How do condo assessments, liens and collections work in Florida?
Condominium owners share the building's common expenses and must pay assessments set by the association's budget. When an owner doesn't pay, the unpaid assessments (plus interest, late fees, and costs) become a lien on the unit that the association can ultimately foreclose. A new owner and the prior owner can be jointly liable for unpaid amounts that came due before a transfer.
At a sale or refinance, the association issues an estoppel certificate stating exactly what is owed so the closing can pay it off. The estoppel process — its deadline, fee caps, and binding effect — is covered on the resale & estoppel page.
What §§ 718.115–.116 says, section by section
| Section | Plain-English translation | Citation |
|---|---|---|
| § 718.115 | Defines common expenses and how they're shared among units (per the declaration); rules on who pays for what. | § 718.115 |
| § 718.116(1) | Owner (and, jointly, a new owner) is liable for assessments coming due while they own the unit; limits on a first-mortgagee's liability on foreclosure. | § 718.116(1) |
| § 718.116(3), (5)–(6) | Assessment lien ((5)); interest, administrative late fee, costs and attorney's fees ((3)); foreclosure, including the 45-day notice of intent to foreclose before judgment ((6)(b)). | § 718.116(3), (5)–(6) |
| § 718.121(5)–(6) | The pre-lien ladder lives here, not in § 718.116: a 30-day notice of late assessment before attorney fees ((5)), and a 45-day notice of intent to file a lien before recording ((6)). | § 718.121(5)–(6) |
| § 718.116(8) | Estoppel certificate — 10 business days, fee caps, binding effect (detail on the resale page). | § 718.116(8) |