Over the past several years, all of Florida’s community association statutes have been amended to require that board members be “certified.” 

 

Newly elected or appointed board members must, within ninety (90) days of being seated on the board, sign a form, that provides that the board member has read the association’s governing documents, and that such board member will work to uphold such documents to the best of his or her ability. Further, the board member must agree that he or she will faithfully discharge his or her fiduciary duty to the association’s members.

 

In lieu of signing this written certification, a newly elected or appointed director may instead provide a certificate demonstrating that they have satisfactorily completed an approved educational course. A prospective board member can attend and complete such an educational course up to one year in advance of taking a seat on the board.

 

In the event that a board member fails to either complete an educational course or sign the required form within ninety days of their election or appointment to the board, such board member is suspended from service on the board until they complete the requirement.

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State Officials are hoping this change will help communities on many different levels. They expect that the increased knowledge of board members may help with handling disputes and making decisions for the community. They also believe it will help communities to stay more abreast of current legislation relating to their associations. Sometimes communities can fall behind current state codes, and then they may face projects they were not ready for. These special projects can lead to unforeseen costs that could have been better prepared for.

Association Educators is offering FREE seminars to certify community

Board Members!

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Click below to see what we have to offer.

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