The Florida Senate

719.104  Cooperatives; access to units; records; financial reports; assessments; purchase of leases.--

(1)  RIGHT OF ACCESS TO UNITS.--The association has the irrevocable right of access to each unit from time to time during reasonable hours when necessary for the maintenance, repair, or replacement of any structural components of the building or of any mechanical, electrical, or plumbing elements necessary to prevent damage to the building or to another unit.

(2)  OFFICIAL RECORDS.--

(a)  From the inception of the association, the association shall maintain a copy of each of the following, where applicable, which shall constitute the official records of the association:

1.  The plans, permits, warranties, and other items provided by the developer pursuant to s. 719.301(4).

2.  A photocopy of the cooperative documents.

3.  A copy of the current rules of the association.

4.  A book or books containing the minutes of all meetings of the association, of the board of directors, and of the unit owners, which minutes shall be retained for a period of not less than 7 years.

5.  A current roster of all unit owners and their mailing addresses, unit identifications, voting certifications, and, if known, telephone numbers. The association shall also maintain the electronic mailing addresses and the numbers designated by unit owners for receiving notice sent by electronic transmission of those unit owners consenting to receive notice by electronic transmission. The electronic mailing addresses and numbers provided by unit owners to receive notice by electronic transmission shall be removed from association records when consent to receive notice by electronic transmission is revoked. However, the association is not liable for an erroneous disclosure of the electronic mail address or the number for receiving electronic transmission of notices.

6.  All current insurance policies of the association.

7.  A current copy of any management agreement, lease, or other contract to which the association is a party or under which the association or the unit owners have an obligation or responsibility.

8.  Bills of sale or transfer for all property owned by the association.

9.  Accounting records for the association and separate accounting records for each unit it operates, according to good accounting practices. All accounting records shall be maintained for a period of not less than 7 years. The accounting records shall include, but not be limited to:

a.  Accurate, itemized, and detailed records of all receipts and expenditures.

b.  A current account and a monthly, bimonthly, or quarterly statement of the account for each unit designating the name of the unit owner, the due date and amount of each assessment, the amount paid upon the account, and the balance due.

c.  All audits, reviews, accounting statements, and financial reports of the association.

d.  All contracts for work to be performed. Bids for work to be performed shall also be considered official records and shall be maintained for a period of 1 year.

10.  Ballots, sign-in sheets, voting proxies, and all other papers relating to voting by unit owners, which shall be maintained for a period of 1 year after the date of the election, vote, or meeting to which the document relates.

11.  All rental records where the association is acting as agent for the rental of units.

12.  A copy of the current question and answer sheet as described in s. 719.504

13.  All other records of the association not specifically included in the foregoing which are related to the operation of the association.

(b)  The official records of the association shall be maintained within the state. The records of the association shall be made available to a unit owner within 5 working days after receipt of written request by the board or its designee. This paragraph may be complied with by having a copy of the official records available for inspection or copying on the cooperative property.

(c)  The official records of the association shall be open to inspection by any association member or the authorized representative of such member at all reasonable times. Failure to permit inspection of the association records as provided herein entitles any person prevailing in an enforcement action to recover reasonable attorney's fees from the person in control of the records who, directly or indirectly, knowingly denies access to the records for inspection. The right to inspect the records includes the right to make or obtain copies, at the reasonable expense, if any, of the association member. The association may adopt reasonable rules regarding the frequency, time, location, notice, and manner of record inspections and copying. The failure of an association to provide the records within 10 working days after receipt of a written request creates a rebuttable presumption that the association willfully failed to comply with this paragraph. A unit owner who is denied access to official records is entitled to the actual damages or minimum damages for the association's willful failure to comply with this paragraph. The minimum damages shall be $50 per calendar day up to 10 days, the calculation to begin on the 11th day after receipt of the written request. The association shall maintain an adequate number of copies of the declaration, articles of incorporation, bylaws, and rules, and all amendments to each of the foregoing, as well as the question and answer sheet provided for in s. 719.504, on the cooperative property to ensure their availability to unit owners and prospective purchasers, and may charge its actual costs for preparing and furnishing these documents to those requesting the same. Notwithstanding the provisions of this paragraph, the following records shall not be accessible to unit owners:

1.  A record that was prepared by an association attorney or prepared at the attorney's express direction; that reflects a mental impression, conclusion, litigation strategy, or legal theory of the attorney or the association; or that was prepared exclusively for civil or criminal litigation or for adversarial administrative proceedings or in anticipation of imminent civil or criminal litigation or imminent adversarial administrative proceedings, until the conclusion of the litigation or adversarial administrative proceedings.

2.  Information obtained by an association in connection with the approval of the lease, sale, or other transfer of a unit.

3.  Medical records of unit owners.

(d)  The association or its authorized agent shall not be required to provide a prospective purchaser or lienholder with information about the cooperative or association other than the information or documents required by this chapter to be made available or disclosed. The association or its authorized agent shall be entitled to charge a reasonable fee to the prospective purchaser, lienholder, or the current unit owner for its time in providing good faith responses to requests for information by or on behalf of a prospective purchaser or lienholder, other than that required by law, provided that such fee shall not exceed $150 plus the reasonable cost of photocopying and any attorney's fees incurred by the association in connection with the association's response.

(3)  INSURANCE.--The association shall use its best efforts to obtain and maintain adequate insurance to protect the association property. The association may also obtain and maintain liability insurance for directors and officers, insurance for the benefit of association employees, and flood insurance. A copy of each policy of insurance in effect shall be made available for inspection by unit owners at reasonable times.

