An HOA manager can track each violation by creating a Violation custom object in GoHighLevel with the notice, hearing, and cure dates, linked to the owner's contact record, and firing the next step from those dates. The bottom line: in Florida a fine can fail for a missed notice period, so the value of the system is that every step is dated and reminded before the deadline passes. Text messages are courtesy reminders, not the legal notice.
Why the dates matter in Florida
Florida's homeowners association statute, section 720.305, says a fine or suspension may not be imposed without at least 14 days' notice to the owner and an opportunity for a hearing before a committee of at least three members appointed by the board who are not officers, directors, or employees, or their close relatives. A Florida law blog says the notice must be written and sent to the address or email in the association's official records, and that under HB 1203, effective July 1, 2024, the hearing must be held within 90 days after the notice is issued, with the hearing allowed by telephone or electronic means.
A Fourth District Court of Appeal decision summarized by a law firm shows how strict it is. An association gave 13 days' notice instead of 14, the court declined to foreclose on its lien, and the fines of $7,500 were nullified. The court said substantial compliance was not enough. A Becker law firm article adds that if the owner cures the violation before the hearing or before the payment due date, the fine may not be collected. Other states have their own rules, so use your state's statute and your documents.
The dates on each violation
| Date field | What follows | Reminder |
|---|---|---|
| Hearing notice sent | At least 14 days must pass before the hearing | Task 14 days later that the hearing may be scheduled |
| Notice sent, 75 days later | The hearing must be held within 90 days in Florida | Alert to the manager if no hearing date is set |
| Hearing date | Committee hears the matter | Reminder to the owner and committee 7 days before |
| Day after hearing | The decision must be communicated in writing | Task to send the written decision |
| Cure deadline | A cured violation may not produce a collectible fine | Task to inspect on the cure date |
Build it in GoHighLevel
- In your GoHighLevel account, go to Settings, then Objects, and click Add Custom Object. Enter Violation as the singular name and Violations as the plural name, and label the primary field Violation Summary. Only admins can create objects, and the internal name cannot be changed later.
- Add the fields to the violation object: Violation type, Hearing notice sent, Hearing date, Cure deadline, and Status.
- Open the object's Associations tab and add an association to Contacts with the label Owner. GoHighLevel's documentation shows this flow for linking records, and one object can link to many contacts.
- Create a record for each violation and link it to the owner contact.
- In Automation, choose Create Workflow and pick the workflow based on your custom object.
- Add the Custom Date Reminder trigger. For object workflows, GoHighLevel says the date field selector shows date fields on the same object. Select the date field and add Before Number of Days set to 7.
- Add the Add Associated Records to Workflow action, choose Contact as the object type, filter by the Owner association label, and select the contact workflow that sends your message.
- Build the contact workflow with a Send Email action for the courtesy hearing reminder and an Add Task action for the manager.
- Build a separate object workflow with After Number of Days on the Hearing notice sent field, set to 14 and to 75, with Add Task actions for the manager.
- If the owner cures the violation, use the Remove Associated Records from Workflow action so the owner stops receiving hearing messages. GoHighLevel documents this action for stopping communications when conditions change.
Why the second workflow? GoHighLevel's support matrix lists conversations, bulk SMS, calendars, and payments as not supported for custom objects, and it lists emails to associated contacts as coming soon. The documented way to reach the owner is the Add Associated Records to Workflow action, which enrolls the linked contact in a normal contact workflow.
Courtesy reminder to send 7 days before the hearing
Subject: Reminder about your hearing on [hearing date]. Hi [first name], this is a reminder that your hearing about [violation summary] is scheduled for [hearing date]. The formal notice was sent to your address on record. If you have already corrected the issue, please tell us and send a photo.
What the workload looks like
A manager with 400 homes who opens violations on 5 percent of homes in a year has about 20 active violations. Each has four or five dated steps, roughly 90 deadlines a year (20 times 4.5). A single missed notice date can cost a fine, so putting every step on a reminder is cheaper than one lost case.
Mistakes to avoid
- Treating a text as legal notice. The statute requires written notice to the owner's address or email of record.
- Counting notice days loosely. The court decision above rejected 13 days when the statute says 14.
- Letting the 90 day hearing window pass. Add the 75 day alert.
- Holding hearings for cured violations. Remove cured owners from the workflow and record the closure.
Check before you switch it on
US text messages sent from a standard 10 digit number need A2P 10DLC registration. The HighLevel support portal says registration is required for texts to US recipients from 10 digit long code numbers and that toll free numbers do not require it. HighLevel's opt in guidelines also say a person cannot be forced to agree to text messages in order to submit a form, so keep the consent box optional. One compliance guide separates informational texts, which need documented consent, from marketing texts, which need prior express written consent. Ask your attorney which category your reminders fall into. This article describes Florida's process as reported by law firms and a law blog, and is not legal advice. Have your association attorney confirm notice timing, delivery method, and hearing procedures before you rely on any workflow. This is general information, not legal advice.
Questions people ask
How many days notice does Florida require before a fine hearing?
Section 720.305 says at least 14 days, and a court has held that 13 days was not enough.
Is a text message a valid notice?
Not by itself. A Florida law blog says the notice must be written and sent to the owner's address or email of record. Use GoHighLevel for reminders and tracking.
What if the owner fixes the problem?
A Florida law firm article says a fine may not be collected if the owner cures before the hearing or before the payment due date.
Ready to try it yourself? Start a GoHighLevel account here.
You can also see this in action in our GoHighLevel capabilities demo.