Partner, Practice Group Leader – Community Associations Group
Florida Bar Board certified in Condominium and Planned Land Development Law
Hans C. Wahl
Licensed in Florida and Georgia
Hans C. Wahl is a Partner at Cobb & Gonzalez, P.A., where he focuses on community association law, real estate development, and business and commercial litigation. He is licensed in both Florida and Georgia, and is Florida Bar Board Certified in Condominium and Planned Land Development Law, a distinction recognizing his expertise in the field.
Hans represents community associations, property owners, and developers across Florida, handling everything from complex litigation to day-to-day operations. He serves as both general counsel and litigation counsel, helping associations improve assessment revenue, enforce covenants and restrictions, and protect their legal and financial interests.
His board certification underscores his proficiency in advising stakeholders on governing documents, regulatory filings, construction defect litigation, assessment collections, and statutory compliance. He also counsels clients on planning and developing condominium and planned development communities.
Before entering the legal field, Hans earned dual degrees in Finance and Business Management from the University of Florida’s Warrington College of Business. He spent nearly a decade working for two Fortune 500 companies, a background that enhances his legal practice in areas like AR collections, business torts, corporate formation, bankruptcy, and contract disputes.
Hans earned his J.D., magna cum laude, from Florida Coastal School of Law, graduating in the top 3% of his class. He also served as Treasurer and Board Member of the Christian Legal Society during law school.
A Jacksonville native and third-generation resident, Hans lives in the area with his wife, three sons, and two dogs. He is also a licensed foster parent through Kids First of Florida, reflecting his strong commitment to family and community.
Honors and Awards
- Florida Bar Board Certified in Condominium and Planned Land Development Law
- Florida Trend Florida Legal Elite 2022
- Best Lawyers in Commercial Litigation and Real Estate Law for 2024
- Super Lawyers in Real Estate Litigation, Business Litigation, Creditor Debtor Rights 2024
- Super Lawyers Rising Star in Real Estate Litigation 2022
- Jacksonville Magazine “Best Lawyers in Jacksonville”
- Lorman Legal Educational Services Distinguished Faculty Member
- Approved Course Provider by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, Division of Condominiums.
- National Honor Society – Summa Cum Laude
Admissions
- The Florida Bar, 2012
- The Jacksonville Bar Association
- U.S. District Court – Middle District of Florida
- U.S. Bankruptcy Court – Middle District of Florida
- The Georgia Bar
- U.S. District Court – Middle District of Georgia
- U.S. Bankruptcy Court – Middle District of Georgia
- U.S. District Court – Southern District of Georgia
Education
- Florida Coastal School of Law
- Juris Doctor; magna cum laude
- Law Review, Moot Court, Mock Trial, Dean’s Honors
- University of Florida
- Bachelor of Science; double major in Finance and Business Management;
- Golden Key National Honors Society
PRIOR RESULTS DO NOT GUARANTEE A SIMILAR OUTCOME
- Regularly acts as general counsel for condominium associations.
- Routinely develops formal collection strategies and policies for condominium associations concerning the enforcement and collection of assessments.
- Routinely drafts notices to owners and tenants regarding rules violations, such as unauthorized alterations, parking violations, noise violations and other nuisance violations.
- Regularly facilitates condominium association annual meetings, special meetings, and board of director elections.
- Routinely educates and mentors board members and community association managers on the Florida Condominium Act, the Florida Non-Profit Corporation Act, and the application of community association governing documents, including presenting board member certification courses.
- Regularly assists condominium associations with issuing fines, imposing suspensions to amenities and voting suspensions for unpaid assessments and rules violations.
- Regularly assists condominium associations with drafting, passing and recording amendments to their declarations, articles of incorporation and bylaws.
- Routinely drafts architectural guidelines, standards and controls for condominium associations and assists clients in enforcing same.
- Routinely drafts comprehensive rules and regulations for condominium associations and assists clients in enforcing same.
- Routinely drafts and records claims of lien against property owners for delinquent assessments.
- Regularly drafts demand letters and estoppel certificates to financial institutions that foreclose on properties, making demand for all amounts owed to condominium associations per Florida Statutes.
