(1)(a) Within 90 days after being elected or appointed to the board, each director must submit a certificate of having satisfactorily completed the educational curriculum administered by a department-approved education provider.
1. The newly elected or appointed director must complete the department-approved education for newly elected or appointed directors within 90 days after being elected or appointed.
2. The certificate of completion is valid for 1up to 4 years.
3. A director must complete the education specific to newly elected or appointed directors at least every 4 years.
4. The department-approved educational curriculum specific to newly elected or appointed directors must include training relating to financial literacy and transparency, recordkeeping, levying of fines, and notice and meeting requirements.
5. In addition to the educational curriculum specific to newly elected or appointed directors:
a. A director of an association that has fewer than 2,500 parcels must complete at least 4 hours of continuing education annually.
b. A director of an association that has 2,500 parcels or more must complete at least 8 hours of continuing education annually.
(b) A director who does not timely file the educational certificate is suspended from the board until he or she complies with the requirement. The board may temporarily fill the vacancy during the period of suspension.
(c) The association shall retain each director’s educational certificate for inspection by the members for 5 years after the director’s election. However, the failure to have the written certification or educational certificate on file does not affect the validity of any board action.
(d) The department shall adopt rules to implement and administer the educational curriculum and continuing education requirements under this subsection.
(2) If the association enters into a contract or other transaction with any of its directors or a corporation, firm, association that is not an affiliated homeowners’ association, or other entity in which an association director is also a director or officer or is financially interested, the board must:
(b) Enter the disclosures required by s. 617.0832 into the written minutes of the meeting.
(c) Approve the contract or other transaction by an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the directors present.
(d) At the next regular or special meeting of the members, disclose the existence of the contract or other transaction to the members. Upon motion of any member, the contract or transaction shall be brought up for a vote and may be canceled by a majority vote of the members present. If the members cancel the contract, the association is only liable for the reasonable value of goods and services provided up to the time of cancellation and is not liable for any termination fee, liquidated damages, or other penalty for such cancellation.
(3) An officer, a director, or a manager may not solicit, offer to accept, or accept a kickback. As used in this subsection, the term “kickback” means any thing or service of value for which consideration has not been provided for an officer’s, a director’s, or a manager’s benefit or for the benefit of a member of his or her immediate family from any person providing or proposing to provide goods or services to the association. An officer, a director, or a manager who knowingly solicits, offers to accept, or accepts a kickback commits a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084, and is subject to monetary damages under s. 617.0834. If the board finds that an officer or a director has violated this subsection, the board must immediately remove the officer or director from office. The vacancy shall be filled according to law until the end of the officer’s or director’s term of office. However, an officer, a director, or a manager may accept food to be consumed at a business meeting with a value of less than $25 per individual or a service or good received in connection with trade fairs or education programs.
(4)(a) A director or an officer charged by information or indictment with any of the following crimes must be removed from office and a vacancy declared:
1. Forgery of a ballot envelope or voting certificate used in a homeowners’ association election as provided in s. 831.01.
2. Theft or embezzlement involving the association’s funds or property as provided in s. 812.014.
3. Destruction of or the refusal to allow inspection or copying of an official record of a homeowners’ association which is accessible to parcel owners within the time periods required by general law, in furtherance of any crime. Such act constitutes tampering with physical evidence as provided in s. 918.13.
4. Obstruction of justice as provided in chapter 843.
5. Any criminal violation under this chapter.
(b) The board shall fill the vacancy as provided in s. 720.306(9) until the end of the period of the suspension or the end of the director’s term of office, whichever occurs first. If such criminal charge is pending against the officer or director, he or she may not be appointed or elected to a position as an officer or a director of any association and may not have access to the official records of any association, except pursuant to a court order. However, if the charges are resolved without a finding of guilt or without acceptance of a plea of guilty or nolo contendere, the director or officer shall be reinstated for any remainder of his or her term of office.
(5) The association shall maintain insurance or a fidelity bond for all persons who control or disburse funds of the association. The insurance policy or fidelity bond must cover the maximum funds that will be in the custody of the association or its management agent at any one time. As used in this subsection, the term “persons who control or disburse funds of the association” includes, but is not limited to, persons authorized to sign checks on behalf of the association, and the president, secretary, and treasurer of the association. The association shall bear the cost of any insurance or bond. If annually approved by a majority of the voting interests present at a properly called meeting of the association, an association may waive the requirement of obtaining an insurance policy or fidelity bond for all persons who control or disburse funds of the association.
(6)(a) Directors and officers of an association who are appointed by the developer must disclose to the association their relationship to the developer each calendar year in which they serve as a director or an officer. Directors and officers appointed by the developer must disclose any other activity that may reasonably be construed to be a conflict of interest pursuant to paragraph (b). A developer’s appointment of an officer or director does not create a presumption that the officer or director has a conflict of interest with regard to the performance of his or her official duties.
(b) Directors and officers must disclose to the association any activity that may be reasonably construed to be a conflict of interest at least 14 days before voting on an issue or entering into a contract that is the subject of the conflict. A rebuttable presumption of a conflict of interest exists if any of the following acts occur without prior disclosure to the association:
1. A director or an officer, or a relative of a director or an officer, enters into a contract for goods or services with the association.
2. A director or an officer, or a relative of a director or an officer, holds an interest in a corporation, limited liability company, partnership, limited liability partnership, or other business entity that conducts business with the association or proposes to enter into a contract or other transaction with the association.
History.—s. 3, ch. 2013-218; s. 3, ch. 2023-228; s. 4, ch. 2024-221.
1Note.—The word “a” preceding the word “up” was deleted by the editors.
