Homeowners at Vistas at Phillips Commons, a 160-unit townhome community in Orlando's Dr. Phillips area, are suing their homeowners association and its management company over a communitywide roofing project they say was approved improperly — and paid for before the public ever got a vote. At the center of the dispute is a $232,000 check the HOA allegedly cut to a roofing contractor nearly two weeks before the board held a meeting to discuss, let alone approve, the work.
Several homeowners filed suit against the HOA and Beacon Community Management Inc., arguing the association violated Florida law by signing the roofing contract and disbursing funds without a properly noticed open meeting and lawful vote, according to WKMG. The station reports the HOA board held what was described as a public meeting on June 22 to discuss and vote on the special assessment, the roofing project and the contractor chosen to do the work.
But HOA records cited in the lawsuit show a $232,000 deposit check had already gone out to the contractor on June 10 — 12 days before that meeting ever took place. One homeowner has called the timing a smoking gun, pointing to the paper trail as proof the decision was effectively made before residents had any say.
A Roofing Assessment for 160 Homes
The roofing project came with a bill passed directly to residents. Homeowners were told to pay a special assessment for the work, per the same report. For a townhome community completed in 2006, the roofing project represented a major capital expense.
Beacon did not respond to the station's requests for comment, and the HOA board president referred questions to the association's attorney rather than answering directly. Neither the attorney's response nor the management company's explanation for the June 10 check has been made public.
Florida law is specific about what HOAs must do before voting on big-ticket items like a special assessment. Under state statute, written notice of a meeting where a special assessment will be considered must be mailed, delivered or sent electronically to members and parcel owners, and posted conspicuously on the property or broadcast on closed-circuit cable television, at least 14 days beforehand, according to The Florida Senate.
State Oversight and Where Homeowners Can Turn
Florida has also been tightening scrutiny of community association finances more broadly. As of July 1, 2025, the state's Division of Condominiums, Timeshares and Mobile Homes gained jurisdiction over certain condominium financial, election, records, meeting and conflict-of-interest issues, according to the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. The same year brought House Bill 913, which requires competitive bidding for major repairs, disclosure of conflicts of interest, and improved access to financial reports for condominium communities statewide.
Residents with concerns about how their association is run can file a complaint with the division by mail or through its online form.
Questions remain about how a $232,000 check went out the door before homeowners got to vote on it.