(4)  FINANCIAL REPORT.--

(a)  Within 60 days following the end of the fiscal or calendar year or annually on such date as is otherwise provided in the bylaws of the association, the board of administration of the association shall mail or furnish by personal delivery to each unit owner a complete financial report of actual receipts and expenditures for the previous 12 months, or a complete set of financial statements for the preceding fiscal year prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting procedures. The report shall show the amounts of receipts by accounts and receipt classifications and shall show the amounts of expenses by accounts and expense classifications including, if applicable, but not limited to, the following:

1.  Costs for security;

2.  Professional and management fees and expenses;

3.  Taxes;

4.  Costs for recreation facilities;

5.  Expenses for refuse collection and utility services;

6.  Expenses for lawn care;

7.  Costs for building maintenance and repair;

8.  Insurance costs;

9.  Administrative and salary expenses; and

10.  Reserves for capital expenditures, deferred maintenance, and any other category for which the association maintains a reserve account or accounts.

(b)  The division shall adopt rules that may require that the association deliver to the unit owners, in lieu of the financial report required by this section, a complete set of financial statements for the preceding fiscal year. The financial statements shall be delivered within 90 days following the end of the previous fiscal year or annually on such other date as provided in the bylaws. The rules of the division may require that the financial statements be compiled, reviewed, or audited, and the rules shall take into consideration the criteria set forth in s. 719.501(1)(j). The requirement to have the financial statements compiled, reviewed, or audited does not apply to associations if a majority of the voting interests of the association present at a duly called meeting of the association have determined for a fiscal year to waive this requirement. In an association in which turnover of control by the developer has not occurred, the developer may vote to waive the audit requirement for the first 2 years of the operation of the association, after which time waiver of an applicable audit requirement shall be by a majority of voting interests other than the developer. The meeting shall be held prior to the end of the fiscal year, and the waiver shall be effective for only one fiscal year. This subsection does not apply to a cooperative that consists of 50 or fewer units.

(5)  ASSESSMENTS.--The association has the power to make and collect assessments and to lease, maintain, repair, and replace the common areas. However, the association may not charge a use fee against the unit owner for the use of common areas unless otherwise provided for in the cooperative documents or by a majority vote of the association or unless the charges relate to expenses incurred by an owner having exclusive use of common areas.

(6)  PURCHASE OF LEASES.--The association has the power to purchase any land or recreation lease upon the approval of such voting interest as is required by the cooperative documents. If the cooperative documents make no provision for acquisition of the land or recreational lease, the vote required is that required to amend the cooperative documents to permit the acquisition.

(7)  COMMINGLING.--All funds shall be maintained separately in the association's name. Reserve and operating funds of the association shall not be commingled unless combined for investment purposes. This subsection is not meant to prohibit prudent investment of association funds even if combined with operating or other reserve funds of the same association, but such funds must be accounted for separately, and the combined account balance may not, at any time, be less than the amount identified as reserve funds in the combined account. No manager or business entity required to be licensed or registered under s. 468.432, or an agent, employee, officer, or director of a cooperative association may commingle any association funds with his or her own funds or with the funds of any other cooperative association or community association as defined in s. 468.431

(8)  CORPORATE ENTITY.--

(a)  The officers and directors of the association have a fiduciary relationship to the unit owners. An officer, director, or manager may not solicit, offer to accept, or accept any thing or service of value for which consideration has not been provided for his or her own benefit or that of his or her immediate family, from any person providing or proposing to provide goods or services to the association. Any such officer, director, or manager who knowingly solicits, offers to accept, or accepts any thing or service of value is subject to a civil penalty pursuant to s. 719.501(1)(d). However, this paragraph does not prohibit an officer, director, or manager from accepting services or items received in connection with trade fairs or education programs.

(b)  A director of the association who is present at a meeting of its board at which action on any corporate matter is taken is presumed to have assented to the action taken unless the director votes against such action or abstains from voting in respect thereto because of an asserted conflict of interest. Directors may not vote by proxy or by secret ballot at board meetings, except that officers may be elected by secret ballot. A vote or abstention for each member present shall be recorded in the minutes.

(c)  A unit owner does not have any authority to act for the association by reason of being a unit owner.

(9)  EASEMENTS.--Unless prohibited by the cooperative documents, the board of administration has the authority, without the joinder of any unit owner, to grant, modify, or move any easement, if the easement constitutes part of or crosses the common areas or association property. This subsection does not authorize the board of administration to modify, move, or vacate any easement created in whole or in part for the use or benefit of anyone other than the unit owners, or crossing the property of anyone other than the unit owners, without the consent or approval of those other persons having the use or benefit of the easement, as required by law or by the instrument creating the easement.

(10)  POWERS AND DUTIES.--The powers and duties of the association include those set forth in this section and, except as expressly limited or restricted in this chapter, those set forth in the articles of incorporation and bylaws and chapters 607 and 617, as applicable.

(11)  NOTIFICATION OF DIVISION.--When the board of directors intends to dissolve or merge the cooperative association, the board shall so notify the division before taking any action to dissolve or merge the cooperative association.

History.--s. 2, ch. 76-222; s. 1, ch. 77-174; s. 1, ch. 79-284; s. 12, ch. 86-175; s. 18, ch. 92-49; s. 2, ch. 94-77; s. 236, ch. 94-218; s. 42, ch. 95-274; s. 875, ch. 97-102; s. 10, ch. 98-322; s. 7, ch. 99-382; s. 8, ch. 2003-14.