A resident-run website says homeowners at Medley at Southshore Bay have been charged a $30 “Letter Admin Fee” whenever they are charged the $25 late fee, and questions whether Florida law allows it.[1][2]
Why it matters: If both charges apply, a late payment costs $55, not the $25 the site says the Declaration provides.[1] The Dispatch has not reviewed the collections policy, the management contract or the Association’s ledgers. The figures below are as published by MedleyMembers.net, a community-run site not affiliated with the Association.
| Year | Budgeted | Collected | Manager |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $0 | $9,410.48 | ICON |
| 2025 | $0 | $32,673.59 | Castle |
| 2026 (about half year) | $0 | $20,725 | Castle |
The site reads these from the Association’s financial statements.[1] The comparison has limits. The two managers used different ledger codes, and the figures do not say how much of each year’s total is letter fees. The site also says the Association initially offered a late-fee hiatus while the new portal was set up.[1]
MedleyMembers argues the letter fee is unlawful under a 2020 Florida appeals court decision, Williams v. Salt Springs Resort Association (5th DCA, June 12, 2020).[1][3] In that case, a condominium owner sued over a published list of delinquent owners. The court reversed a dismissal and held she had sufficiently alleged her assessments were a “consumer debt” under the Florida Consumer Collection Practices Act (FCCPA).[3][4]
Law-firm summaries say the court did not hold that all association assessments are automatically consumer debts. They say the answer depends on the facts of each case.[3][5] The summaries reviewed do not mention letter fees, and the case involved a condominium association. Some summaries read it to reach homeowners associations too.[4] Whether the FCCPA applies to Southshore Bay’s fee is a legal question the Dispatch cannot answer.
This story concerns Medley at Southshore Bay. The Dispatch has seen no reporting of a letter fee at other Medley communities.
Policy language, fee amounts and ledger figures are attributed to MedleyMembers.net and have not been independently verified. Williams is cited as described in law-firm summaries; the Dispatch has not reviewed the opinion text. Corrections: contact the editor.
A Florida bill that would have stopped developers from collecting mandatory club fees under threat of a lien died in a Senate committee on March 13, 2026.[1][3]
Why it matters: In some communities, a developer or an outside owner controls the pool, clubhouse or fitness center. Homeowners can be required to pay monthly fees for it. If they don’t pay, the fee can become a lien on their home.[2] SB 1498 would have limited that practice and made the fees subject to the same profit limits as HOA assessments.[2]
By the numbers:
SB 1498 was a broad “Community Associations” bill. Its homeowner-association provisions would have written the 2023 Avatar v. Gundel ruling into state law, according to the Senate staff analysis.[2]
Zoom in on the amenity-fee provisions:[2]
Between the lines: The analysis says the Avatar ruling left “some uncertainty” about such fees, because club arrangements vary across communities. The bill was meant to settle that statewide.[2]
Also in the bill: recording rules for condominium video-conference meetings, electronic voting changes, structural reserve study conforming changes, open HOA records for members, and misdemeanor penalties for withholding records from law enforcement.[2]
The bill traces to Avatar Properties, Inc. v. Gundel, 372 So. 3d 715 (Fla. 6th DCA 2023), a case from Solivita, a 55-plus community of about 5,500 homes straddling Osceola and Polk counties.[2][4]
Between the lines: Senate staff described the bill’s purpose as codifying that holding in statute.[2]
Sponsors. Sen. Jennifer Bradley (R-Fleming Island) sponsored the bill. She chairs the Senate Regulated Industries Committee and has HOA-law expertise, according to Seeking Rents and the Orlando Sentinel. Sens. Jim Boyd (R-Bradenton) and Ileana Garcia (R-Miami) were listed as co-introducers.[1][4][6]
Boyd’s role. Boyd was named Senate president-designate on Oct. 14, 2025, and is set to lead the Senate for the 2027 and 2028 sessions.[9] At the committee hearing he called the bill “a really good fix,” according to Seeking Rents. The outlet also reported that Boyd said the Senate has to get its House colleagues to agree to get the bill across the finish line.[6]
Timeline:[1]
The reporting reviewed for this story gives no reason the bill stopped in Appropriations.
The other side. The Sentinel reported that developers tried to counter the Avatar ruling with legislation in 2024 and 2025, and that Bradley played a key role in keeping that legislation, which the Sentinel said Lennar’s lobbyists promoted and wrote, from passing.[4] Seeking Rents reported that a lobbyist emailed proposed amenity-fee language to a Florida Senate staffer and that the document referenced Lennar. It also reported that 2025’s SB 1118 appeared eight weeks after homeowners sued Lennar over club fees at ChampionsGate.[7] The Sentinel reported that Lennar and other developers were silent on the issue during the 2026 session.[4] Seeking Rents reported that the reforms had yet to gain traction in the House, where some top Republicans tried to side with Lennar in 2025.[6] Medley Dispatch has not independently verified these reports.
The bill did not become law, so nothing changed. The Avatar ruling still stands, and current law already gives owners some tools. Here is what to check in your own community:
Not legal advice. A Florida community-association attorney can tell you how Avatar applies to your documents.
Separate law, same session. SB 1180 (Ch. 2026-164), effective July 1, 2026, created a recall process for certain community development district supervisors. Read the enacted text for who can be recalled and on what grounds.[10]
The big picture: Passing its first Senate committee 7-0 did not save the bill. Its fate next year depends on who presides and whether the House moves.[1]
Bottom line: The Avatar ruling stands, but there is still no statewide statute behind it. Whether 2027 changes that is open.