- Routinely drafts demand letters to tenants making demand for payment of rent to condominium associations to satisfy the owners’ past-due assessments.
- Assists condominium associations with addressing disability accommodation requests from owners and tenants, such as service animal / support animal requests.
- Regularly advises condominium associations on right of access to units for performing routine maintenance and making necessary repairs pursuant to state law.
- Routinely drafts legal opinion letters for condominium associations on challenging issues, including but not limited to, covenant violation issues; annual meeting and election issues; maintenance and repair issues; unauthorized material alterations to units, common elements and limited common elements; issues relating to liability for damages, etc.
- Regularly assists new owner-run boards after turnover from the developer.
- Routinely assists condominium associations on complying with the statutes on milestone inspection requirements.
- Routinely assists condominium associations on comply with the statutes on structural integrity reserve funding issues.
- Assists condominium associations with implementing online voting.
- Regularly acts as litigation counsel for condominium associations.
- Regularly files litigation for foreclosure and money judgments on behalf of condominium associations and against owners who are delinquent in paying assessments.
- Consistently defends and preserves condominium association lien rights in mortgage lender foreclosure actions.
- Routinely files motions to accelerate lender foreclosure actions, compelling banks to obtain expedited final judgments so that foreclosed properties begin generating assessment revenue once again.
- Represents condominium associations in state court litigation and DBPR arbitration for issues involving election challenges, board member recall challenges, property damage issues, covenant violations, and other association issues.
- Assists condominium associations in litigation against owners for covenant violations, including seeking injunction orders from the court to prevent current and future covenant violations.
- Assists condominium associations in litigation against owners for unauthorized alterations and changes to their units or common elements in violation of the governing documents, including seeking injunction orders from the court
- Represents condominium associations in litigation with vendors including contract disputes and damages claims.
- Assists condominium associations in legal action against developers for construction defects, financial discrepancies, turnover audits, property disputes, etc.
- Represents condominium associations in construction defect litigation against contractors.
- Routinely files for tenant eviction actions when the governing documents allow it.
- Represents condominium associations in eminent domain actions.
- Attends pre-suit mediation on behalf of condominium associations to resolve disputes with owners and tenants.
- Regularly acts as general counsel for homeowners’ associations.
- Routinely develops formal collection strategies and policies for homeowners’ associations concerning the enforcement and collection of assessments.
- Routinely drafts notices to owners and tenants regarding rules violations, such as unauthorized alterations, parking violations, noise violations and other nuisance violations.
- Regularly facilitates homeowners’ association annual meetings, special meetings, and board of director elections.
- Regularly assists homeowners’ associations with preserving their governing documents from extinguishment due to the Marketable Record Title Act.
- Assists homeowners’ associations with revitalizing their governing documents through the Department of Commerce due to extinguishment by the Marketable Record Title Act.
- Routinely educates and mentors board members and community association managers on the Florida HOA Act, the Florida Non-Profit Corporation Act, and the application of community association governing documents, including presenting board member certification courses.
- Regularly assists homeowners’ associations with issuing fines, imposing suspensions to amenities and voting suspensions for unpaid assessments and rules violations.
- Regularly assists homeowners’ associations with drafting, passing and recording amendments to their declarations, articles of incorporation and bylaws.
- Routinely drafts architectural guidelines, standards and controls for homeowners’ associations and assists in enforcing same.
- Routinely drafts comprehensive rules and regulations for homeowners’ associations and assists in enforcing same.
- Routinely drafts and records claims of lien against property owners for delinquent assessments.
- Regularly drafts demand letters and estoppel certificates to financial institutions that foreclose on properties, making demand for all amounts owed to homeowners’ associations per Florida Statutes.
- Routinely drafts demand letters to tenants making demand for payment of rent to homeowners’ associations to satisfy the owners’ past-due assessments.
- Assists homeowners’ associations with addressing disability accommodation requests from owners and tenants, such as service animal/ support animal requests.
- Regularly advises homeowners’ associations on right of access to parcels for performing routine maintenance and making necessary repairs pursuant to the governing documents.
- Routinely drafts legal opinion letters for homeowners’ associations on issues, including but not limited to, covenant violations; annual meeting and election issues; maintenance and repair issues; unauthorized material alterations to parcels, common elements and limited common elements; and liability for damages, etc.
