JUPITER, Fla. — As Florida lawmakers mull over whether to get rid of Florida HOA's entirely, residents are speaking out about it.
On Wednesday, we spoke with a former HOA president who wonders about their effectiveness over time.
WATCH BELOW: Former HOA president says he wants to dissolve the one in his community:
Ed Clark moved to the community of Jupiter Village in 1980 and has spent decades on the board of his homeowners association, including as president.
"We've got a lot of good neighbors," Clark said.
When he spoke with WPTV in Juno Beach this summer, the interaction we had with him stood out.
"So would you like to see the HOA dissolve?" WPTV reporter Jon Shainman asked.
"Sure. Is that feasible? I don't think so," replied Clark.
Clark showed us around his 747-unit community, a mix of single-family and multi-family units.
"There's an application there for an HOA because you have units connected together, you have common roofs," Clark said while pointing at the multi-family units.
He said his fees aren't exorbitant, but he gets no lawn or home maintenance in his neighborhood.
"If it needs painting, if it needs a new roof, a new door ... it's all on me," Clark said.
State
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WPTV spoke with HOA attorney Brennan Grogan with the Florida Association Attorneys, who said it's important to read over, or have someone translate for you, the community's governing documents, usually four different sets.
"That will explain the relationship between the homeowner and the association," Grogan said.
Grogan said there are pros and cons to moving into an HOA-governed development.
"Your property values are going to be protected when certain rules are being enforced to ensure that the properties appear well," Grogan said.
We asked Grogan about Clark's thoughts on dissolving an HOA.
He said HOAs can expire after 30 years if they don't renew their paperwork, but dissolving an HOA is easier said than done.
"The law is very difficult. It's almost impossible to terminate your community. It's generally a significant amount, if not 100% of the community would have to vote to terminate and then have a plan as to how are we going to resolve the common property," Grogan said.
Clark said he may move to Central Florida at some point to be closer to his kids.
He said the one requirement of his new home would be that there's no HOA.
