Windsor Bay (St. James Park), Woodfield: lease approval and a new 2026 capital contribution

Yes, and then the master does. We found no buyer approval or right of first refusal in any Windsor Bay instrument we read. Since 22 March 2022 the master declaration has required that every sale, transfer or conveyance of a Woodfield lot, including a gift, devise or inheritance, be approved by the Neighborhood association within 30 days and then sent to the master for final approval, with a fee of at least $100 (Art. X § 19, OR 33401/264, pp. 29–30). That binds Windsor Bay whatever its own documents say. A resale also needs the master's Certificate of Compliance, and the buyer must join the Country Club.

A 2026 amendment, recorded 14 October 2026, added a capital contribution. "On each resale of a Lot by an Owner, each purchaser on a resale, shall contribute ... (a) a capital contribution to the Association up to three (3) quarterly installments of Common Assessments" and the master's contribution under the Master Declaration (Art. VIII § 17, OR 36855/337, pp. 4–5). It is the only section the amendment adds, and 29 of the 52 owners (56%) consented (CAM affidavit, OR 36855/337). It is collectible as an assessment, with lien rights, and applies prospectively, only to lots "bought, sold or leased ... after the date of recording" (p. 5). The association's cover letter says it is "borne by the buyer/occupant NOT the seller/owner" (p. 10).

It does not apply where an immediate family member takes title by inheritance, gift or devise, or where a mortgagee or the association takes title by foreclosure or deed in lieu (p. 5).

As history, the original 1992 declaration also provided a working capital fund of "two (2) months of the annual assessment for each Lot ... collected from each Lot purchaser at the time of conveyance" (Art. VIII § 10, OR 7294/333, p. 13). Our working rule: the estoppel certificate must state each amount due, and we collect what it states; if it does not say whether the 1992 fund is charged alongside the 2026 contribution, we ask the association in writing before closing, because the 2026 amendment does not say in terms that it replaces the 1992 fund. The buyer also pays the master's working capital contribution.

Yes, with the Board's approval. Since 2001 the declaration reads: "No Lot may be leased or rented without the prior written approval of the Board of Directors, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld; provided, however, that no Lot shall be leased more than one (1) time in any twelve (12) month period, and each lease of a Lot shall be for a term of not less than four (4) months" (Art. XI, OR 12511/1835, pp. 2–3).

• The Board decides within 30 days; silence means approval. Renewals and subleases need approval, and an orientation meeting may be required.
• The application fee may not exceed $100, "or such other amount as may be allowed by law".
• Since 14 October 2026 each lease, including every renewal, also carries a capital contribution of up to three quarterly assessments; an unpaid contribution voids the lease (§ 17(b), OR 36855/337, p. 4). Whether it counts as a rental restriction under Fla. Stat. § 720.306(1)(h) is for counsel; by its terms it applies only to later leases. Our working rule: we ask the estoppel to state any contribution owed on a lease in place at closing and collect what it states; the statute question is for underwriter and counsel sign off on the file.

The 2001 rules predate 1 July 2021 and bind all owners. The master's leasing rules, six months to a year with the master's final approval, apply on top.

• The plat. Instruments cite it differently: Plat Book 66, Page 69 (a 1994 deed re-recorded to correct "66 (not 65), Page 69", OR 8117/503), Plat Book 66, Page 64 (OR 8070/1564) and Plat Book 65, Page 69 (OR 8235/93). The Clerk's plat index settles it: Plat Book 66, Page 69 is "PLAT WOODFIELD CC ST JAMES PK PLAT", recorded 26 July 1990, 2 pages. Page 66/64 is not a separate plat, and 65/69 falls between two non-Woodfield plats. The 1992 declaration and the 2022 preservation notice describe St. James Place at Plat Book 57, Page 22, and the notice calls St. James Park a replat of Parcel O of the Woodfield Country Club P.U.D. We check the legal description against the plat itself.
• The lien. It takes effect on recording a claim of lien and is subordinate to an institutional first mortgage for assessments due before foreclosure or deed in lieu (Art. VIII §§ 12–13, OR 7294/333, p. 14). The buyer's joint liability for the seller's unpaid assessments comes from Fla. Stat. § 720.3085.
• Building rules. One detached home of at least 4,000 sq ft of air-conditioned living area, no higher than 35 ft (OR 15322/1086). No docks, bulkheads or motorboats on the lakes; the owner maintains the strip between the rear lot line and the water (Art. IX § 12). No "For Sale" signs.
• Common-area spending. Since 2019, common-area improvements over $25,000 need the consent of a majority of the membership (OR 30988/257, p. 3).