TAHITI BEACH HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION, INC., APPELLANT,
v.
WENDELL G. PFEFFER AND LETICIA ALBARRAN PFEFFER, APPELLEES
AI-generated. These summaries, headnotes, and key points are machine-generated and may contain errors or omissions. Always verify against the full opinion text below. Not legal advice.
The Third District Court of Appeal affirmed a summary judgment in favor of homeowners Pfeffer against Tahiti Beach Homeowners Association's foreclosure action on a $285,000 fine. The court held that Florida Statute § 720.305(2), enacted in 1995 and governing the imposition of fines by homeowners' associations, applies retroactively to a homesite construction rule adopted in 1993-1994, affecting violations occurring in 2007-2009.
Yes. Section 720.305(2) applies retroactively because the statute is procedural and remedial in nature, not substantive. Procedural and remedial statutes operate retrospectively to all pending proceedings unless the legislation expressly provides otherwise, which this statute does not.
[1] Statutes relating to remedies or procedure, including forfeitures, operate retrospectively and apply to pending proceedings, including matters on appeal, under the law in…
[2] Amendments to statutes concerning remedies or procedure are applicable to actions that arose before the effective date of the amendment, unless the legislation expressly…
Previewing 2 of 4 headnotes on this case. FLexlaw’s editorially structured points of law — every proposition, pinpointed — are reserved for members.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligence“statutes relating to remedies or procedure and including forfeitures operate retrospectively in the sense that all pending proceedings, including matters on appeal, are determined under the law in effect at the time of decision rather than that in effect when the cause of action arose or some earlier time”
Establishes the foundational principle that procedural and remedial statutes apply retroactively to all pending proceedings.
Previewing 1 of 3 key quotes on this case — the court’s exact language, pinpointed for members.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceTahiti Beach Homeowners Association imposed a $285,000 fine against the Pfeffers for alleged violation of a Homesite Construction Rule requiring compl…
The full statement of facts, procedural history, and disposition for this case are member content.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligence© FLexlaw, Inc. — AI-generated enrichments are proprietary. All rights reserved.
Explore caselaw by topic → Browse Substantive Rights cases and more on FLexlaw
Tahiti Beach Homeowners Association, Inc., appeals a partial final summary judgment in favor of Mr. and Mrs. Pfeffer regarding the Association’s complaint to foreclose a lien for a $285,000 fine. The fine, imposed for the alleged violation of a “Homesite Construction Rule,”1 did not *809meet the requirements of section 720.305(2), Florida Statutes (2007), regulating the imposition of fines by homeowners’ associations.
The issue for decision below and here is a question of law: does the statute, enacted in 1995, apply to the Homesite Construction Rule, adopted by the Association in 1993 or 1994, with respect to alleged violations of the Rule occurring 2007-09? We answer the question in the affirmative.
The caption to section 720.305 is “Obligations of members; remedies at law or in equity; levy of fines and suspension of use rights.” The limitations on fines, and the requirements for prior notice and a hearing, imposed by the statute are unquestionably procedural and remedial in nature. In Fogg v. Southeast Bank, N.A., 473 So.2d 1352, 1353 (Fla. 4th DCA 1985), the Fourth District observed that “statutes relating to remedies or procedure and including forfeitures operate retrospectively in the sense that all pending proceedings, including matters on appeal, are determined under the law in effect at the time of decision rather than that in effect when the cause of action arose or some earlier time.” This Court followed Fogg in Riano v. Burchfield, 512 So.2d 1121 (Fla. 3d DCA 1987), holding that a legislative amendment eliminating a penalty (and lacking a provision expressly limiting the application of the amendment to contracts entered into after the effective date) is applicable to contracts entered into before the effective date of the amendment. In the case of such amendments — but not in the case of amendments affecting or impairing substantive rights — retrospective application is required unless the legislation itself provides otherwise. Here, the pertinent amendments to section 720.305 did not specify that they would only be applicable to homeowners’ association documents entered into after the effective date of the legislation.
These conclusions of law take the case out of the constitutional analysis advanced by the Association. Because penal, remedial, and procedural issues were addressed in the legislation (rather than vested, substantive rights), this record presents no constitutional issue. Nor do we find any merit in the Association’s challenge to the trial court’s ruling that “the Association, as a defense to the counterclaim, never raised the defense of waiver.” A review of the pleadings confirms that the trial court was correct on this point as well.
Affirmed.
Cases With Similar Vibessemantic neighbors from the corpus
Citator
Cited By
-
Geico Indem. Co. v. Gables Ins. Recovery Inc (11th Cir. Ct. App. Div. 2013)
Authorities Cited
- E.C. Fogg, III v. Se. Bank, N.A., 473 So. 2d 1352 (Fla. 4th DCA 1985)
- Riano v. Burchfield, 512 So. 2d 1121 (Fla. 3d DCA 1987)