Respect instructions
Confirm whether any access restrictions remain. Do not arrange entry, removal of belongings, or cleanup that could interfere with an investigation.
If someone may need emergency help
Call 911 and follow the dispatcher’s instructions.
If a person is unresponsive or the circumstances are uncertain, do not assume death. Let emergency responders direct medical assistance and access. Avoid disturbing belongings or the scene beyond what responders instruct or immediate safety requires.
For a nonemergency welfare concern, contact the appropriate law-enforcement service and describe the facts. Board members should not conduct their own death investigation.
PBSO contact information →After the authorities have responded
Choose one contact
Assign a board or management contact to coordinate association matters with the verified responsible person. Avoid multiple volunteers giving conflicting directions.
Protect privacy
Keep communications factual and limited to what is necessary. Avoid circulating photographs, medical information, speculation, or details about the circumstances.
Unit access is not estate authority
Florida Statutes §718.111(5) grants association access for specified maintenance and damage-prevention purposes. It also provides a separate abandoned-unit process with conditions and notice requirements. A resident’s death does not by itself establish abandonment or give the board unrestricted control of the unit.
Consult counsel about the purpose and authority for entry, especially where ownership or representative authority is uncertain. Document authorized access, the reason, people present, and actions taken.
Read §718.111(5) →Identify the person authorized to act
Verify rather than assume
A relative or emergency contact is not automatically authorized to sell, remove property, or direct every matter involving the unit. Ask counsel what documentation is appropriate for the circumstances.
Ownership may involve a surviving co-owner, trust, estate, or protected homestead. A power of attorney used during the resident’s life should not be assumed to establish authority after death.
Keep the board’s role limited
The association should not decide inheritance disputes or distribute belongings. Florida’s estate-possession statute addresses personal-representative authority and important exceptions, including protected homestead.
Read §733.607 →Property protection and cleanup
Assess association concerns such as active leaks, damage to common property, access security, and hazards affecting neighboring units. Coordinate authorized measures with responders, qualified professionals, and the responsible representative.
If biological contamination is suspected, keep untrained volunteers away and consult a qualified remediation provider. Confirm that the authorities have released the area before arranging work.
Determine who may authorize the work and how costs will be handled before making commitments where practicable. Do not promise insurance coverage or assign all costs to the estate without reviewing the documents, facts, and policies.
Communicate with compassion
To the family or representative
“We are sorry for your loss. Our designated contact can help explain association procedures for access, property protection, and moving arrangements. Please let us know who is authorized to coordinate these matters.”
To neighbors
Share only necessary operational information, such as temporary access restrictions or scheduled work. Respect the family’s wishes concerning a memorial announcement and avoid discussing private details.
A practical board follow-up checklist
- Emergency or welfare concerns were referred to the appropriate service.
- Any continuing access restrictions are understood.
- A designated association contact is assigned.
- Representative authority is verified as appropriate.
- Property hazards and necessary professional work are tracked.
- Authorized entry and actions are documented.
- Insurance and responsibility questions are referred for review.
- Account statements and notices are directed through the appropriate process.
- Contact, ownership, and occupancy records are updated based on reliable documentation.
- Moving, access credentials, and cleanup are coordinated without deciding estate disputes.
Accounts, occupancy, and future transfers
Ask the manager and attorney how to handle assessments, notices, estate claims, ownership changes, and any applicable deadlines. Death should not be treated as an automatic cancellation of the unit’s financial obligations.
If household composition changes, review any 55+ occupancy implications through the established process. Do not assume a surviving resident must leave. Future sales, rentals, or move-outs may require separate document review and arrangements.
Prepare before a difficult event
Maintain an emergency contact process, designated board contacts, secure records, and clear escalation instructions. Review the response plan with the manager and counsel so volunteers know whom to call and where their authority ends.
In Century Village, coordinate relevant access or resident-service updates with the responsible organization using current procedures and appropriate documentation.
Educational guidance prepared October 17, 2026. Follow emergency responders’ instructions and obtain property-specific legal and professional advice. This page is not a medical, investigative, probate, or remediation protocol; checklists are practical association planning aids.
Separate emergency response, property protection, and estate matters
Board Synergy recommended practice
Use a dated association action log with the designated contact, responder instructions, authorized access, immediate property concerns, and matters referred to counsel.
- Verify authority for each action: An emergency contact, relative, or former agent may have useful information without authority to direct estate property. Obtain appropriate verification before releasing keys or accepting instructions.
- Coordinate necessary work: Confirm scene restrictions have ended and identify who can authorize remediation, access, moving, and costs. Use qualified professionals for hazardous cleanup.
- Update records carefully: Keep ownership, current occupancy, emergency contacts, assessment notices, and credentials distinct. Do not remove a surviving occupant or cancel access solely because another resident died.
Connected Board Synergy guides
- Owner, resident, emergency, and age-verification records
- Deeds ownership search
- Right to access units
- Condominium insurance
- Unit sales
- Legal advice
These checklists are recommended practices. Florida law, governing-document requirements, UCO procedures, and contractual duties have distinct authority. Verify the controlling requirement for your association.