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LS Carlson Law
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Proudly Serving Hillsborough, Pinellas & Pasco Counties

America's Largest Law Firm Fighting BAD HOAs

#1 By Cases Won

Tampa Bay HOA Attorneys for Homeowners

IMA Law Firm of the Year
Who We Fight For

We Only Represent Homeowners

One side of the fence — always. Across Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Pasco Counties. Never the boards. Never the developers. Never the management companies. You.

We Represent
Homeowners
We Never Represent
HOAs Boards Developers Management Cos.

Tampa Bay is one of Florida’s fastest-growing regions, with new master-planned communities, condominium towers, and residential developments transforming the landscape. With this rapid growth comes a surge in HOA disputes—from newly built communities where developers retain board control to established neighborhoods facing aging infrastructure and hurricane recovery challenges.

Good HOAs are invaluable.
Bad HOAs abuse their power.

LS Carlson Law represents Tampa Bay homeowners exclusively in disputes with their HOAs and condominium associations. We never represent the association—only the individual homeowner. Our attorneys understand the specific challenges facing Tampa Bay communities, including hurricane preparedness obligations, flood zone compliance, and the distinct legal frameworks governing HOAs (Chapter 720) and condominiums (Chapter 718).

Tampa’s condo market has been especially impacted by post-Surfside building safety legislation, which requires milestone structural inspections and mandatory reserve funding. These new requirements are driving massive special assessments that catch many condo owners off guard. Our attorneys help Tampa Bay homeowners challenge improper assessments, ensure their associations comply with the new requirements, and protect their financial interests.

Two Decades.
One Focus.

For over 20 years, LS Carlson Law has been the leading HOA attorney in Tampa Bay — pioneering the very strategies other firms now try to replicate.

20
Years of Experience
Established in 2006
511
Five-Star Reviews
#1
By HOA Cases Won
In the country
The Authority On Bad HOAs

We Wrote The Book
On Bad HOAs

…literally.

We didn’t just learn how to beat bad HOAs — we wrote the definitive guide to it. After winning more of these fights than any firm in the country, we put the entire playbook in print. When you hire us, you get the team that wrote it.

By Luke Carlson, Esq. 20 Years Fighting HOAs
The firm bad HOAs across the country hope you never call.
Bad HOA™ — The Homeowner’s Guide to Going to War and Reclaiming Your Power, by Luke Carlson, Esq.
★★★★★ #1 Best Seller on Amazon
Why LS Carlson Law

Why Homeowners Choose Us for Their Tampa HOA Dispute

Most Tampa Bay homeowners don’t come to us over a simple disagreement. They come because something has gone wrong — unlawful fines, five- and six-figure special assessments levied without proper notice, common elements left unrepaired after a storm. We work under both Chapter 720 (HOAs) and Chapter 718 (condominiums), and we represent homeowners exclusively — never associations. We are America’s Largest Law Firm Fighting Bad HOAs.

Chapter 720 & 718

Deep command of Florida’s HOA statute (Chapter 720) and Condominium Act (Chapter 718), refined through thousands of association disputes.

America's Largest

Having handled more HOA disputes than any firm in the country, we recognize the recurring tactics boards use — from selective enforcement to procedural manipulation — and exactly how to counter them.

Deliberate Pressure

We identify the leverage points in your Florida HOA or COA dispute, apply pressure deliberately, and position each matter for resolution or escalation based on your goals.

Pre-Suit Mediation

Fluent in Florida’s mandatory pre-suit mediation (§ 720.311) and every forum beyond it — negotiation, mediation, arbitration, and the courts.

Florida Courts

Fully prepared to take your case to Florida circuit court when the board won’t back down, with strong representation at every stage of the fight.

Never Associations

We do not represent associations. Ever. Our experience, insight, and strategy are directed entirely toward protecting homeowners.

Held Accountable

A strong history of resolving disputes in favor of Florida homeowners — holding associations accountable when they cross the line.

Chapter 720 & 718

Command of Florida HOA & COA Law

Deep command of Florida’s HOA statute (Chapter 720) and Condominium Act (Chapter 718), refined through thousands of association disputes.

What We Fight

Types of HOA & COA Disputes We Handle

Tampa Bay homeowners face HOA challenges shaped by rapid growth, hurricane exposure, and Florida’s dual statutory framework. When your association crosses the line, you have legal remedies — and we enforce them.

Tampa Bay HOAs are required to maintain common areas and shared structures under Florida Statute 720. South Tampa’s older neighborhoods, aging waterfront condos along Bayshore Boulevard, and established communities in Brandon and Temple Terrace face persistent maintenance issues from humidity, tropical storms, and deferred repairs. When your association collects assessments but fails to address roof damage, drainage problems, or crumbling pool decks, LS Carlson Law holds your HOA accountable for its maintenance obligations. Contact us to explore your legal options.

Tampa Bay’s rapid growth has produced hundreds of master-planned communities—from FishHawk Ranch in Lithia to Watergrass in Wesley Chapel—each with detailed architectural standards and deed restrictions. Under § 720.305, homeowners must receive notice and an opportunity to be heard before an independent fining committee before fines can be imposed. When your HOA in Riverview, Land O’ Lakes, or New Tampa enforces CC&Rs arbitrarily or imposes fines without proper procedures, LS Carlson Law fights back on your behalf. Contact us to explore your legal options.

The federal Fair Housing Act and Florida Statute 760 protect Tampa Bay homeowners from discrimination based on race, religion, familial status, disability, and other protected classes. Tampa Bay’s diverse and rapidly growing population—with new communities attracting residents from across the country—makes fair housing compliance critical. When HOA boards engage in harassment, impose retaliatory fines against outspoken homeowners, or selectively enforce rules based on protected characteristics, LS Carlson Law takes aggressive action on your behalf. Contact us to explore your legal options.

High-rise condo living in downtown Tampa’s Channelside district and along Bayshore Boulevard, close-quarter subdivisions expanding rapidly through Riverview and Wesley Chapel, and waterfront communities on Davis Islands and Harbour Island create frequent neighbor conflicts over noise, shared walls, property boundaries, and amenity use. Florida’s nuisance laws provide remedies when a neighbor’s conduct substantially interferes with your use and enjoyment of your home, and your HOA’s governing documents may impose additional obligations. LS Carlson Law helps Tampa Bay homeowners navigate these disputes and reach fair resolutions. Contact us to explore your legal options.

Tampa Bay’s master-planned communities feature extensive amenity packages—resort-style pools, fitness centers, tennis courts, and community parks—that associations must maintain and fund properly. Rapidly growing communities in Wesley Chapel and Riverview are adding amenity phases while established communities in South Tampa and Brandon face aging pool decks, clubhouses, and common area infrastructure. Under § 720.303, associations must maintain proper records and fund reserves for major repairs and replacements. When your HOA blocks access to amenities, neglects maintenance, or improperly reallocates common area funds, LS Carlson Law fights to protect your rights. Contact us to explore your legal options.

Tampa Bay’s booming growth means many communities are transitioning from developer-controlled to homeowner-controlled boards, creating political dynamics that breed selective enforcement. In newer developments across Wesley Chapel, Riverview, and Land O’ Lakes, boards may target homeowners who question construction quality or budgets while ignoring identical violations by allies. Florida courts have consistently held that associations must apply covenants and restrictions uniformly. When your HOA targets you while overlooking the same violations by others, LS Carlson Law documents enforcement patterns and holds your board accountable. Contact us to explore your legal options.

Tampa Bay HOA boards have a duty to act in the best interests of the community. The region’s humid subtropical climate accelerates water intrusion, mold growth, and structural deterioration—and when boards fail to address these hazards, homeowners pay the price. Common negligence cases in Tampa Bay include unaddressed roof leaks leading to mold in Clearwater and St. Petersburg condos, ignored drainage issues flooding Riverview subdivisions, and deferred structural maintenance in South Tampa’s older communities. LS Carlson Law helps Tampa Bay homeowners hold negligent HOAs accountable for breaching their duty of care. Contact us to explore your legal options.

