We are updating our old 1979 COA Documents. This will be completed by our Condo Owners Association (COA) lawyer Evan R. Bachove, Esquire. The average rewrite reduces the documents length into a much smaller package and includes modern changes and language.
Why Update the DOCS?
Statutory changes and evolving case law continuously reshape the interpretation, enforceability, and practical impact of a community association’s governing documents. Outdated provisions in these documents may expose the association and its members to significant liability and operational risk. Aging restrictions can also impede effective governance, leaving associations without the necessary rights, powers, and remedies to properly manage and protect the community.
The Board had voted to begin the process (Nov 2025). No documents have been updated as yet. The Membership will need to vote to approve the new Docs once they have been completed and reviewed by all.
UPDATE: The JLV Board has reviewed the changes with the lawyer and Property Manager (over several draft versions of the documents) and we have voted unanimously at the March 18th 2026 Board Meeting to proceeded with the Vote of the Membership to approve them.
COA governing documents are a set of legally binding rules and regulations that outline how a COA operates, defining the rights and responsibilities of homeowners within a community, including details about common areas, maintenance obligations, property restrictions, and financial aspects like dues and assessments; essentially acting as the “constitution” of the community, ensuring consistent management and property value maintenance across the development.
The old DOCs were written by the Developers 1979 before they began construction of our JLV community and a lot of the content no longer applies in today’s world. Just as an example the word “telegraph” is considered as a member contact option.
Key elements of COA governing documents:
- Declaration of Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions (CC&Rs): Considered the primary document, outlining the core rules and restrictions on property use, including architectural guidelines, parking regulations, pet policies, and limitations on alterations to the exterior of homes.
- Articles of Incorporation: Establishes the COA as a legal entity, including its name, purpose, location, and initial board members.
- Bylaws: Details the internal operations of the COA, such as how meetings are conducted, voting procedures, board member responsibilities, and amendment processes.
- Rules and Regulations: More detailed guidelines regarding day-to-day living within the community, including noise limitations, trash disposal and guest policies.
The Process
- Board approves the update project – Done
- The old scanned and PDF versions of the original documents are rewritten into Word Documents – Done
- The lawyer begins the updating of the legal language to all three documents. Done
- All previous Amendments that were attached to the documents become part of the new documents. Done
- The lawyer, the Property Manager and the Board review the new contents. Done
- The Board votes to approve the new documents and send them to the membership. Done
- Final draft of the documents are sent to the Membership so they can review them in detail and see all changes.
- The membership Votes to approve the new documents.
- Once approved the documents are submitted to Palm Beach County by our lawyer and they become our new governing documents.
Review this quick overview about Governing Documents: