Florida Sheriffs get legislation which HOAs cannot sent marked unit in their communit

[Unregistered]

Sen. Ed Hooper explains a bill that would block HOAs from restricting parking of police cars.
HEADLINES

Ron DeSantis signs law enforcement parking exemption over HOAs
SB 476 prohibits HOAs and other housing associations from banning law enforcement vehicles from their jurisdictions.

ByStaff ReportsonFebruary 22, 2020
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation Friday allowing police officers to park their law enforcement vehicles in residential neighborhoods.

The bill (SB 476), sponsored by Clearwater Republican Ed Hooper will prohibit condominium, homeowners and cooperative associations from creating bylaws preventing law enforcement officers from parking their official vehicles in community areas where they would normally have a right to park. It applies to homeowners, tenants, or guests of the homeowner.

“Thank you Gov. DeSantis for signing SB 476. This common sense legislation that prevents HOA’s and Condo Assoc. from stopping a law enforcement officer from parking their official vehicle in their driveway will make every neighborhood a little bit safer and it cost the community zero,” Hooper said. “I have received a tremendous amount of correspondence supporting this good Bill. Common sense rules again and kudos to Gov. DeSantis and my colleagues in the Senate and House for unanimously approving SB476.”
Hooper’s legislation was prompted by reports of a Clearwater police officer who faced hundreds of dollars in fines last summer for violating an HOA rule in an East Lake Woodlands subdivision for parking her police car in her driveway. While the HOA later created an exemption for the officer, future homeowners with government-issued cars may face the same penalties.

The Florida Sheriffs Association supported the measure, with Gilchrist County Sheriff Robert “Bobby” Schultz at the Session’s start saying it’s “ridiculous” that the Legislature has to step in.

“You will stop crime by having a marked vehicle in these neighborhoods,” he said in October.


Hooper, a retired firefighter, has not shied away from first responder issues during his time in the Legislature. This year, he is sponsoring, among others, a bill creating the First Responders Suicide Deterrence Task Force (SB 1586).

State law says HOA’s can prohibit commercial vehicles from parking in driveways but an opinion issued in 2005 by then-State Attorney Charlie Crist said law enforcement vehicles are not considered commercial. But the HOA had also apparently banned government vehicles from parking in the community’s driveways.

Rep. Chip LaMarca, a Broward County Republican, carried the House companion version (HB 307). Hooper’s version passed both chambers unanimously before getting the Governor’s stamp.

LaMarca said the bill was important for law enforcement and public safety: “Arbitrary rules” from HOAs “do not allow a law enforcement officer who protects us every day” to park their cars in their neighborhoods.

The signed law goes into effect immediately.

[Unregistered]

Thank you Fl Sheriffs Association.

[Glock42]

Common sense rules. Thank you sir