Practical questions for your board
Verify promptly, protect people, and coordinate a lawful response.
Why this question matters in Century Village
The October 3, 2026 UCO community manager report describes occupied units without water or electricity, raises sanitation and safety concerns, and recommends attorney involvement. This guide turns that concern into a practical response process without identifying the residents involved or treating unverified suspicions as established facts.
What should the board do first?
Treat the report as a potential safety issue and verify what is happening promptly. Notify the manager and designated board contact. If someone appears in immediate danger—for example, medical equipment has stopped, the person is in distress, or there is fire, smoke, or dangerous wiring—call 911. An unanswered door alone does not prove a utility shutoff.
How can we distinguish a shutoff from an outage or repair?
Check for a known utility outage, scheduled building work, a plumbing fault, or another explanation. Contact the resident and owner respectfully. Ask whether service is available and whether help is needed. Record observations and the resident’s account separately. A dark unit, a meter display, or a neighbor’s suspicion is not a complete diagnosis; ask the utility or qualified professional about technical conditions.
Can the board enter the unit to investigate?
Do not treat suspicion as blanket authority to enter. Florida Statutes §718.111(5) provides access for specified maintenance and damage-prevention purposes, with separate provisions for abandoned units. An occupied unit is not automatically abandoned because utilities are disconnected. Coordinate lawful access with the manager and attorney; let emergency responders handle an immediate welfare emergency.
Who can get service restored?
The account holder should contact the water or electric utility to resolve account requirements, arrange lawful restoration, or ask about assistance. The board can help route the resident to the right office, but a utility may restrict account information to authorized people. Never remove a meter lock, bypass a meter, reconnect utility equipment, or improvise a supply from a neighboring unit.
When should we contact Code Compliance and the attorney?
Promptly seek counsel and contact Palm Beach County Code Compliance when an occupied unit appears to lack essential service and presents a continuing sanitation or safety concern. Report facts, location, and observed conditions; let the county investigate and determine violations. Counsel should review the documents, evidence, necessary notices, access issues, and appropriate remedies. A report or board concern does not itself authorize removal of an occupant.
What if someone appears to be drawing power or water from elsewhere?
Document only what can be observed safely and lawfully. Report a suspected unauthorized connection to the utility and manager; use emergency services for immediate hazards. Do not touch wiring, investigate inside meters, confront residents, or label a person a thief without verified evidence. Qualified personnel should assess association equipment and any potential misuse.
Should the association pay the bill or remove the resident?
Neither should be an automatic first step. The board should not promise payment of an individual bill without reviewing its authority, funding, and implications with counsel. Any enforcement or occupancy remedy must follow the lawful process. The association cannot simply change locks, block access, or shut off services to force someone out.
Can the association suspend utilities because an owner owes assessments?
No: Florida condominium suspension provisions exclude utility services to the unit. A utility-company disconnection under its own procedures is different from an association penalty. Keep assessment collection separate from addressing the resident’s safety and the property’s condition.
What if hardship or a medical need is involved?
Use a respectful, private conversation and offer help connecting with the utility, the resident’s chosen support person, or available community assistance. Obtain consent before sharing personal details. FPL has a Medically Essential Service program for qualifying customers; the resident and their clinician can review eligibility. Enrollment is not a substitute for emergency help or a backup plan.
What should we document and follow up on?
Keep a restricted incident record: report date, source, verified facts, contacts attempted, hazards, utility or county case numbers, legal instructions, actions taken, and next review date. Assign one coordinator. Confirm service restoration and any outstanding sanitation, wiring, or property issues through appropriate personnel. Avoid publishing residents’ financial, health, or account information.
Useful official contacts and references
Palm Beach County Code Compliance: 561-233-5500. Use the county’s current complaint instructions; this is not an emergency response number.
Act promptly. Verify carefully. Treat residents with dignity.
Reviewed October 17, 2026. Educational guidance, not a determination that a particular unit is uninhabitable or an instruction to evict. Sources: supplied UCO Operations report dated October 3, 2026; county complaint instructions; §718.111(5), access; DBPR FAQs, utility-service suspension exclusions; and FPL’s program information.
Track verification, referral, and restoration separately
Use a restricted incident log with the report source, time, direct observations, resident contact, known outage or repair explanation, qualified assessment, utility or county reference, and next follow-up. Mark suspected facts as suspected.
- Record the safety response without delaying emergency help to gather paperwork.
- Identify who can lawfully communicate with the utility about the account.
- Offer a referral to the utility or the resident’s chosen support person without promising payment or restoration.
- Confirm restoration and any remaining property or sanitation issue through appropriate personnel.
Keep assessment collection separate from the safety response. Florida Statutes §718.303(3)–(4) excludes utility services to the unit from the specified association suspensions. See Code Compliance, plumbing, and equipment outage planning. Never bypass utility controls or improvise a connection from another unit.
Medical equipment needs a separate backup plan
FPL’s Medically Essential Service program requires annual renewal with physician certification. Participation does not guarantee uninterrupted electricity, priority storm restoration, or an exemption from paying bills. Residents should arrange equipment and power contingencies with their healthcare providers and suppliers, and seek emergency help for immediate danger.
Connected emergency 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 official emergency orders or prescribed statutory forms.