Avatar Properties, Inc. v. Gundel, 372 So. 3d 715 (Fla. 6th DCA 2023), is cited as described in the Senate staff analysis. Senate bill and staff-analysis pages re-checked Oct. 12, 2026. Correction, Oct. 15, 2026: an earlier version said the ChampionsGate case was terminated Dec. 15, 2025 after Lennar compelled arbitration. The federal docket shows the case was remanded to state court on March 5, 2026. Corrections: contact the editor.
Medley residents will see two kinds of elections this fall, and they are not the same thing. One is for the homeowners association (HOA) board. The other is for the board of a Community Development District (CDD). The CDD seats are on the official county ballot on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, alongside the statewide and county races.
A CDD is a unit of local government. CDDs are created under Chapter 190 of the Florida Statutes. A CDD's governing body is a five-member Board of Supervisors (not senators). Once a district meets the statutory thresholds, supervisors are elected by the district's qualified electors, meaning registered voters who live in the district, at the November general election. The races are nonpartisan, terms are four years, and the county Supervisor of Elections runs the election. Supervisors may be paid up to $4,800 per year, according to the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections fact sheet. CDD assessments typically appear on the annual property tax bill.
An HOA is a private nonprofit corporation. Its board is elected by members under the association's governing documents and Chapter 720, Florida Statutes. HOA elections are run by the association, not by the county elections office, and do not appear on the county ballot.
A CDD vote is a vote in a government election. It will not be mailed to you by your HOA or its manager. It arrives with your county ballot, or you will see it at the polls.
Candidate information below comes from the county elections offices' official lists. Seats where only one candidate qualified are not contested. Hillsborough's certified list states that a lone name for a nonpartisan office does not appear on the ballot. Pasco's list marks such candidates "Unopposed." Check your county sample ballot to see exactly what you will vote on.
Source: Pasco County Supervisor of Elections, 2026 Local Candidates list dated 9/16/2026, 1:05 PM. Mirada has two districts on the list: Mirada CDD and Mirada II CDD. Your property tax bill shows which district your home is in.
| District | Seat | Candidate(s) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mirada CDD | 3 | Preston M. Baker; Kimberly M. Ivory | Contested (both Qualified) |
| Mirada CDD | 4 | William G. Babcock | Unopposed |
| Mirada CDD | 5 | John G. Lullen | Unopposed |
| Mirada II CDD | 1 | Donald Ellsworth | Unopposed |
| Mirada II CDD | 2 | Daniel V. Mora | Unopposed |
Source: Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections, certified local contests for the November 3 general election. The Hillsborough list shows one Southshore Bay CDD.
| District | Seat | Candidate(s) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southshore Bay CDD | 1 | Susan E. Rizos | Only one name; does not appear on the ballot |
| Southshore Bay CDD | 2 | Diane C. Anderson; Kathleen Robinson | Contested |
Hillsborough's CDD fact sheet says the term begins November 17, 2026.
No Angeline CDD seat appears on Pasco's 2026 Local Candidates list dated 9/16/2026.
Prosperity Lakes is in Parrish, Manatee County. The Manatee County Supervisor of Elections' list of CDDs up for election in 2026 does not include a Prosperity Lakes CDD.
Source: Pasco County Supervisor of Elections, 2026 Local Candidates list dated 9/16/2026, 1:05 PM. Pasco's special districts page lists two Connerton districts, Connerton East CDD and Connerton West CDD. Only Connerton West CDD appears on the candidate list. Medley Dispatch has not confirmed which district covers the Medley neighborhood in Connerton.
| District | Seat | Candidate(s) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Connerton West CDD | 3 | Christopher Kawalec | Unopposed |
| Connerton West CDD | 4 | Roger H. Smith | Unopposed |
| Connerton West CDD | 5 | Daniel L. Novak | Unopposed |
Pasco's 2026 Local Candidates list does not show a district under the name "New Port Corners." Medley Dispatch has not confirmed which district, if any, covers this neighborhood.
Medley Dispatch will update this article if the CDD districts covering these neighborhoods are confirmed.
Turnout in a midterm year is lower than in a presidential year. In Pasco County's 2022 general election, official turnout was 54.75 percent. In this August's primary, Pasco turnout was closer to 20 percent, according to Florida Division of Elections data reported by Bay News 9. The CDD seat is on the same ballot as the other races, so a voter who skips the ballot also skips the CDD seat.
Candidate lists reflect the official sources as of the dates shown. Medley Dispatch does not endorse any candidate. Corrections: contact the editor.
