For Northwest Florida homeowners associations, a well-documented violation does not excuse a defective fine-hearing process. Before sending a notice, the board and manager should confirm the hearing calendar, the recipient information, the proposed cure, and the committee’s eligibility. A collection file should show compliance with the procedure as well as the condition that prompted enforcement.
The limited Dwork lesson
Dwork v. Executive Estates of Boynton Beach Homeowners Association is associated with strict compliance with the fourteen-day written-notice requirement. That principle is expressly recognized in a later official Florida appellate opinion, case 2D2026-0389, which cites Dwork for rejecting substantial compliance where section 720.305(2)(b) states an unambiguous notice requirement without an exception.
This article relies on that verified later judicial treatment and the current statute. It does not reconstruct the original case’s mailing chronology, calculate a deadline for a pending dispute, or suggest that the 2017 version of the statute supplies today’s entire procedure.
Use the current hearing sequence
Current section 720.305(2) requires at least fourteen days’ written notice of the right to a hearing. The hearing must occur within ninety days after issuance of the notice, before an eligible committee of at least three members. The notice must describe the violation, any required cure, and the hearing details, including electronic access information where applicable.
The committee confirms or rejects the proposed fine or suspension. Written findings are required within seven days after the hearing. A violation cured before the hearing, or as specified in the required notice, cannot support imposition of the fine or suspension. Where an uncured violation and fine are approved, the payment date must be at least thirty days after delivery of the findings notice. These are separate steps, not one combined fourteen-day countdown.
A practical board checklist
- Check the association’s current enforcement policy against the statute before reusing an old form. Assign responsibility for reviewing updates rather than assuming a familiar template remains correct.
- Confirm the owner’s designated contact information and identify other people entitled to notice. Keep a copy of exactly what was sent, with supporting transmission or mailing documentation.
- Have a second person check the proposed hearing date and notice content. Ask counsel to resolve counting or delivery questions before sending a borderline notice.
- Document committee eligibility and keep the committee’s decision separate from the board’s proposal. Prepare a findings form that records what was approved, rejected, or cured.
- Schedule a pre-hearing condition check and preserve the evidence. Update the account promptly when a violation is cured rather than letting an automated fine continue unnoticed.
Do not transfer this HOA procedure into a condominium fine letter without checking Chapter 718. Also keep violation fines distinct from assessment collections and delinquency-related suspensions. Each presents different statutory questions. Clear records make the process easier to explain to owners and give counsel a usable file if a dispute develops.
Reviewed November 4, 2026. Educational information only; obtain association-specific legal advice before acting.