- Regularly assists new owner-run boards after turnover from the developer.
- Assists homeowners’ associations with implementing online voting.
- Regularly acts as litigation counsel for homeowners’ associations.
- Regularly files litigation for foreclosure and money judgments on behalf of homeowners’ associations and against owners who are delinquent in paying assessments.
- Assists homeowners’ associations in litigation against owners for covenant violations, including seeking injunction orders from the court to prevent current and future covenant violations.
- Assists homeowners’ associations in litigation against owners for unauthorized alterations and changes to their parcels in violation of the governing documents and architectural standards, including seeking injunction orders from the court.
- Consistently defends and preserves homeowners’ association lien rights in mortgage lender foreclosure actions.
- Routinely files motions to accelerate lender foreclosure actions, compelling banks to obtain expedited final judgments so that foreclosed properties begin generating assessment revenue once again.
- Represents homeowners’ associations and owners in state court litigation and DBPR arbitration for issues involving election challenges, board member recall challenges, property damage issues, covenant violations, and other community association issues.
- Represents homeowners’ associations in litigation with vendors including contract disputes and damages claims.
- Assisted community association with the partition and sale of common property area for redevelopment.
- Assists homeowners’ associations in legal actions against developers for construction defects, financial discrepancies, turnover audits, property disputes, etc.
- Represents homeowners’ associations in construction defect litigation against contractors.
- Routinely files for tenant eviction actions when the governing documents allow it.
- Represents homeowners’ associations in eminent domain actions.
- Attends pre-suit mediation on behalf of homeowners’ associations to resolve disputes with owners and tenants.
- Assists developers with the creation of condominium associations.
- Assists developers with the creation of homeowners’ association, including townhome associations.
- Drafts governing documents for new condominium association developments.
- Drafts governing documents for new homeowners’ association developments.
- Assists developers with filing requirements through the Department of Business and Professional Regulation for new condominium projects.
- Assists developers with navigating through city, county and local procedures, ordinances and regulations for community association project developments.
- Assists developers in operating community associations pre-turnover, including meetings, covenant enforcement, amendments to the governing documents, and assessment collections.
- Assists developers in compliance with the Florida Statutes involving requirements for turnover of the associations to owners.
Professional, Trade & Philanthropic Affiliations
Mr. Wahl is, or has been, a member of and has served or serves on various associations, committees, and professional and trade organizations, including but not limited to:
- The Florida Bar (Business Law and Real Estate Section)
- The Georgia Bar (Creditor’s Rights and Business Law Section)
- The Jacksonville Bar Association
- Community Association Institute, Northeast Florida Chapter
- CAM Masters
- Approved educational provider for community associations and managers by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation
- Town of Orange Park
- Kids First of Florida – Licensed Foster Parent
- Neighbor to Family
- The University of Florida Alumni Association and local Gator Clubs
- The Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce
- Florida Coastal School of Law – Alumni Member
- Christian Legal Society (FCSL Chapter)
- American Bar Association
- Church Volunteer
- “Board Member Education Certification Course for HOAs and COAs,” Associa“Board Member Education Certification for HOAs and COAs,” RealManage Property Management, Thirsty Thursday Webinar Series, March 2023
- CAM Masters: Understanding New Condo Safety Law Educational Panel Discussion, Community Association Institute, Northeast Florida Chapter, January 2023
- “HOA Covenant Violation and Fining Process,” Cobb & Gonzalez Webinar Series, December 2022
- “Board Member Education Certification for HOAs and COAs,” Cobb & Gonzalez Webinar Series, November 2022
- “Developer Turnover for Community Associations,” Cobb & Gonzalez Webinar Series, October 2022
- “Board Member Certification for HOAs,” Cobb & Gonzalez Webinar Series, September 2022
- “Community Association Emergency Powers & Hurricane Preparedness,” Community Association Institute, Northeast Florida Chapter, August 2022
- “2022 Legislative Changes to Florida’s Community Association Laws,” Cobb & Gonzalez Webinar Series, July 2022
- “HOA Covenant Violation and Fining Process,” Cobb & Gonzalez Webinar Series, June 2022
- “Board Member Education Certification for HOAs and COAs,” Cobb & Gonzalez Webinar Series, May 2022
- “Community Association Emergency Powers Hurricane Preparedness,” Cobb & Gonzalez Webinar Series, April 2022
- “Developer Turnover for Community Associations,” Cobb & Gonzalez Webinar Series, March 2022
- “Board Member Education Certification for HOAs,” Cobb & Gonzalez Webinar Series, February 2022
- “HOA Covenant Violation and Fining Process,” Cobb & Gonzalez Webinar Series, January 2022
- “2021 Condominium and Construction Law Legislative Update” First Service Residential quarterly CAM meeting, July 2021
- “Legal Hot Topics: Emergency Powers, Short Term Rentals and Emotional Support Animals,” Community Association Institute, Northeast Florida Chapter, January 2021
- “Navigating Community Associations Through the COVID-19 Pandemic,” Community Association Institute, Northeast Florida Chapter, April 2020.