On September 18, 2026, Hillsborough County Circuit Judge Darren D. Farfante signed a Final Approval Order, Declaratory Judgment, and Judgment of Dismissal with Prejudice in Cassels v. Southshore Bay Club, LLC, et al. (Case No. 25-CA-006257, Thirteenth Judicial Circuit). It approves a class settlement that permanently bars ten club companies from asserting a lien or starting a foreclosure action for unpaid Club Dues under Section 9 of their Club Plans.[1] The order was filed at 11:49 a.m. that day, four days after a September 14 fairness hearing.[1]
Who is covered. The settlement class is everyone who currently owns a home, as of the date the court approved the settlement, in Angeline, Brightwater, Curiosity Creek, Diamond Springs, Epperson, Mirada, Sandal Key, Seaire or Southshore Bay.[1][2] Those nine are the communities listed in the Settlement Agreement’s definitions of “Community” and “Club Plans.” The ten defendants are the club companies for those communities plus Normandy Club, LLC; the Agreement’s definitions do not list a Normandy community.[2][3]
What changes. The order requires the clubs to repeal Section 9 of the Club Plans within 45 days of the Court’s entry of a Judgment. Counting from September 18, Medley Dispatch calculates that deadline as Monday, November 2, 2026. The clubs keep their right under Section 15 to suspend membership rights for unpaid Club Dues, on the terms set out in that section.[1] Class members receive the relief automatically; no claim is required.[3]
What the order does not do. It does not say Club Dues are optional. It addresses liens and foreclosure under Section 9 and says nothing about other ways to collect. The Agreement states that the relief, which is injunctive only, “does not affect Settlement Class Members’ ability to seek other relief against Defendants,” and the class release expressly excludes claims for monetary damages. The two named plaintiffs, by contrast, released their own monetary claims.[2] No money goes to class members. The court found that no class notice, opt-out or objection right was required, and the order binds all class members.[1] The defendants deny liability and kept their right to compel individual arbitration and to strike class allegations.[1][2]
Who pays. The defendants pay. The Agreement sets attorneys’ fees and costs at no more than $175,000 (no more than $150,000 for the Southshore claims and $25,000 for all other clubs) and $5,000 to each plaintiff, Karen Cassels and Tracey Roth, due within 35 days after the Effective Date. The Effective Date is the 35th business day after entry of the Judgment if no appeal is filed.[2] The court approved $175,000 and the two $5,000 payments.[1]
How the case got here. Cassels and Roth sued Southshore Bay Club, LLC alone on July 1, 2025, seeking an injunction and damages for alleged violations of section 720.308, Florida Statutes. On November 20, 2025, the court ruled that Southshore had not waived its right to compel arbitration. On July 24, 2026, the plaintiffs filed an amended complaint against all ten defendants on behalf of a putative class.[3] The settlement papers record the defendants’ assertion that the operational clubs have suffered substantial losses on Club Dues.[2]
The MetroLagoons name. The order, the Joint Motion and the Settlement Agreement identify the defendants only by their club-company names and refer to “Club Plans” and “Club Dues.” They do not use the word “lagoon” or the name MetroLagoons. MetroLagoons’ website says that, beginning May 1, 2026, Club Dues for residents of Epperson, Mirada, Southshore Bay and Brightwater are paid directly to MetroLagoons through a separate account.[4] The filings reviewed do not state who owns or operates the ten defendants or how they relate to MetroLagoons.
An open letter. A letter to Southshore Bay residents attributed to plaintiff Karen Cassels says the settlement also prevents debt collection for unpaid lagoon fees and allows only suspension of lagoon membership. The order and the Settlement Agreement do not say that.[5]
What the documents do not show. The order’s own date line is blank. This article counts from the September 18 e-signature and filing stamp; the Hillsborough Clerk’s docket lists the order as Document 80, with a September 18 clock-in date and a September 22 entry-creation date.[1] Nothing reviewed shows whether an appeal has been filed, and the 45-day repeal deadline has not yet passed. Medley Dispatch has not reviewed the Club Plans themselves, so the content of Sections 9 and 15 is taken from the order and the Agreement. It has also not reviewed the Amended Complaint.
Questions Medley Dispatch has not seen answered: How and when will each club amend its Club Plan, and where will the amendments be recorded? Will any party appeal?
On September 15, 2026, two quitclaim deeds conveyed Lagoon Villas land to Medley at Mirada Community Association, Inc. Both were recorded September 21. A Board email sent through ICON describes one of the parcels, Tract C, as the Lagoon Villas “Tiki Bar” amenities area.[4]
The deeds. Instr. 2026176854 (OR BK 11497 PG 111–112), from Lennar Homes, LLC, conveys Tracts A, B-1, B-2, B-3, B-4, C and D of Mirada Lagoon Villas Active Adult (Plat Book 97, Page 32) for $10. Instr. 2026176855 (OR BK 11497 PG 113–115), from Lencore, LLC and CRCG Two, LP, conveys Tract A-1 parcels in several Active Adult phases. On the copy reviewed, the second deed bears only a Lencore signature block.[1] The plat, with an ownership certificate signed October 31, 2024, already reserved Tracts A, B-1 through B-4, C and D for later conveyance to the Association, which would then maintain them.[2]
What residents were told. A December 10, 2025 notice from the Club's general manager said a $35.31 monthly fee, charged once the Tiki Bar at the Lagoon Villas opens, was required of all residents and “cannot be opted out of, as the Tiki Bar located at the lagoon villas is considered part of the overall club plan.” It described the Tiki Bar as part of the broader clubhouse facilities under the standard Club dues, and said Club expenses are not required to be disclosed.[3]
What the Board says now. The Board email says Tract C was conveyed on September 15 and that the Board “will be reviewing how best to manage the property.” Next steps listed are a request for proposals from a property or hospitality management company, a food and beverage license, insurance and a grand opening. The email does not mention the Club or the $35.31 fee.[4]
The budgets. The three 2026 Association budgets Medley Dispatch reviewed (Single Family, Villas, and common area) have no line for amenity operations, staffing, a food and beverage license or Tract C.[5]
What the documents do not show. No document reviewed says whether the $35.31 will still be charged, or by whom. The Club Plan itself was not available for this report, so Medley Dispatch cannot say whether the Tiki Bar is or is not within it; no recorded Club Plan amendment reviewed adds Tract C to Club Property. The deeds give tract letters, not names, so the identification of Tract C with the Tiki Bar rests on the Board email. Who will pay to operate Tract C is not stated in any document reviewed.
