Property Turnover And Condition Assessments

Developer Turnover Process

Florida Statute 718.031 (Chapter 718 Condominiums) requires that once a specified number of condominium units are sold to non-developer homeowners, they are entitled to elect at least a majority of the Association’s board of director seats. When this occurs, the Developer must turn over to the Association specific documents and records, including a Turnover Inspection Report.
It is important to note that this Developer provided turnover inspection report is separate to those reports that the Association may produce as part of a construction defects claim (Chapter 558 Construction Defects). See Frequently Asked Questions below for more details.

Developer Turnover Inspection Report

To produce a turnover inspection report, a Florida Registered Architect or Florida licensed Professional Engineer must first visually inspect the building’s Structural, Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing, and Fire Protection systems. They must then prepare a report that identifies and attests to the required maintenance, useful life, and replacement costs of the applicable Condominium common elements.

These common elements are defined by the Florida statutes and include the Roof, the Structure (including load-bearing walls, primary structural members, and primary structural systems), Fireproofing and fire protection systems, Elevators, Heating and Cooling Systems, Plumbing, Electrical Systems, Swimming pool or spa and equipment, Seawalls, Pavement and parking areas, Drainage systems, Painting, Irrigation Systems, and Waterproofing.

As of June 2022, the Florida legislature requires that the Developer also provide a Milestone Inspection Report (see <>) at the time of turnover. This report must be signed and sealed by a Florida Registered Architect or Florida licensed Professional Engineer who shall perform a visual examination of habitable and non-habitable areas of the building, including the major structural components of a building, and provide a qualitative assessment of the structural conditions of the building (see <> for report requirements).

Whether you are a property owner, manager, community association, Building Mavens’ licensed professionals are available to cover your Turnover and Milestone Inspection needs.

Property Condition Assessments

A property condition assessment (or PCA), also known as a Due Diligence Inspection, is a visual inspection of a property to identify and document the general physical condition and quality of improvements, usually with the intent to sell the property. This allows owners and purchasers alike to detect and present any deficiencies that could have an adverse effect on the property’s cash flow, function, marketability, or value.

Some clients may request a Facility Condition Assessment (or FCA) for their own planning and budgeting purposes outside of any purchase period. This assists owners, who plan to maintain property ownership for a significant period, find the assessments useful for planning capital improvements.

Whether you need a PCA for the sale of your property, or an FCA to plan capital improvements, Building Mavens’ professionals have the necessary skills and expertise to assist you. As good practice, our engineers and inspectors recognize ASTM E2018-99 Standard Guide for Property Condition Assessments: Baseline Property Condition Assessment Process as the standard for performing assessments.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Developer Turnover of Condominium Associations process in Florida?

Developer Turnover is the transfer of control of residential associations from developers to homeowners. In Florida, this process is regulated for Condominiums by statute 718.031 Transfer of association control; claims of defect by association. The statute requires developers to turn over control of the board of directors to homeowners when a certain threshold of units within a condominium has been sold to non-developer homeowners. Moreover, developers are required to provide associations with specific documents and reports, including an engineering report. The engineering report is a critical document that identifies and attests to the required maintenance, useful life, and replacement costs of specific applicable common elements, based on an inspection by a Florida Registered Architect or Florida licensed Professional Engineer.

What is a Property Turnover Report for condominiums in Florida?

Unlike the Developer Turnover Report required by Florida Statute 718, the condominium owner’s Association (COA) may choose to perform their own evaluation of the property and produce a report identifying alleged construction defects for a claim pursuant to Florida Statute 558 (Chapter 558 Construction Defects). Like the Turnover Inspection Report, the report must be prepared by a Florida Registered Architect or Florida licensed Professional Engineer. Unlike the Turnover Inspection Report, the Property Turnover Report identifies the location of the alleged defects, explains the issue and potential impact, and provides a recommendation for either further investigation or repair.