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HOA Spy’s review of Florida court and county records counts 10,296 foreclosure suits brought by associations against their members and 460,412 claims of lien recorded against homes. The figures indicate how association collections can threaten owners’ ability to sell or refinance, but they do not show how many homes were ultimately lost or establish the associations’ overall effect on housing affordability.
Florida homeowners’ and condominium associations have brought 10,296 foreclosure suits against their own members, according to a new tally by HOA Spy based on court and county records. The report also counts 460,412 recorded claims of lien, raising concerns about how association debt can complicate home sales and refinancing, though the filing totals do not establish how many owners lost their homes.
HOA Spy says its index covers 104,659 Florida associations. Of those, 27,377 have a unit count on file, representing a combined 1,518,436 homes. The report counts 48,999 court records naming an association, 277,047 lis pendens filings and 6,661 associations whose corporate status has lapsed or fallen out of standing. These measures describe records and entities, not necessarily unique households or homes.
The foreclosure suits in the tally were filed by associations against members in 2,695 communities, or 2.6% of the associations in HOA Spy’s index, the report says. It distinguishes these cases from lender foreclosures that name an association: HOA Spy counts 1,629 of those. The site says association-filed suits peaked at 875 in 2009; it lists 599 in 2025, the last full year, and 667 in 2026 so far. The 2026 number is partial and should not be compared directly with a full year.
Under Florida law, associations can place liens for unpaid assessments and pursue foreclosure, with separate provisions for homeowners’ associations and condominium associations. HOA Spy says an initial balance can grow through interest, late charges, collection costs and attorney fees. It also argues that a recorded lien can obstruct a sale or refinancing until the debt is resolved. The report’s lien totals draw on county recorder indexes, including Broward and Miami-Dade.
How Association Debt Can Restrict Sales
The figures point to a housing pressure that can operate even when a foreclosure does not end in a home being taken. A lien can create a title and financing obstacle, according to HOA Spy, while a foreclosure suit can put an owner under pressure to resolve a debt or face a court process. That can narrow an owner’s options at a time when selling, refinancing or remaining in a home may already be difficult.
The scale matters to Florida residents because associations are widespread and collect assessments to maintain and insure communities. Their ability to collect those dues supports shared expenses, but enforcement can have serious consequences for individual owners. The report documents filings; it does not quantify how many transactions were delayed, how many owners paid to clear liens, or how much the activity affects statewide home prices and availability.
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What the Filing Counts Show
HOA Spy frames the housing crisis around three issues: home cost, homes available for sale, and whether residents can remain. Its report focuses on the third issue and on the ways liens may affect a property’s ability to change hands. The underlying counts come from official court dockets and county records, according to the site, while some dues and price figures elsewhere in its report come from outside sources.
A foreclosure filing is not the same as a completed foreclosure. HOA Spy explicitly says most association suits end when the owner or the owner’s lender pays. Likewise, a recorded lien is a claim in public records, not proof that a property was sold, that a refinancing failed, or that an owner ultimately lost a home. The distinction is necessary when interpreting the large totals.
“A foreclosure suit is not a lost home — most end when the owner, or the owner’s lender, pays.”
— HOA Spy
foreclosure prevention for homeowners
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What the Records Cannot Establish
The tally does not say how many of the 10,296 suits resulted in foreclosure, how many were resolved through payment, or how many distinct homes are represented across repeated filings. It also does not establish how many recorded liens remain active or prevented a completed sale or refinance. HOA Spy says suits and liens are counts of filings, not homes lost.
The figures are presented by a private data site, and the supplied report does not include an independent audit or responses from Florida association representatives, housing researchers or state officials. The claim that association practices make the wider housing crisis worse is an interpretation of the records, not a measured estimate of their effect on affordability, inventory or displacement.
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Further Data Needed on Outcomes
The immediate next step for readers assessing the report is to distinguish the published filing totals from case outcomes and current property status. HOA Spy links communities to individual records, according to its report, allowing users to examine local filings. The 2026 count will also change as additional records are filed and recorded.
A fuller measure of housing impact would require tracking how suits conclude, whether liens are released, and whether owners were forced to sell or leave. Until those outcomes are established, the report offers a record-based account of association enforcement in Florida, but not a complete count of homes lost or a statewide measure of its contribution to housing costs.
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Key Questions
How many foreclosure suits did Florida associations bring against members?
HOA Spy counts 10,296 suits brought by associations against their members, across 2,695 communities. A suit is a filing and does not by itself mean the owner lost the home.
How many association liens does the report count?
The report counts 460,412 claims of lien recorded against homes in the county indexes it collects. That total does not show how many liens remain active or led to a failed sale or refinance.
Did all of the foreclosure suits result in homes being taken?
No. HOA Spy says most suits end when the owner or the owner’s lender pays. The report does not provide a count of completed foreclosures or homes lost.
What do association liens mean for homeowners?
HOA Spy says a lien can complicate a sale or refinancing until the debt is resolved. The report does not quantify how often that happens or whether a particular lien remains active.
Source: hn
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