Florida Statute 720.306 establishes specific procedures for HOA elections, including notice requirements, voting procedures, and candidate eligibility. Tampa Bay’s newer communities face a particular risk: developers may manipulate elections to maintain board control beyond the statutory transition period, stacking boards with allies or restricting candidate eligibility. In established communities, entrenched boards use improper proxy handling and bylaw manipulation to block challengers. LS Carlson Law challenges fraudulent HOA elections and fights to protect homeowners’ democratic rights within their communities. Contact us to explore your legal options.

Florida Statute 163.04 protects homeowners’ right to install solar energy systems, and HOAs cannot prohibit solar collectors or other energy devices based on renewable resources. Despite this clear legal protection, HOAs in Tampa Bay’s newer master-planned communities frequently impose unreasonable conditions on solar panel placement—requiring lengthy architectural review, limiting panel visibility from the street, or demanding screening that reduces system efficiency. As Tampa Bay’s sunny climate drives increasing solar adoption, LS Carlson Law enforces your solar rights against overreaching associations. Contact us to explore your legal options.

Tampa Bay HOAs and condominiums are imposing unprecedented special assessments driven by post-Surfside building safety requirements, hurricane damage repairs, and skyrocketing insurance costs. Many Tampa Bay homeowners receive five- and six-figure assessment notices with little warning. Under § 720.308, associations must follow specific procedures for levying and collecting assessments. For condominiums, the new mandatory reserve funding requirements have eliminated the ability to waive reserves, driving sudden assessment spikes in older buildings along the coast and in Clearwater Beach. LS Carlson Law investigates the irregularities and challenges improper assessments on your behalf. Contact us to explore your legal options.

Tampa Bay sits squarely in Florida’s hurricane corridor, and the region’s communities face recurring storm damage from tropical storms and hurricanes moving through the Gulf of Mexico. When your HOA fails to maintain hurricane-resistant common elements, neglects required insurance coverage, or mishandles insurance proceeds after a storm, homeowners bear the consequences. Post-hurricane disputes over reconstruction timelines, emergency assessments, and insurance allocation are especially common—from waterfront communities on Davis Islands to inland subdivisions in Brandon and Riverview. LS Carlson Law helps Tampa Bay homeowners navigate post-storm disputes and hold their associations accountable. Contact us to explore your legal options.

How We Win

Our Proven Approach to Your Tampa HOA Dispute

A Bad HOATM won’t back down on its own. From your first call to final resolution, every case runs the same disciplined playbook — built to win.

A Bad HOATM won’t back down on its own. Here’s exactly how we take your case — and win it.

Schedule a Consultation
The Path
Consultation. Retention. Resolution.

During your initial consultation, we review the facts of your dispute, your governing documents, and any correspondence or violation notices you’ve received. Our Florida HOA attorneys assess your situation under Chapter 720 (homeowners’ associations) or Chapter 718 (condominiums), since the two operate under distinct statutory frameworks.

From there, we outline your strongest legal strategies—whether that points toward negotiation, mediation, or litigation—so you leave the consultation understanding exactly where you stand and what your options are.

Once you retain us, we send a formal Notice of Representation to your association, directing all communication through our office. You are no longer facing the board alone.

We then conduct a thorough analysis of your association’s compliance with Florida law—including assessment procedures (§ 720.308), election requirements (§ 720.306), and records and reserve obligations (§ 720.303). This due diligence often reveals additional violations that strengthen your position.

Florida requires the parties to attempt pre-suit mediation before filing most HOA disputes in court (§ 720.311). We prepare comprehensive mediation positions that clearly articulate the legal basis for your claims and use the process strategically to your advantage.

If mediation fails, we are fully prepared to litigate aggressively in Florida circuit court. As the prevailing party, you may recover your attorney’s fees under § 720.305.

Homeowners Ask. We Answer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Straight answers to the questions homeowners ask us most — from the only firm of its size that never represents associations, boards, or management companies.

