Selling a Florida Condo With a Special Assessment
Can you sell a Florida condo with a large special assessment? Yes, but the assessment has to be accounted for. Florida unit owners are personally liable for assessments that come due while they own the unit, and a buyer becomes jointly liable for any unpaid amounts at transfer, so the estoppel certificate and the contract must say who pays what. We buy condos with pending or levied assessments for cash.
Many of these assessments follow Florida’s post-Surfside condominium safety laws, which require milestone structural inspections and structural integrity reserve studies for older buildings three or more habitable stories tall. The rules are general and changing; check your association’s notices and the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation for current details.
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Assessment handled at closing
Levied installments can be paid from proceeds or credited, as the contract states, so nothing is left hanging.
Lender approval not needed
Buildings with pending repairs can be hard to finance. Our cash purchase does not depend on a lender approving the building.
Association documents reviewed
Milestone reports, reserve studies, budgets and board minutes are read before we commit to a number.
Seasonal owners welcome
If you live elsewhere part of the year, access and signing can be arranged without a trip back.
Milestone inspections, reserve studies and who pays the assessment
Section 553.899 of the Florida Statutes requires a milestone inspection for residential condominium and cooperative buildings three or more habitable stories tall, by December 31 of the year the building turns 30 and every 10 years after that; local officials may require it earlier based on local conditions. Section 718.112 requires those buildings to have a structural integrity reserve study at least every 10 years covering items such as the roof, structure, fireproofing, plumbing, electrical, waterproofing and windows. When an inspection finds repairs, or a study shows reserves are short, associations often fund the gap with a special assessment or a loan.
Under section 718.116, an owner is liable for assessments that come due while they own the unit, and a new owner is jointly and severally liable with the previous owner for unpaid assessments up to the transfer. In practice the title company orders an estoppel certificate, which the association must issue within 10 business days of a request, and that certificate shows what is owed and what has been levied. Standard Florida contract forms allocate assessments based on when they were levied or imposed, so read that clause carefully.
Large assessments, pending repairs or thin reserves can also make it hard for a buyer to get a mortgage on a unit in the building, which shrinks the retail market. A cash purchase does not depend on lender approval of the building. We review the inspection report, reserve study, budget, minutes and estoppel, then make a written offer that shows how the assessment was handled.
Selling before the vote, after the levy, or after the work
The same unit can be a very different sale depending on where the building is in the assessment process. This is a general comparison; your contract, the estoppel certificate and the association’s documents decide the details.
| Before the board votes | Levied, work not finished | After the repairs are done | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What a buyer sees | Milestone summary, reserve study and minutes pointing to a likely assessment; you disclose what you know | The estoppel certificate lists the assessment and any unpaid installments | Finished repairs, and possibly a loan the association is still repaying through dues |
| Who pays | Negotiated in the contract, since nothing is levied yet | The contract decides, but the buyer is jointly liable for unpaid amounts at transfer, so it is usually paid or credited at closing | You have already paid your share, or are still paying installments |
| Buyers with a mortgage | Some lenders hesitate when major repairs are pending | Often hardest while critical repairs are open | Usually easier once the work and reserves are in place |
| Main risk to you | The price drops once buyers learn the amount | Buyers discount for the full assessment plus uncertainty about the work | You carry the cost and the wait before you can sell |
General information, not legal advice. A Florida community-association attorney can review your association’s documents and the contract before you sign.
Deciding whether to sell before or after
Can you pay it?
Compare the assessment, including any installment plan or association loan, with your savings and how long you plan to keep the unit. If paying it means borrowing at a high rate or falling behind, selling first may be the safer path.
How long will the work take?
Phase two milestone repairs generally have to begin within 365 days after the local building official receives the phase two report (section 553.899). Ask the board for the contractor schedule; the longer the work, the longer the building may be hard for mortgage buyers.
What will the money be used for?
Special assessment funds can only be spent on the purpose stated in the written notice to owners, and leftover funds become common surplus (section 718.116(10)). Read the notice to see exactly what is covered and whether more assessments are likely.
Are reserves being paused?
For budgets adopted through December 31, 2028, owners in some buildings that recently completed a milestone inspection can vote to pause or reduce reserve contributions for up to two budget years (section 718.112(2)(g)). That can lower dues now but may mean higher costs later, which buyers will notice.