Questions Medley Dispatch has not seen answered: Will the $35.31 be billed, and by whom? Who will operate Tract C? Which budget line funds it?
On September 11, 2026, an Amendment to the Bylaws of Medley at Mirada Community Association was recorded in Pasco County (Instr. 2026170791, OR BK 11492 PG 781–782). That was five days before the September 16 Turnover election.[3] Lencore, LLC, the Declarant, signed it on September 9 through Vice President Keith Malcuit. The amendment was prepared by Mankin Law Group of Clearwater.[1]
What changed. The amendment strikes one sentence from Bylaws §12.3: “Any change in the number of Directors shall not take effect until the next Annual Members Meeting.” The rest of §12.3 is untouched on the two pages reviewed.[1]
Why the sentence mattered. Under §12.3 as originally recorded, after Turnover a majority of the Board acting alone may change the number of Directors and their terms, with no member approval. The struck sentence made any change in the number of Directors wait for the next Annual Members Meeting.[2] Bylaws §4.1 sets the Board at no fewer than three and no more than five directors, and §4.2 provides that the members elect three directors on the Turnover Date, with terms of one, two and three years.[2] As Medley Dispatch reads the amended §12.3, a Board majority may now change the number of Directors and their terms without waiting for that meeting.[1]
Authority. The amendment recites that §12.2 lets the Declarant amend the Bylaws until Turnover occurs. Section 12.2 allows the Declarant to amend “without the joinder or consent of any person or entity whatsoever” before Turnover.[2] The amendment was signed and recorded before the September 16 election, so on its face it falls within that power. This article does not allege that it is invalid.
What the documents do not show. The amendment gives no reason for the change. Nothing reviewed shows that the Board has changed, or proposed to change, its size or the terms of its members. The Declarant's power to amend the Bylaws alone ended with the Turnover; from then on, changes need the Board and, for most subjects, the members.[2]
The question for the Board: Is any change to the number of Directors or their terms under consideration, and if so, on what schedule?
A Fifth Amendment to the Community Declaration for Medley at Mirada was recorded in Pasco County on May 7, 2026 (Instr. 2026085484, OR BK 11416 PG 1020, 7 pages). Lencore, LLC signed it as Declarant on May 5. The instrument identifies the Association, Lennar Homes, LLC and Millrose Properties Florida as joining parties; the four pages reviewed bear the Declarant's signature only. Recital C states that the Turnover had not yet occurred.[1]
What it does. As Medley Dispatch reads it, the amendment designates all Lagoon Villa Lots as Townhome Lots and creates a separate “Lagoon Villa Neighborhood” (§3.8.2). New §10.16 treats master-metered potable water for Lagoon Villa Lots as a Neighborhood Expense of that Neighborhood, and provides that owners do not receive itemized water bills.[1]
What the Association's books show. The Association's July 2026 income statement carries an account, “Lagoon Villa Potable & Irrigation Water” (07335-00), with $3,804.64 expensed in July and the same amount year-to-date. The budget column for that account shows $0, and the statement's annual operating budget remains $3,128,343, the total of the three 2026 budgets approved earlier in the year. The June 2026 statement has no such account.[3]
The precedent. The Declaration’s Second Amendment (Instr. 2020179077) took the same approach for irrigation water at the Townhome Neighborhood. Its §10.15 puts that cost on a master meter, split in equal shares, with no itemized bills and no way to prorate by lot.[2] That cost has a budget line: “Irrigation Water – Villas (TH),” $16,900.[4]
What the documents do not show. The records reviewed do not show how Lagoon Villa water is metered, how its cost is divided among homes, what period the $3,804.64 covers, or whether and how it is billed to owners. August and September statements were not available. The Declarant, not a resident Board, put §10.16 in place; the Turnover election followed on September 16.
Known, and unresolved. The Turnover Committee’s August 25 update to members described the Lagoon Villa water meter issue as previously identified and still unresolved, and said the Finance Subcommittee had asked for documentation on Lennar’s response and financial responsibility.[5] As of October 1, Medley Dispatch has seen no document showing it has been resolved.
Questions Medley Dispatch has not seen answered: Which meters and accounts does §10.16 cover? How will the cost be allocated among Lagoon Villa lots? Which budget line carries it, and will that budget be amended? Who pays for water on lots the Declarant or builder still owns?
At Medley at Mirada, two Troon-linked companies appear in resident materials: ICON Management Services manages the Association, and True Club Management manages the Club. Florida corporate records show they answer to the same parent.
