Hey there,

What the HOA can charge after a foreclosure really depends on whether it’s a condo or an HOA:

For HOAs (chapter 720) the new owner is usually on the hook not only for past-due assessments but also for the collection costs and attorney’s fees the HOA spent chasing the old owner. So if that $1,192 “legal fee” is really their lawyer’s bill from the foreclosure mess, they may be allowed to tack it on to you.

For condos (chapter 718) it’s similar, you can be responsible for the old owner’s unpaid assessments and related legal costs. But condos can’t just make up a huge “transfer” fee. Florida law caps condo transfer/approval fees at about $150.

I am confused here if they are charging estoppel certificates. If you relied on an estoppel, they can’t come back later and demand surprise extra charges. And in that case, estoppels are capped to $300 (Additional $120 if its rush).

So the key here is figuring out what that “ownership transfer” legal fee actually is. If it’s part of the old owner’s collection costs, you might be stuck with it. If it’s just them inventing a big transfer charge, that doesn’t fly under Florida law.

I’d ask them for a detailed breakdown showing what the fee covers and where in the statutes or the association docs they get the authority to charge it. To pressure them, I would message them with an attorney language (Use an AI tool for it) and require the unit ledger (To see if it's a previous expense from the unit), a writen reference to the authority (statute or declaration/bylaws) for any “ownership transfer” they are charging you; and if you prefer, require an estoppel for this particular ownership.

Hope it helps.