Documents a condo buyer is entitled to receive
Under section 718.503, a buyer of a resale unit is entitled, at the seller’s expense, to current copies of the declaration, articles, bylaws and rules, the annual budget and financial statement, the frequently asked questions sheet, the inspector’s summary of any milestone inspection, and the latest structural integrity reserve study or a statement that none has been done. Unless the buyer received them more than 7 days before signing, the buyer can cancel within 7 days, not counting weekends and legal holidays, after signing and receiving them.
That cancellation window is one reason pending assessments are best disclosed up front: a buyer who learns about them from the documents can simply walk away. Ask your management company for the full package as soon as you decide to sell.
Official starting points
These primary sources can help you verify the general information discussed above. For advice about your documents or deadlines, consult the appropriate Florida professional.
- Florida DBPR condominium inspections guidance ↗
State guidance on milestone inspections and structural integrity reserve studies.
- Florida Statutes, Chapter 718 (condominiums) ↗
Includes section 718.112 (reserve studies) and section 718.116 (assessments and estoppel certificates).
- Florida Statutes, section 553.899 ↗
The milestone-inspection requirement for condominium and cooperative buildings.
- Florida Statutes, section 718.503 (resale disclosures) ↗
Documents a condo resale buyer is entitled to and the 7-day cancellation right.
What we buy across Florida
No matter the property type or its condition, we make fair cash offers throughout Florida. Explore what we buy:
Single-Family Homes
Sell single-family homes anywhere in Florida without fees or showings.
DetailsDuplexes
Sell duplexes anywhere in Florida without fees or showings.
DetailsHomes with Code Violations
Homes with Code Violations in Florida — bought as-is, on your timeline.
DetailsVacation Homes
Vacation Homes in Florida — bought as-is, on your timeline.
DetailsFire-Damaged Homes
From across Florida, we buy fire- and smoke-damaged homes directly for cash.
DetailsLuxury Homes
We make cash offers on high-end and estate homes throughout Florida.
DetailsVacant Properties
We make cash offers on vacant and abandoned houses throughout Florida.
DetailsCondos
Florida condos facing assessments or recertification: sold fast for cash, no repairs.
DetailsHow a direct sale works in a Florida sell a condo with a special assessment sale
Three transparent decisions take you from an initial a Florida sell a condo with a special assessment sale property review to a title-company closing.
Describe the a Florida sell a condo with a special assessment sale property
Share the address, condition, occupancy, and your preferred timing. Photos are helpful but are not required to begin.
Review the written offer
For the a Florida sell a condo with a special assessment sale property, we review comparable sales, title, and condition—including assessment handled at closing, lender approval not needed, association documents reviewed—then explain the no-obligation cash terms.
Choose the practical closing date
If the a Florida sell a condo with a special assessment sale offer fits, a licensed title company verifies ownership and payoffs. A clear-title purchase can close in as little as 10 days, or later when you need time.
Sell a Condo With a Special Assessment — FAQs
Straight answers so you can make the right decision.
The contract decides between buyer and seller, and Florida forms commonly assign assessments levied before the contract date to the seller. Legally, the new owner is jointly liable for unpaid amounts at transfer, which is why the estoppel certificate matters.
Residential condominium and cooperative buildings three or more habitable stories tall, by the end of the year they turn 30 and every 10 years after; local officials can require it earlier. Smaller or newer buildings may not be covered.
Yes, but you must disclose what you know about pending assessments, and the estoppel and contract will address them. Buyers will ask for the board minutes and inspection reports.
Some lenders will not finance units in buildings with significant deferred maintenance, pending critical repairs or low reserves. A cash buyer is not subject to that lender review.
Yes. We review the building’s reports and schedule, the assessment amount and any loan the association has taken, and we explain how they affect the offer.
It depends on whether you can pay it and how long the repairs will take. Selling before the vote avoids the bill but buyers will discount for it; selling after the work is done can bring a better price once financing returns. Compare written numbers for both.
Under section 718.503, a resale buyer who did not receive the documents more than 7 days before signing can cancel within 7 days, not counting weekends and legal holidays, after signing and receiving them. The right ends at closing.
Related situations we help with
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How selling to us works
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