Troon announced its acquisition of ICON Management Services in May 2022.[1] The state Division of Corporations record for TRUE CLUB MANAGEMENT, LLC (document M06000003297) lists a single member: TROON GOLF, LLC.[2] Troon Golf, LLC's listed address, 15044 N Scottsdale Rd, Suite 300, Scottsdale, is the headquarters address Troon uses in its own business listings.[3]
The 09.2025 Welcome Packet (p. 5) names both: ICON for the HOA and True Club Management for the Club.[4]
What the HOA's ICON contract says. The Management Agreement was executed May 15, 2019. It is a private contract, not a recorded instrument. Either party may terminate without cause on 30 days' written notice. The fee is $750 per month or $9.95 per home, whichever is greater, and after the first term the agreement says the fee increases 3% annually unless otherwise agreed in writing (§12). Lennar entities are third-party beneficiaries of the manager's indemnification obligations (§16.2). Under §20, the Association may not hire ICON personnel during the agreement or for two years after, with a $5,000-per-employee payment if it does. The Association's notice address is in care of Lennar Homes LLC.[5]
A names note. Troon's brand materials refer to "True Club Solutions." The state registry has a separate entity, TRUE CLUB SOLUTIONS LLC (M25000008728), filed June 17, 2025. Mirada's own materials say True Club Management, and that is the entity this article verified.[2]
What the records do not show. Nothing reviewed alleges wrongdoing, and common ownership is not itself improper. The records reviewed do not describe the terms of the True Club contract, and the Club's 12/31/25 profit-and-loss statement lists a $60,000 "Club Management Fee" without naming the payee. Whether any decision at Mirada was affected by the shared parent is not something these documents answer.
Why it matters: when a board weighs advice or financial reporting from its manager and the Club operator, it helps to know the two share an owner. Residents can ask the Board two plain questions at an open meeting: who is paid the Club management fee, and under what written agreement.
By the second hour, six people had agreed on something nobody had checked. By the sixth, no one had corrected it. When someone finally demanded proof — a home address — what came back was real. It just wasn't his.
On September 1, inside a private Facebook group serving Medley at Mirada, a post announced that the editor of a community newspaper was "fake," that he didn't live in the community, and that his work existed to stir up drama. No source. No verification. No pause.
The claim was right about one thing: the editor isn't a Mirada resident. He isn't a member of that group, either. He couldn't see the thread, couldn't answer the accusation, and couldn't correct the record. The only people who could were Mirada residents, and they didn't.
Two hours in, five members had repeated the claim as if repetition were evidence. An administrator added a two-word confirmation — no documentation, no check. A resident who actually knew the facts corrected the thread. It didn't change anything. The claim kept moving.
Calling an ordinary neighbor "fake" is reckless. Calling a newspaper editor "fake" is something else entirely. Editors work in a world where credibility is currency. A false claim about identity or residency doesn't just bruise feelings — it undermines the legitimacy of the publication, the reporting behind it, and the trust readers place in documented information. And it carries real risk for whoever repeats an unverified claim publicly, not just for the person it targets.
The sequence is the point: an assertion, repetition, escalation to personal information, no correction even after the truth appeared in the same thread. It's the standard pattern of online harassment — a cheap claim, amplified because it's easy, drifting toward a demand for identifying details aimed at someone who had no way to see the thread at all.
Social psychology has a term for what happened next: diffusion of responsibility. The more people who witness something, the less likely any one of them is to act, each assuming someone else will. A thread with dozens of members and exactly one correction fits that definition cleanly.[1]
An ordinary member repeating an unverified claim is predictable — the bystander pattern explains it. An administrator is different: the role carries the authority to remove a post, require a source, or correct the record for everyone at once. Here, the administrator reinforced the claim instead. When another resident defended the editor — who wasn't in the group and had no way to respond — the administrator asked her for her home address, despite having met her in person. No correction followed. No removal. No use of the authority that existed.
Researchers studying how information spreads online found that falsehoods travel farther, faster, and more broadly than accurate information — not because of bots, but because people repeat them.[2] This thread followed that pattern precisely: five repetitions in two hours, one person asking whether any of it was true.
Verification would have taken minutes: a direct question to someone who actually knew the account holder, or simply asking the original poster for a source. Neither happened before the claim reached six participants.
Medley Dispatch covers five Tampa Bay–area Medley communities and applies one standard to every claim it publishes: primary source documentation, or it doesn't run. This thread is a routine example of what private groups allow — not because their members are unusually unkind, but because the structure makes an unverified claim cheap to post and structurally impossible for an outsider to answer.
If you have a view on whether Mirada should buy the club, vote for the candidate who shares it on September 16. Not because you're confident this board will be the one that decides — you can't be. Because there is no other moment, ever, where your view on the club purchase gets any say at all.
Ask around Mirada why a candidate's position on the club purchase doesn't seem to matter much in this election, and the answer keeps coming back the same way: there's time. Whoever wins will look into it, gather more information, and residents will get a vote once the details are worked out. There is no such vote. Not now, not later, not ever.
Section 5.5 of the Mirada Club Plan gives the power to buy the club to the board alone, "without the joinder of any Owner or any other person or entity."[1] Once Lennar sets the Option Date, the sitting board has 90 days to exercise it. If it doesn't act — no vote against it required, just inaction — the option automatically terminates, becomes null and void, permanently.[1] Whichever three people residents elect September 16 may or may not be the board in the room when that clock starts; staggered terms under Bylaws §4.2 mean it could just as easily be a board elected years from now.
That uncertainty is exactly why waiting is the wrong move, not a reason to. Residents can't know in advance which election will produce the deciding board — this one, or one three or five years out. What they can know is that whichever board it is will act alone, with no vote returning to the membership at that point. The only leverage residents have over this decision is choosing, at every election including this one, people whose position on the club matches their own — because by the time it's clear which board actually holds the 90-day window, it's too late to do anything but watch them use it.
