As a community association manager you’re very familiar with the laws regulating real property and community living, but did you know that the Florida statutes also govern other types of property?  By statute, the Chief Financial Officer for Florida holds unclaimed property accounts valued at more than $1 billion?  Most of the property held is from dormant accounts in financial institutions, insurance and utility companies, securities and trust holdings.  Unclaimed property also includes tangible property such as watches, jewelry, coins, currency, stamps, historical items and other miscellaneous articles from abandoned safe deposit boxes.

Unclaimed property is regulated in chapter 717, F.S., and monetary unclaimed property gets deposited into the state school fund, where it is used for public education. So before that happens, check out the CFO’s website to run a search on your name, to see if you have unclaimed property that you’re entitled to claim!  There’s no statute of limitations on making your claim, and it’s always free to make a claim

Click to visit the CFO’s website.

The Florida Department of Professional Regulation has a website that offers a vast amount of helpful information as well as allowing you to interact with the Department regarding your license.  From the homepage you’re able to access forms and publications, statutes and rules, public records and more.  Currently, the DBPR offers a link to a 2015 legislative update from the homepage.  Visitors to the site may verify a license, apply for or update a license, renew a license or research and learn about all of the things that a community association manager or management firm needs to stay current. Click here to visit the site, and be sure to visit often!
 

Ask Fred! 

Many requirements must be met in order to hold a professional or business license in Florida, but one thing not required may surprise you.

Question:  My wife’s niece has recently moved to Florida from the U.K., where she worked as the manager for an apartment complex.  She’s very interested in becoming a licensed community association manager and is looking into the requirements now, but we’ve come across a stumbling block.  We haven’t been able to find anything that states she needs to become a U.S. citizen before she can get licensed as a CAM in Florida.  Is there such a requirement?

Answer:  You haven’t been able to find a U.S. citizen requirement to become a licensed professional in Florida because one does not exist.  According to section 455.10, F.S., a person may not be disqualified from practicing an occupation or profession regulated by the state solely because he or she is not a United States citizen.  The licensee must, of course, be qualified and meet the requirements for licensure of any profession requiring a license in Florida.  Pursuant to section 455.201, F.S., persons desiring to engage in any lawful profession that is regulated in Florida is entitled to do so as a matter of right if otherwise qualified.  The qualifications a person must meet to become a licensed community association manager in Texas may be found in both chapters 455 and 468, in part VIII along with the requirements found within the Florida Administrative Code.

Thanks for asking,
Fred Gray

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