- “Handling Delinquent Customers: Legal Action and Collection Methods,” Lorman Seminars, May 2019.
- “Community Association Board Member Certification Course,” Community Association Institute, Northeast Florida Chapter Expo, April 2019.
- “Community Association Board Member Certification Course,” Community Association Institute, Northeast Florida Chapter Expo, May 2018.
- “Handling Delinquent Customers: Legal Action and Collection Methods,” Lorman Seminars, April 2018.
- “Community Association Common Element Restoration and Repair,” Community Association Experts Group, February 2018.
- “2017 Legislative Update for Community Association Law,” Community Association Institute, Northeast Florida Chapter, July 2017.
- “Legal Aspects of Condominium and Homeowners Associations in Florida,” Lorman Seminars, September 2016.
- “What to Expect in 2016 for Community Association Law,” Community Association Institute Northeast Florida Chapter, January 2016.
- “Legal Aspects of Condominium and Homeowners Associations in Florida,” Lorman Seminars, September 2014.
- “Homeowners’ Association Board Member Certification Course,” CAM CE approved course by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, Division of Condominiums, (regularly scheduled courses).
- “Condominium Association Board Member Certification Course,” CAM CE approved course by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, Division of Condominiums, (regularly scheduled courses).
- “Community Association Emergency Powers and Hurricane Preparedness,” CAM CE approved course by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, Division of Condominiums, (regularly -scheduled courses).
- “Developer Turnover for Community Associations,” CAM CE approved course by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, Division of Condominiums, (regularly scheduled courses).
- “10 Things Newly Elected Community Association Board Members Should Know,”
Ponte Vedra Recorder, November 2016. - “What Community Association Leaders Should Know About the FHA and ADA,”
Ponte Vedra Recorder, April 2017. - “Community Association Reserve Funding – Pooled Method vs. Component Method,” Lorman Education Services, July 2017.
- “What Community Associations Should Know About the Fair Housing Act,”
Lorman Education Services, November 2017. - “Maintenance, Repair and Replacement Responsibility Within Your Condominium Association,” Community Association Institute, Northeast Florida Chapter, quarterly NEFL-CAI Magazine, April 2018.
- “2018 Florida Legislative Updates,” ACC newsletter, June 2018.
- Regular legal writer / contributor to the Community Associations Network online blog for community association professionals.
- “Considerations for Community Associations When Reopening Their Communities and Common Elements Due to COVID-19,” Community Associations Network, May 2020.
- “Application of the Business Judgment Rule to Community Association Board of Directors,” Lorman Education Services, November 2020.
- “A Condominium Owner Did Not Pay the Assessment. How Do I Collect?,” Lorman Education Services, November 2020.
Cobb & Gonzalez is Recognized in the 2025 Edition of Best Lawyers
Hans Wahl Is a Speaker at the 2024 Northeast Florida Community Associations Institute Expo
Community Association Remedies for Rule Violations
Community Associations and the Fair Housing Act
Community Associations and the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA)
What Every Community Association Board Member Should Know
Developer Turnover of Condominium Associations in Florida: Part II
Developer Turnover of Condominium Associations in Florida: Part I
The Pooled and Component Methods of Reserve Funding for Community Associations