Lakewood Gardens II, Boca West: 30 units under an unamended 1978 declaration

A Gardens II resale clears three approvals: the association's, the master's Certificate of Compliance and the Country Club's approval of the buyer. Here an owner cannot sell "without approval of the Association except to another Unit owner" (Art. XVI.A(1), OR 2851/1403, p. 20).

• Who applies. The seller notifies the association of the sale, with the buyer's name and address. The notice may demand that the association furnish a buyer if it refuses this one, and then must include the signed contract (Art. XVI.B(1)(a), p. 20). If no notice is given, the association may approve or disapprove whenever it learns of the transfer (Art. XVI.B(1)(d), p. 21).
• Twenty days. The association "must either approve or disapprove the proposed transaction" within 20 days after the notice and information. An approval is a certificate in recordable form, recorded in the public records (Art. XVI.B(2)(a), p. 21).
• If it refuses. On the seller's demand, the association must deliver an agreement to buy, by itself or a buyer it approves, at the price in the refused contract, in cash, closing within 30 days. Should it fail to, the sale is "deemed to have been approved" (Art. XVI.C(1), pp. 22–23).
• Entity buyers. A corporation or trustee is approved only together with the "Primary Occupant" (Art. XVI.B(3), p. 22).
• Gifts and other transfers. Within 30 days the association sends the terms the transfer must meet, including who occupies the unit and casts its vote (Art. XVI.C(3), p. 23).

An unapproved sale, mortgage or lease "shall be void unless subsequently approved by the Association" (Art. XVI.F, p. 24). An institutional lender that takes title by foreclosure or deed in lieu, its own buyer, and a buyer at a public sale with open bidding do not need approval (Art. XVI.E, p. 24). Any lender other than a bank, life insurer, federal savings and loan association or real estate investment trust needs the association's consent to its mortgage (Art. XVI.D, p. 23).

Yes. The Village's 1976 declaration covers the whole Lakewood plat and makes "every person or entity who is a record fee simple owner of a Unit" a member (Art. IV § 1, OR 2512/220, p. 2). Each owner covenants by accepting the deed to pay its annual and special assessments, which are a lien on the unit (Art. V § 1, pp. 2–3). A buyer at a judicial sale is bound the same way.

The Gardens II declaration lets its association "collect for, and remit to" the Village any assessments due under "Official Records Book 2512, at Page 220" (Art. XVIII.F, OR 2851/1403, pp. 26–27). The Village is not on the master's roll (master's adopted 2026/2027 budget, not recorded; see the master page). Lakewood Management Co. manages Gardens II from the same Lakeside Boulevard office the Village uses. That makes it easy to assume one estoppel covers both, so we ask in writing.

The 1978 declaration has no capital contribution, working capital fee or transfer fee. The buyer pays the master's capital contribution and the Club's Joining Fee.

The master bills the association $32,169 for 2026/2027, up 11.10%, after the condominium's assessed value rose 15.68% (master's adopted 2026/2027 budget, not recorded). The master's per-unit charges come on top. The Gardens II and Village assessments are taken from their estoppels.

A buyer by voluntary conveyance is "jointly and severally liable with the grantor for all unpaid assessments", with a right to recover them from the seller (Art. XVIII.M, p. 29).

Only the whole unit, and only after approval: "entire Units, but not less than entire Units, may be leased" (Art. XV.E, p. 19). The owner sends the signed lease with the tenant's name and address, and the association has 20 days (Art. XVI.B, pp. 20–21). On the owner's demand a refusal must come with a substitute tenant at the same rent and term.

The declaration sets no minimum term and no cap on leases, so the master's limits do the work. No lease is allowed in the first 12 months of ownership, and none for under four months (the master's rules). A future amendment would need owners of 66⅔% of the units (Art. XI, pp. 8–9).

Each unit owner maintains the unit and its fixtures (Art. XII.A, p. 10). The patio or balcony, the stairway of a second-story unit, the pad under the unit's air-conditioning compressor and its television antenna are limited common elements (Art. V.C, p. 6). The owner bears their upkeep, but the association services the compressors and antennas itself. It charges the cost to the unit served (Art. XII.C, pp. 10–11).

• Phase II, Buildings 500, 600 and 700, had to be added by amendment "Prior to October 1, 1979" (Art. III.C, p. 3). We found no such amendment, although all 30 units appear on the Property Appraiser's roll. We check the unit's share of the common elements against what is recorded.
• DBPR's list dates the declaration 27 February 1976, the date of the Village declaration. The instrument was made on 27 October 1977 and recorded on 1 May 1978 (pp. 3, 33).
• The association's lien runs from a recorded claim of lien and is subordinate to mortgages recorded earlier (Art. XVIII.K, pp. 27–28). Chapter 718 now governs what a foreclosing lender owes.
• The Village's lien needs no recording: an unpaid assessment becomes "a continuing lien on the Unit" (Art. V § 8, OR 2512/220, p. 4). It yields only to a first mortgage amortized over at least ten years, for amounts due before a foreclosure or deed in lieu (§ 9).
• The Clerk links two association "Notice" instruments of 1979 and 1981 (OR 3088/1711, OR 3361/229) to the declaration. We did not read them, and we look at any that touch the unit.