Medley at Southshore Bay already lived this. Its resident board exercised the same kind of purchase option and closed on an $8.55 million purchase in November 2025[2] — no resident vote occurred at either stage. According to MedleyMembers.net, a community-run information site not affiliated with the HOA, the loan amount grew from $9 million to $11 million between a March 11, 2025 townhall and an August 12, 2025 meeting, and a rushed proxy-only vote followed on August 27 with no further financial disclosure.[3] The only vote Southshore homeowners got in the entire process was over how to pay their share of the loan afterward — a lump sum or installments over time;[3] some households' lump-sum payments have been reported at just over $12,700 each.[4] Not whether to buy. How to pay for what the board had already decided to buy. Medley Dispatch requested comment from Susic on the board's handling of that process; he did not respond as of publication.
Medley at Angeline, Medley Club at Prosperity Lakes, and Medley Club at New Port Corners operate under the same developer and corporate structure. Their Club Plans haven't yet been independently reviewed by Medley Dispatch, so it isn't confirmed each contains identical language — but every one of those communities is headed toward the same fork, and residents there will face the same choice: pick their board on the club question now, or lose any say in it at all.
The bottom line: There is no vote on the club purchase — not this year, not whenever Lennar finally decides to act. The closest thing residents get is this one: choosing who sits on the board. Vote that view now. There's no later.
Brad Warren, a Medley resident since 2022, is running on 27 years of human resources experience — 18 of them in C-suite roles — that he says gave him direct experience negotiating large contracts and overseeing employee pension funds.
Editorial note: Medley Dispatch does not endorse candidates. This profile is drawn entirely from Brad Warren's submitted candidate statement and is part of a series covering all seven candidates for the September 16, 2026 election.
Tree roots are lifting and cracking sections of the pickleball courts at the Southshore Bay Club, and for the first time since Lennar built the community, the repair bill belongs entirely to the homeowners.
According to a recap of the Association's July 14, 2026 open board meeting posted on MedleyMembers.net, a community-run information site not affiliated with the HOA, board members presented on "pickleball court conditions" and outlined a "general plan to repair courts and remove surrounding trees whose roots are causing damage." A resident survey was to be distributed through the Association's TownSquare portal, with detailed repair quotes expected at a subsequent meeting. The same recap states repair funding is expected to come from "extra funds obtained with clubhouse purchase."
The purchase referenced is the Association's $8.55 million acquisition of the Southshore Bay Club, financed with an $11 million loan and completed on November 20, 2025. Before that closing, any defect in the Club's courts, pool, or clubhouse was Lennar's financial responsibility. Since then, it is the Association's — and, ultimately, the roughly 854 homes that make up Medley at Southshore Bay.
Michael Susic is listed as President of the Medley at Southshore Bay Community Association, Inc. in an October 22, 2025 fictitious-name filing recorded with Hillsborough County. Medley Dispatch attempted to reach Susic and the Association's community association manager for comment on the extent of the court damage and the timeline for repair. Neither returned those calls as of publication.
Medley Dispatch has also requested Southshore Bay's most recent capital reserve study, to determine whether court resurfacing was anticipated in the Association's reserve planning or is being funded on an ad hoc basis from purchase-related loan proceeds. Because official-records access under Florida Statute §720.303 extends only to members of the Association, Southshore Bay is under no legal obligation to provide that document to Medley Dispatch, and has not indicated whether it will.
The stakes go beyond cosmetics. Tree root uplift is the most common cause of the kind of vertical surface displacement that industry and legal standards treat as an active trip hazard — commonly set at one-quarter inch or more, the same threshold used in sidewalk and premises-liability cases nationally. Under Florida law, an association becomes exposed to liability once it has actual or constructive notice of such a hazard and fails to act; a documented, unaddressed report to management is generally treated as actual notice. The July 14 meeting recap indicates the board is already aware of the condition, which — depending on how quickly repairs proceed — could itself become a relevant fact if a member or guest is later injured on the affected courts.
Cost estimates for the repair will depend on how much of the court structure — surface only, or the base beneath it — has been affected by the roots. Industry pricing for pickleball and tennis court work ranges from roughly $2 to $4 per square foot for surface crack repair and repainting, up to $15 to $25 per square foot for a full base rebuild where root intrusion has undermined the sub-surface — the scenario tree-root damage most often produces if the roots themselves are not removed or blocked. Courts damaged by ongoing root intrusion are frequently cited in industry guidance as base-rebuild candidates rather than simple resurfacing jobs, since repeated patching without addressing the roots tends to bring cumulative repair costs close to the price of a full rebuild.
Medley Dispatch will update this story as further information becomes available, including any response from Association leadership and the results of the requested reserve study.
Jody Lazzara moved to Medley at Mirada in October 2025 — less than a year before this election — after 13 years in nearby San Antonio, Florida. Her statement, dated July 23, 2026, points to prior HOA board service, including as treasurer, as her qualification.
Editorial note: Medley Dispatch does not endorse candidates. This profile is drawn entirely from Jody Lazzara's submitted candidate statement and is part of a series covering all seven candidates for the September 16, 2026 election.
Alejandero Kelly's statement leads with 21 years in the U.S. Army — retiring as a Brigade Communications Chief after six deployments — followed by a federal IT career he says has prepared him for board-level accountability and decision-making.
Editorial note: Medley Dispatch does not endorse candidates. This profile is drawn entirely from Alejandero Kelly's submitted candidate statement and is part of a series covering all seven candidates for the September 16, 2026 election.
