Sugarhill


Property Owners Association
Working to make Sugarhill as sweet as it can be.
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What Happened to the POA Board Page?

Florida legislation is what happened.

When I first created the Sugarhill webpage back in late 2018, the rules about which association records could be shared online were very different from what they are today.

In the summer of 2024, Florida lawmakers made a major overhaul of HOA statutes. Some of these new requirements have created extra challenges for smaller communities like Sugarhill, but we’re working our way through them. To be fair, some of the updates are useful and probably somewhat overdue.

Before these changes, Sugarhill—being under 100 homes—was not required to keep certain sensitive documents, such as financial statements, behind a password-protected section of the website. That requirement only applied to condominium associations and larger HOAs with more than 100 units. Now, however, even small HOAs like ours must restrict access to specific website posted records.

It’s important to note that, since day one, we have been careful not to post any documents containing personal information such as homeowners’ names, phone numbers, or addresses. The only exception has been listing the names of board members, and even then, without their personal contact details. Unfortunately, the state doesn’t make exceptions for our cautious approach. Adding password protection would require programming knowledge in areas I don’t have—and, frankly, don’t plan to learn.

Even without the password system, uploading and organizing all these documents online is already a very time-consuming job that puts a heavy burden on whoever takes it on. Now, with the added requirements for security and password management, it becomes even more complex. The truth is, all of these records are already available at every board meeting—something that wasn’t consistently done in the past—so the information is still readily accessible to all members.

In the future we may bring back board members descriptions after we make sure all board members are 'on board' with that.


   by John Doty ©2025






We catch more flies with honey than vinegar.
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Who Want's to Catch Flies?

So this is a very old expression. Dates back to the 1500s. It's literal meaning refers to how flies will get stuck in honey and stay away from you (a good thing).

The human relationship meaning refers to how you treat people. Treat them with sweetness (kindness, compassion, consideration) and you don't have as many problems (flies bothering you). Treat them nasty (vinegar) and your problems will never go away.

We believe in this motto and try to live by it.


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Here is what electionbuddy.com told us
in a recent correspondence

Specifically for Florida, suffice it to say that the specifics of the statutes as they relate to electronic voting are 718.128 for Condominiums and 720.317 for HOA's. The highlights of these are addressed by the following:
  • We authenticate with 2 factor authentication, and unique keys to ensure the member is who they say they are.
  • For communication, we have been told that because of the ability to be on the internet, and the multi-channel capabilities of mobile browser, text message, email, postcard with QR code, email, internet, we comply with the communication statute.
  • We use 256 KB SSL to maintain a secure connection (to ensure the vote is authentic and not altered in transit).
  • We issue voting receipts (both email and downloadable).
  • We separate the voters choices from whether the voter voted, such that ballots are not tied to the unit holder.
  • Our vote by vote report allows the process to be recounted and ensures the election process is observable. And you have access to these results on an ongoing basis.
  • We can distribute notice both electronically and in print to support the notice requirements.