HOA disputes in Tampa are filed in the Hillsborough County Circuit Court, located at 800 E. Twiggs Street in downtown Tampa. For homeowners in St. Petersburg and Clearwater, cases are filed in Pinellas County Circuit Court. Pasco County residents file in the Pasco County Circuit Court. Before filing suit, Florida Statute § 720.311 requires mandatory pre-suit mediation through the DBPR for most HOA disputes.

Tampa Bay homeowners face hurricane preparedness disputes (failure to maintain storm shutters, roof inspections, and drainage), flood zone compliance issues, rapid-growth community governance challenges in new developments, and condo building safety requirements under post-Surfside legislation. Tampa's explosive growth has also created disputes in newly built communities where developers retain board control longer than homeowners expect.

Yes. We represent homeowners throughout the Tampa Bay region, including Tampa, St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Brandon, Wesley Chapel, Land O' Lakes, Riverview, Lutz, Temple Terrace, and surrounding Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Pasco County communities.

Tampa has both HOAs (Chapter 720) and COAs/condominiums (Chapter 718). Condos face additional requirements for structural inspections, reserve funding, and DBPR oversight—especially after post-Surfside building safety legislation. Our attorneys handle both types of disputes throughout the Tampa Bay area.

Tampa Bay's rapid growth has created hundreds of new communities where developers retain board control during build-out. Under Florida law, developers must transition control to homeowners after 90% of lots are sold or seven years after incorporation, whichever comes first. During the developer-controlled period, boards may prioritize sales over community interests, defer maintenance, or award contracts to affiliated companies. Our attorneys enforce transition requirements and challenge developer misconduct in newly built Tampa Bay communities.

Florida's post-Surfside building safety legislation requires milestone structural inspections for condo buildings three stories or taller—at 25 years if within three miles of the coast, or 30 years otherwise. Tampa Bay's aging condo stock—particularly along Bayshore Boulevard, in Clearwater Beach, and on the St. Petersburg waterfront—is heavily impacted. These inspections are driving unprecedented special assessments for required structural repairs and mandatory reserve funding. Our attorneys help Tampa Bay condo owners challenge improper assessments and hold boards accountable for compliance.

Didn’t find your answer? Schedule a Consultation › or call (949) 421-3030
Results that speak for themselves

Recent Client Wins

1,000+
HOA Cases Won
and counting
Our Mission

Homeowner Empowerment

Empowerment is at the heart of everything we do — equipping you with the knowledge, the tools, and the legal muscle to stand up to any overreaching HOA. When homeowners know their rights and have a fiercely dedicated advocate at their side, unfair fines, arbitrary rules, and selective enforcement don’t stand a chance.

Three Ways to Get Empowered — Tap One
DIY Roadmap

Bad HOATM Book

We wrote the book on Bad HOAs… literally. In Bad HOATM, we distill years of legal warfare into a clear, no-nonsense guide designed to help homeowners understand their rights, stand their ground, and take legal action when necessary.

#1 Amazon Best Seller
Get Educated

Bad HOATM Podcast

Each episode delivers in-depth analysis of common homeowner grievances, interviews, and real-life situation assessments — a how-to resource for handling disputes and understanding the personalities inside your HOA. Bad HOATM equips you with the knowledge to ensure your HOA serves you.

Award-Winning Podcast
Join the Movement

Bad HOATM Subreddit

You’re not alone in the fight. Our Bad HOATM subreddit is a growing community of homeowners swapping hard-won advice, war stories, and wins against overreaching boards. Join the conversation, ask questions, and download our free Homeowner Empowerment Kit to walk into your next dispute prepared.

We believe that if you can resolve your HOA issue without needing an attorney, that’s a win.

Get Empowered Now

Articles, News & Resources

When Your Association Sends the Bill: How Florida Courts Evaluate Special Assessment Disputes
ARTICLE

When Your Association Sends the Bill: How Florida Courts Evaluate Special Assessment Disputes

The moment a special assessment arrives in your mailbox, the balance of power in your community can feel as though it has shifted. Understanding how Florida courts analyze these disputes — and what governance failures become central in litigation — is an essential first step.

