Andres v. Indian Creek Phase III-B Homeowner's Ass'n

901 So. 2d 182, 2005 Fla. App. LEXIS 3891, 2005 WL 662679
CourtDistrict Court of Appeal of Florida
DecidedMarch 23, 2005
DocketNo. 4D03-3641
StatusPublished

This text of 901 So. 2d 182 (Andres v. Indian Creek Phase III-B Homeowner's Ass'n) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court of Appeal of Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Andres v. Indian Creek Phase III-B Homeowner's Ass'n, 901 So. 2d 182, 2005 Fla. App. LEXIS 3891, 2005 WL 662679 (Fla. Ct. App. 2005).

Opinion

HAZOURI, J.

George and Anna Andres (the Andreses) appeal from a Final Judgment granting foreclosure of their home upon suit by Indian Creek Phase III-B Homeowner’s Association, Inc. (Indian Creek). We reverse.

The Andreses were found to have violated Indian Creek’s covenants by erecting a flag pole on their property to fly the American flag. Indian Creek sued the Andreses and prevailed, forcing them to remove the flag pole. Indian Creek now seeks to foreclose upon the Andreses’ home to pay for the attorneys’ fees Indian Creek incurred as a result of its lawsuit. The Andreses assert this basis for foreclosure is preempted by the Florida Constitution which exempts homestead property [183]*183from a forced sale except in very limited circumstances. We agree.

Article X, section 4 of the Florida Constitution provides:

(a) There shall be exempt from forced sale under process of any court, and no judgment, decree or execution shall be a lien thereon, except for the payment of taxes and assessments thereon, obligations contracted for the purchase, improvement or repair thereof, or obligations contracted for house, field or other labor performed on the realty, the following property owned by a natural person:
(1) a homestead, if located outside a municipality, to the extent of one hundred sixty acres of contiguous land and improvements thereon ... or if located within a municipality, to the extent of one-half acre of contiguous land ... [.]

Judgments for attorneys’ fees, like other judgments falling outside the specified constitutional exceptions, cannot be enforced by forced sale of homestead property. See Dyer v. Beverly & Tittle, P.A., 111 So.2d 1055, 1059 (Fla. 4th DCA 2001) (reversing judgment of foreclosure for nonpayment of attorney fee judgment); Bakst, Cloyd & Bakst, P.A. v. Cole, 750 So.2d 676, 677 (Fla. 4th DCA 1999) (homestead property not subject to attorney’s charging lien).

Indian Creek seeks to overcome this constitutional shield and foreclose upon the Andreses’ homestead property for attorneys’ fees by arguing that Indian Creek’s documents imposed a lien for attorneys’ fees on the Andreses’ property when the documents were first recorded in 1982. Indian Creek asserts that homestead protection does not come into play because the lien for attorneys’ fees existed before the property acquired homestead status and the Andreses took title to the property subject to the lien. As support, Indian Creek cites to Bessemer v. Gersten, 381 So.2d 1344, 1348 (Fla.1980), for the proposition that a properly recorded covenant which runs with the land may create a lien that dates back to the filing of the covenants.

Bessemer involved the issue of whether a developer’s recreation assessment lien could take priority over a property owner’s homestead right. The developer in Bessemer filed a declaration of restrictions which required purchasers to pay a monthly assessment for use of the development’s recreational facilities. The declaration of restrictions stated that the developer “shall have a lien upon such owner’s lot for the aforesaid amount of $10.00 per month until such amount is paid.... ” Id. at 1346.

In 1970, the Gerstens purchased a house and lot from the developer. In 1975, the developer’s successor in interest brought suit to foreclose a lien against the Gerstens for nonpayment of the recreation assessment. The Gerstens argued that their homestead right had priority because the lien could arise only upon nonpayment and, therefore, the lien did not come into existence until after they had taken possession of the house and lot as their homestead.

The supreme court determined that the Gerstens manifested an intent to let the real property stand as security for the recreation assessment obligation when they accepted the deed with actual or constructive notice of the language in the declaration of restrictions. Id. at 1348. It further determined that'“the creation of the lien by acceptance of the deed relates back to the time of the filing of the declaration of restrictions.” Id. Holding that the case should be treated as if the Ger-stens had taken title subject to a preexisting lien, the court ruled that the develop[184]*184er’s lien had priority over the Gerstens’ homestead right.

The trial court in the instant case ruled the same circumstances existed here. The lien for the attorneys’ fees originated before the property became a homestead.

The trial court set forth in the final judgment the provisions of the documents that supported its decision as follows:

In 1982, the Declaration of Covenants and Conditions and the Bylaws of Indian Creek Phase III-B were recorded in the public records. In 19881 [sic] the property was purchased by the Andres [sic]
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Excerpts from the Declaration, Bylaws and Deed provide:

Bylaws:
Article XII — Violations and Defaults “In the event of a violation (other than nonpayment of an assessment) by an Owner of any of the provisions of the Declarations, Restrictions, the Articles of Incorporation, these Bylaws or the Rules and Regulations of the Corporation, the Corporation after reasonable notice to cure, not to exceed ten (10) days, shall have all rights and remedies provided by law, including without limitation (and such remedies shall or may be cumulative) the right to sue for damages and the right to injunctive relief. In every such proceeding, the Owner shall be liable for court costs and the Corporation’s reasonable attorneys’ fees including attorneys’ fees on appeals.
If the Corporation elects to enforce its lien by foreclosure, the Owner shall be required to pay a reasonable rent for this Lot during litigation and the Corporation shall be entitled to the appointment of a receiver to collect such rent. A suit to collect unpaid assessments may be prosecuted by the Corporation without waiving the lien securing such unpaid assessments. (Emphasis added.)
Declarations of Covenants and Conditions:
Article V, Section 1 “Creation of a Lien and Personal Obligation of Assessments” provides that:
Declarant, for each Lot owned within the Properties, hereby covenants, and for each Owner by acceptance of a deed therefor, whether or not it shall be so expressed in such deed, is deemed to covenant and agree to pay the Phase III B Association: (1) Annual assessments as hereinafter defined; (2) Special assessments, not otherwise herein contained, against any particular Lot which are established, pursuant to the terms of this Declaration or pursuant to the terms of the Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws of Phase III B Association or of the Community Association; and (3) All excise taxes, if any, which may be imposed on all or any portion of the foregoing by law. All such assessments, together with interest and all costs and expenses of collection, including reasonable attorneys’ fees and appellate attorneys’ fees, shall be a charge on the Lot and shall be a continuing lien upon the property against which each assessment is made. (Emphasis added.)

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Related

Palma v. Townhomes of Oriole Ass'n
610 So. 2d 112 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 1992)
Bakst, Cloyd & Bakst, PA v. Cole
750 So. 2d 676 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 1999)
Bessemer v. Gersten
381 So. 2d 1344 (Supreme Court of Florida, 1980)
Zerquera v. Centennial Homeowners' Ass'n
752 So. 2d 694 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 2000)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
901 So. 2d 182, 2005 Fla. App. LEXIS 3891, 2005 WL 662679, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/andres-v-indian-creek-phase-iii-b-homeowners-assn-fladistctapp-2005.