What is a claim of lien?
An assessment lien secures an association’s claim for unpaid assessments against a condominium parcel. A recorded claim of lien gives public notice of that claim. It does not itself transfer ownership or evict anyone.
Section 718.116 governs assessment liens, required content, recoverable charges, priority, and enforcement. Recording is distinct from a foreclosure lawsuit.
Fair collections protect every owner’s investment.
When would an association need to understand liens?
- Persistent delinquency: An account remains unpaid after accurate billing and required notices.
- A sale or refinance: The parties need reliable account figures and resolution of a recorded claim.
- A mortgage foreclosure: The association receives court papers that may affect its interests.
- An owner disputes the lien: A notice or legal filing may shorten enforcement deadlines.
- A bankruptcy: Collection activity may be restricted; notify counsel immediately.
- An association project: A contractor or supplier asserts a different kind of lien related to unpaid work.
Small associations can feel the loss of even one owner’s payments. Consistent collection procedures help avoid shifting the shortfall onto neighbors while giving the owner a clear opportunity to address the account.
The collection process has distinct stages
| Stage | What the board should understand |
|---|---|
| Account review | Confirm assessments, payments, owner information, authorized charges, and any disputed amount. |
| Notice of late assessment | Ask counsel which late-assessment notice provisions of section 718.121 apply, including the prescribed opportunity to pay, form, recipients, service, and timing. |
| Notice of intent to record a lien | Have counsel determine the applicable pre-lien notice, recipients, mailing requirements, waiting period, and exceptions under section 718.121. |
| Recorded claim of lien | Counsel prepares the instrument, confirms compliance, and arranges recording. |
| Further enforcement | Ask counsel whether enforcement is available and which separate notices, recipients, timing, service requirements, and court procedures apply under section 718.116. |
| Resolution | Verify the agreed payoff and arrange the appropriate recorded satisfaction or release. |
The notices have different purposes. Do not assume a reminder email, one demand letter, or a universal “days overdue” rule satisfies the required process. Have counsel verify the current statutory forms, mailing addresses, evidence, timing, and any exceptions.
Source: section 718.121.
Give the attorney a reliable file
- The governing documents and relevant assessment approvals.
- A detailed owner ledger and supporting payment records.
- Current ownership and mailing information.
- Copies of notices and evidence of delivery or mailing.
- Any disputes, payment arrangements, court papers, or bankruptcy information.
- The board’s authorization and designated contact.
Reconcile new payments promptly. Do not let the manager, board, and attorney work from different balances. Agree who may negotiate, waive charges, or approve a payment plan.
A recorded lien needs active follow-up
Urgent referral: send the entire notice to counsel promptly. Section 718.116 contains enforcement time limits, including a notice-of-contest provision referring to a 90-day period. This is a source-level warning, not a determination that a particular notice starts that period, that service is legally sufficient, or that a lien has expired. Have counsel confirm the applicable provision, service and receipt facts, triggering event, extensions, required action, and exact deadline.
Send the complete notice and all attachments, envelopes, mailing and tracking records, delivery signatures, and the actual receipt date, time, method, and recipient. Preserve originals and identify any missing information; do not wait for the next board meeting or a complete file before contacting counsel. Do not calculate a deadline from receipt alone or assume a service defect eliminates the need for an urgent response.
Ask counsel to evaluate priority, mortgage-foreclosure effects, successor-owner liability, and the appropriate satisfaction or release after resolution. This guide does not determine lien validity, enforceability, lienability of a disputed charge, or recovery in a particular account.
Maintain a factual chronology with the recording reference, notice and receipt evidence, attorney contact, counsel-confirmed deadlines and required actions, and next review date. Counsel should select forms, recipients, service methods, deadlines, and the sequence appropriate to the actual matter. This page supplies no do-it-yourself lien, contest, or foreclosure packet.
Recording is a step. Follow-through is a responsibility.
A lien is not the same as foreclosure
A lien secures a claim. Foreclosure is a court process used to enforce it. Before pursuing litigation, ask counsel about costs, recoverability, other liens, likely outcomes, and alternatives.
If the association receives a lender’s foreclosure lawsuit, route it to counsel promptly. Do not assume the lender will protect the association’s interests or resolve its account automatically.
Collection can be firm and respectful. Explain the account through the appropriate channel; avoid public accusations or informal pressure on neighbors.
Contractor liens are different
An assessment lien concerns money an owner owes the association. A construction lien concerns a contractor’s, subcontractor’s, or supplier’s claim for work or materials.
Association-authorized common-element work can raise lien issues affecting condominium parcels under section 718.121. Before major work, ask counsel about notices, releases, payment controls, and other protections. Forward a contractor lien or notice promptly even if the association believes it paid its contractor.
Bidding & contractsWhere to find a recorded claim
Use the Palm Beach County Clerk’s Official Records to locate recorded liens and related releases. Search by the relevant names or recording reference and verify the legal description and document date.
A document appearing in the database is not a legal opinion that the claim is valid, enforceable, or still unpaid. Look for later documents and ask counsel or the closing professional to interpret the record.
Search County Official RecordsAssessments explainedBack to Finances & ReservesSources & guidance
- Florida Statutes 718.116—assessment liens and collection
- Florida Statutes 718.121—lien notices and construction-related issues
- Florida Statutes 718.303—fines and remedies
- Palm Beach County Official Records
Editorial qualifications updated October 18, 2026. The prior page recorded a review on October 17, 2026; this edit does not independently reverify the cited law. Educational guidance for Century Village West Palm Beach condominium boards. Have the association’s attorney handle lien preparation, service requirements, enforcement deadlines, and disputed charges.
Track the legal file through release
Assign one association contact for counsel and one backup. Keep the verified ledger, owner and parcel identification, approval evidence, notices, mailing records, recorded instrument reference, counsel-confirmed deadlines, and next action together.
- Forward the entire contest notice, bankruptcy notice, summons, or new legal demand promptly, with all attachments and available service and receipt evidence.
- Notify counsel of payments and credits before a new demand or payoff is issued.
- Record who may approve a settlement and where the authorization is documented.
- After resolution, confirm the appropriate satisfaction or release and retain its recording reference.
The tracker supports administration; counsel should calculate legal deadlines and determine required action. See responding to claims and legal demands for preservation and policy-notice questions where coverage may be involved. Do not assume ordinary collection fees are insured.
Connected financial and community resources
Authority matters: Florida law establishes statutory duties; governing documents define association authority subject to law; contractual duties come from applicable agreements. UCO procedures address separate UCO functions. The added registers and workflows are Board Synergy recommended practices, not prescribed statutory forms. Historical articles provide background rather than current legal instructions.