Read More
Investigating Florida Special Assessments Before Filing Suit: A Pre-Litigation Guide for Homeowners
ARTICLE

Investigating Florida Special Assessments Before Filing Suit: A Pre-Litigation Guide for Homeowners

For many Florida homeowners, few events are as financially disruptive as receiving notice that their homeowners association or condominium board has levied a substantial special assessment. The period before a lawsuit is filed is often when the most consequential work occurs.

Read More
When the Board Comes for You: Retaliatory Enforcement in Florida Condominium Communities
ARTICLE

When the Board Comes for You: Retaliatory Enforcement in Florida Condominium Communities

There is a particular kind of condominium dispute that does not begin with a leaking roof or a delinquent assessment. It begins the moment a unit owner does something the board did not expect: asks to inspect the records, challenges an election result, or refuses to remain quiet at a board meeting.

Read More
When the Board Says No: Florida HOA Architectural Review Committee Abuse
ARTICLE

When the Board Says No: Florida HOA Architectural Review Committee Abuse

You spent months planning it. You measured the dimensions, researched the materials, and carefully drafted the application to your association's architectural review committee. You believed you were following the rules. Then the letter arrived: denied.

Read More
The Fine That Could Cost You Everything: Challenging Florida HOA Fines
ARTICLE

The Fine That Could Cost You Everything: Challenging Florida HOA Fines

It starts with a letter. Sometimes it arrives by certified mail. Other times it appears in your mailbox like a parking ticket. The notice informs you that the association has identified a violation, that a fine is being assessed, and that if you do not act, additional fines may follow.

Read More
The Rules They Chose Not to Enforce: How Selective Enforcement Claims Expose Florida HOAs in Court
ARTICLE

The Rules They Chose Not to Enforce: How Selective Enforcement Claims Expose Florida HOAs in Court

For many homeowners, selective enforcement is difficult to identify until a clear pattern emerges. Your neighbor parks the same boat trailer that earned you a violation notice. Two streets over, an aluminum fence that would never have passed your architectural review committee has stood undisturbed for three years.

Read More
Hurricane Damage and Your Florida Condo Association: Know Your Rights
ARTICLE

Hurricane Damage and Your Florida Condo Association: Know Your Rights

After a hurricane, Florida condo owners often face a second storm: the governance crisis inside the condominium association. Disputes over insurance, special assessments, reconstruction delays, and records access can determine whether owners absorb thousands in costs they never agreed to.

Read More
When the Bill Doesn't Add Up: How Florida Condo Owners Can Challenge Special Assessments
ARTICLE

When the Bill Doesn't Add Up: How Florida Condo Owners Can Challenge Special Assessments

The moment a special assessment notice arrives, many Florida condominium owners feel a familiar tightening in the chest. The number is large. The explanation is vague. The deadline is close. Buried somewhere in the fine print is the threat of a lien against the property if payment is not made on time.

Read More
When the Rules Become Weapons: Inside Florida HOA and Condominium Litigation
ARTICLE

When the Rules Become Weapons: Inside Florida HOA and Condominium Litigation

There is a moment in almost every serious HOA dispute when the homeowner realizes the conflict has changed. What started as a disagreement over a fence, a paint color, an unpaid fine, or a building repair has transformed into something more formal, more expensive, and consequential.

Read More
The Bill You Didn't Vote For: How Florida HOAs Use Special Assessments and How Homeowners Fight Back
ARTICLE

The Bill You Didn't Vote For: How Florida HOAs Use Special Assessments and How Homeowners Fight Back

There are few moments in homeownership more disorienting than opening a letter from your HOA and discovering that you owe thousands of dollars. The charge is not part of your regular dues and not a fee you anticipated. Instead, it is a special assessment imposed by a board you may not have elected

Read More

An Elite Strike Force in the Legal Industry

LS Carlson Law is proud to be considered an Elite Strike Force in the Legal Industry. We are comprised of battle-tested, highly skilled lawyers who operate with a single objective — to win.

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When you hire LS Carlson Law, you get aggressive Florida HOA attorneys who know Tampa Bay communities and Florida law inside and out. Call us now or fill out the form to set an appointment.

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