The Purpose Of The HOA

What is the purpose of the HOA?

The HOA is a Florida non-profit organization formed and legally responsible for owning, managing, and maintaining the common areas in our community. These areas are shown and described on the Community Map. The HOA also levies assessments to pay for the common areas and can enforce other covenants, conditions, and restrictions as detailed in the Declaration of Easements, Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions (CCR) and other governing documents. Some examples of the common areas that the HOA is responsible for include lots surrounding the entries to the neighborhood, lawn fertilizer and weed control, irrigation systems and water usage, mowing of common areas, electricity to run the irrigation system, the water feature at the corner of Formosa Gardens Blvd and Livingston Rd, the fountain in Golden Pond, the security cameras at the entryways, the hundreds of feet of the brick wall surrounding the neighborhood, insurance covering common areas including damage and liability coverage, and the landscaping of common entrances and along the brick walls. Membership in the HOA and payment of dues are built into the deeds of all properties in the community. Upon purchasing a property in the community, owners are legally bound to the duties, obligations, and standards detailed in the HOA documents. It is not optional. Failure to pay dues to the HOA can result in collections actions up to and including foreclosure and the loss of the property by the owners. The HOA is not responsible for everything that exists or happens in the neighborhood. 

What are some areas that are not the responsibility of the HOA?

• Street lights within the neighborhood are funded by a special tax district paid for in Osceola County property taxes. Duke Energy is responsible for the maintenance of those street lights.
• Road maintenance is the responsibility of Osceola County, as the roads are owned and maintained by the County through tax funding. This includes enforcing Osceola County traffic (e.g., speed limits, street signs, etc.) and parking ordinances.
• Street Drainage and the system of ponds and wetlands in the neighborhood are owned by, and the responsibility of Osceola County is paid for through tax funding.
• Drainage Ponds and the areas around the ponds are County property. The County is responsible for pond maintenance, including mowing the grass surrounding the ponds.

What is the purpose of the HOA's Board of Directors?

The Board of Directors of the HOA is made up of volunteer elected and appointed individuals. The HOA does not pay the Directors. The Board meets annually and as needed to conduct Board business, including but not limited to levying assessments, approving expenditures, reviewing vendor contracts, performance, and costs, ensuring legal compliance, and enforcing community standards.

What is the purpose of a Board of Directors Meeting? What should I expect if I join a meeting?

Board meetings must adhere to formal, legally mandated procedures. Procedures may seem complex or arcane but are required and commonly used in similar organizations and many parts of government. Business before the Board is specified in an Agenda before meetings, and critical decisions and actions are detailed after a meeting in Meeting Minutes. Board Meetings may or may not include time for attendees to make comments. Typically, items not on the agenda cannot be discussed. 

What is the process for filling a vacancy in the Board of Directors outside of an election:

"The remaining directors shall fill vacancies in the Board of Directors at a special meeting called for that purpose, and a director so elected shall serve until the next annual meeting of the Corporation."