Voting opened today in Medley at Mirada's Turnover Election, with residents choosing three directors from a field of seven candidates. Ballots can be cast electronically through GetQuorum, delegated by proxy through the same platform, or returned on paper by residents who did not consent to electronic voting.
Catherine Hegarty's candidacy centers on more than 25 years in business operations and finance, including her current role as a Finance Manager overseeing budgets, bank reconciliations, and vendor payments — experience she says translates directly into board-level financial stewardship.
Editorial note: Medley Dispatch does not endorse candidates. This profile is drawn entirely from Catherine Hegarty's submitted candidate statement and is part of a series covering all seven candidates for the September 16, 2026 election.
Ellen Greco is running for a third term on the Mirada HOA board. Her statement points to two years as a resident board member plus 37 years of leadership experience in the U.S. Air Force as the basis for her candidacy, with a platform built around a smooth developer-to-resident board handover.
Editorial note: Medley Dispatch does not endorse candidates. This profile is drawn entirely from Ellen Greco's submitted candidate statement and is part of a series covering all seven candidates for the September 16, 2026 election.
In her candidate statement, Karen Ford says she has spent nearly seven years in Medley at Mirada helping neighbors navigate issues with the developer, the HOA, the CDD, and county and state agencies — work she says has included pulling county-filed plans to verify what should or shouldn't be built nearby.
Editorial note: Medley Dispatch does not endorse candidates. This profile is drawn entirely from Karen Ford's submitted candidate statement and is part of a series covering all seven candidates for the September 16, 2026 election.
Club Plan §5.7 states that if the Association exercises its purchase option, it "shall be deemed to have assumed and agreed to pay" all continuing service contracts tied to the Club — including the three-year True Club management agreement LEN-Medley at Mirada Club LLC signed in September 2025. That assumption is automatic under the option mechanics, and it comes with Lennar's operating standards, staffing levels, and the obligation to maintain full-service operations while Lagoon Villas are still being sold.
ChampionsGate residents sued Lennar over club fees in a class action that reached federal court in 2025. On March 5, 2026, the federal judge sent the case back to Osceola County state court. The order does not address arbitration or the merits. The Avatar v. Gundel theory is untested in this case, and Mirada's Club Plan has its own arbitration clause and class-action waiver.
Florida law requires an independent fining committee — separate from the board — before any HOA fine actually becomes enforceable. Mirada doesn't have one. That's about to change.
The Turnover Committee's second update to homeowners (July 29) reports continued progress on financial records, vendor contracts, and infrastructure review — while the clock starts on filing for the three open board seats.
Angeline's CAM will cover Mirada part-time during the handoff — right as the Turnover Committee is asking outgoing management for financial records and vendor contracts.
ICON is rolling out a new gate-access app. If you already installed it, delete it — you'll be sent a link when it's your turn.
A new round of protruding wearboards on the Rider Creek entry and exit bridges has been identified and scheduled for repair the week of August 3, 2026 — separate from the May 2026 wearboard repair on the same bridges. An eblast with bridge closure timing will follow once a date and time are confirmed.
A new bulletin board has been installed at the Clubhouse Mailbox Kiosk area for posting HOA notices and information; a second will be installed at the Lagoon Villa Mailboxes. Currently posted: the First Notice of the Turnover Meeting, originally distributed via GetQuorum on Tuesday, July 14, 2026.
The Architectural Review Committee meeting dates for August and September have been changed to Friday, August 21, 2026 at 11:00 AM and Thursday, September 10, 2026 at 11:00 AM.
Effective May 18, 2026, the Lagoon at Mirada is managed directly through Metro Lagoon, with a new resident portal and contact email. The mailing address remains the same. Printed contact sheets are available at the front desk. Note: the Lagoon is operated separately from the Medley HOA and Club under a different legal structure; Lagoon access fees are paid separately.
The bridge company inspected the Rider Creek Bridge and marked broken boards for repair as of May 15, 2026. ICON Management stated the damage is normal wear and tear and the bridge is completely safe. A separate communication will go out once the repair date is scheduled.
As of May 15, 2026, the Kenton Rd./Cannon Rush Drive gate is out of service. Until further notice, the Main Entrance at Rider Creek is the only point of entry to the community between 7:00 PM and 7:00 AM.
The gate company inspected the Gable Dig Loop vehicular and pedestrian gates as of May 1, 2026 following resident reports of issues. ICON Management stated repairs will be addressed accordingly.
ICON Management published expected work order resolution timelines: lawn work 7 business days; irrigation up to 1 month (water pressure available Tuesdays until noon and Fridays until 2 PM only); horticulture treatments including turf weeds, pests, fungus, and diseased plants up to 3 months. Open work orders outside these windows: contact Janaya Walden at 813-642-1125.
The pool was closed for the full day of April 29, 2026 for coping repair. The Club General Manager noted the repairs were necessary to improve safety and quality of the facility.
Effective April 7, 2026, pool gates are locked for entry. The front entrance is the only point of entry. All residents and guests must check in at the front desk. Guests receive daily wristbands and must remain with their resident host at all times. Each household is limited to four guests. Residents must carry their wristbands on clubhouse grounds at all times.
Lennar's site supervisor cites supplier delay. The HOA board reports no penalty clause was negotiated for late amenity delivery. Residents are paying full Club Membership Fees during the delay.
Three resident-led clubs have absorbed the programming gap. The position is funded from the Club operating budget, not the HOA, so the vacancy does not reduce HOA dues — but it delays programming residents are paying Club Membership Fees to receive.
