetings

• Notices must be:
• Timely
• Accessible
• Informative

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✅ Improve Transparency

• Homeowners should be able to:
• Know when meetings happen
• Understand what decisions are made
• Access relevant documents easily

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🚨 Where the Gap Is

Right now, our communication system:

• Relies heavily on outdated methods
• Does not fully leverage email for official notices
• Does not provide clear visibility into HOA decisions

👉 This creates a gap between current practice and modern legal expectations

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💡 Better Solutions for Our Community💡

Here are simple, practical improvements that could bring our HOA up to standard:

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🌐 1. Fix and Maintain the Website

• Organize all required documents
• Keep information updated
• Make it easy to navigate

👉 This should be the central source of truth

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📧 2. Use Email for Official Communication

• Send:
• Meeting announcements
• Agendas
• Post-meeting summaries (key decisions)

👉 Email should be used for real HOA business—not just reminders

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📢 3. Improve Meeting Transparency

• Announce meetings earlier
• Clearly state what will be discussed
• Share outcomes after meetings

👉 Homeowners should never feel “out of the loop.”

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📲 4. Combine Digital + Physical Notices

• Keep the bulletin board if needed
• BUT support it with:
• Website updates
• Email notifications

👉 This ensures everyone is reached

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💬 Final Thought💬

This isn’t about criticism—it’s about modernization.

Florida law is moving HOAs toward:
👉 Transparency
👉 Accessibility
👉 Accountability

And as homeowners, we all benefit when communication improves.

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📣 Let’s Stay Informed

If you’re not receiving emails or are unsure how to access HOA information:

• Check your contact details with management
• Visit the HOA website
• Stay engaged with community updates

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🚀 What’s Next

In upcoming posts, I’ll be reviewing:

• HOA document availability
• Use of common areas
• Compliance with new Florida regulations