A federal judge sent the ChampionsGate class action over Oasis Club fees back to Florida state court on March 5, 2026, finding the proposed class included at least 1,813 Florida citizens. The order does not address arbitration or the merits of the fee claims.
The Medley Club at Southshore Bay — purchased by its HOA for $8,550,000 in November 2025 — continues to operate at a loss. Members are paying approximately $108 per month in special assessments to service the acquisition loan.
By April 2025 — six months after Southshore Bay's resident board was seated — documents confirmed the purchase option was already active. The board had publicly stated they expected until April 2027. Mirada's Club Plan contains identical timeline language.
ICON Management has scheduled a turnover information meeting for June 2026. The actual board election date has not been announced. Three directors will be elected. If candidates equal seats, all are automatically seated without a vote.
Club Plan §5.2 gives Lennar sole discretion to sell the Club to any buyer, on any terms, if the Association does not exercise its purchase option. Other Florida communities facing similar developer-owned amenity structures have weighed alternative ownership arrangements rather than a straight HOA purchase. Medley Dispatch takes no position on which path is best for residents — but the incoming board should consult qualified Florida HOA legal counsel about the range of options before, not after, any option window closes.
True Club management has confirmed a $35.31 per month operations fee increase tied to new amenities at the Lagoon Villas. It takes effect when construction completes — anticipated sometime in 2026. It cannot be opted out of.
| Total planned homes | 1,038 |
| Homes closed (est.) | ~913 (88%) |
| Club size | 16,755 sq ft |
| Board seats at turnover | 3 directors (Bylaws §4.2) |
| Fee cap expiration | January 1, 2027 |
| 2025 Club net loss | ($665,872) |
| Annual Lennar pass-through | $534,850/yr |
| HOA property manager | ICON Management (Troon) |
| Club manager | True Club (Troon) |
| Total homes | 854 |
| Club purchase price | $8,550,000 |
| Purchase closing | November 20, 2025 |
| Deed instrument | 2025497699 |
| General Release | Instrument 2025497697 — all Club Plan claims permanently released |
| Monthly special assessment | ~$108/month per household |
| HOA property manager | Castle Group (replaced ICON Jan. 2025) |
| Club manager | True Club — retained partial 2026 |
| Club opened | March 22, 2024 |
| Club size | 12,029 sq ft (announced as 15,000 sq ft in Dec. 2022) |
| Master plan | 6,200 acres · ~30,000 anticipated residents |
| Developer | Metro Development Group + Lennar |
| HOA turnover | Earlier stage than Mirada — timeline TBD |
| Club Plan | Pending retrieval from Pasco County Clerk |
| Club name | Medley Club at Prosperity Lakes |
| Status | Active — selling now |
| Club Plan | Pending retrieval from Manatee County |
| HOA turnover | TBD — earlier stage |
| Branding | Confirmed Medley Club branding via Lennar Tampa. Same Club Plan structure expected — pending verification. |
| Club name | Medley Club at New Port Corners |
| Sales launched | August 1, 2025 |
| Club status | Future — not yet open |
| Planned amenities | Pool, clubhouse, café, fitness center, yoga lawn, pickleball, bocce, dog park |
| Club Plan | Pending retrieval from Pasco County Clerk |
| HOA turnover | Earliest stage — years away |
Mandatory developer club fees including profit markup may violate Florida HOA law. Florida Supreme Court declined review. Controlling precedent statewide.
A federal judge remanded the class action to the Ninth Judicial Circuit in Osceola County on March 5, 2026. The order does not decide arbitration, the class-action waiver or the merits. The Avatar v. Gundel theory is untested in this case.
Lennar hired lobbyists to push Florida SB 1118 exempting developer club fees from HOA law. The Senate Regulated Industries Committee chair declined to hold a hearing.
The Medley Club was deliberately structured outside Florida Chapter 720 — the Homeowners' Association Act — from the beginning. When the HOA purchases the Club, it inherits Chapter 720 constraints that Lennar specifically engineered around, including annual elections, member voting requirements, statutory reserves, and open records obligations.
HOA ownership is not the only path available to an incoming board. Other Florida communities facing similar developer-owned amenity structures have explored alternative arrangements that may better serve residents' long-term interests.
The incoming Mirada board should consult qualified Florida HOA legal counsel about what options may be available — before the 90-day option window opens, not after.
Editorial position: Medley Dispatch does not advocate for or against any specific ownership structure. The decision belongs to the incoming board — informed by qualified legal counsel — and ultimately to homeowners.
Before the HOA votes, someone should run the numbers. The option window is 90 days. After that it is gone forever. $534,850 flows to Lennar every year — that is the number the board has not explained.
Fee structure · formula price · what the Southshore Bay decision means for Mirada
All documents are publicly available. Instrument numbers enable independent verification at county clerk offices.
79-page document. Purchase option formula, fee structure, member obligations, Exhibit F purchase agreement form.
Amendments 1–5 retrieved and on file. Amendments 6–10 recorded in 2024 — instrument numbers and full text pending retrieval from Pasco County Clerk in person.
Lennar conveys Club to Southshore HOA November 20, 2025 for $8,550,000.
HOA permanently releases Lennar from all Club Plan claims as a closing condition.
Bank secures $11M loan against Southshore HOA member assessment rights. Filed December 1, 2025.
Class action alleging illegal club fee scheme — same structure as all five Medley communities.