Business Days or Calendar Days: Counting the Florida Estoppel Deadline
Use the free tool — Estoppel Clock
What the law actually says
Under Fla. Stat. 720.30851, a Florida homeowners' association has 10 business days to issue an estoppel certificate after a written or electronic request from a parcel owner, their designee, or a mortgagee. The same law requires the association to publish, on its website, who those requests should be sent to.
This is not legal advice. If your deadline is disputed, talk to a Florida community association attorney.
Business days, not calendar days
The statute says 10 business days, not 10 calendar days. That matters when a weekend or a holiday falls inside the window — the count runs longer than 10 straight days on the calendar.
- Count starts from the date you sent the written or electronic request.
- The material given here does not spell out which days the association treats as holidays for this count. Confirm with the association or your closing agent if a holiday falls in your window.
Who is supposed to get the request
The association has to designate, on its own website, a person or entity to receive estoppel requests. If you are not sure your request went to the right place, check the association's website or ask your closing agent before you assume the clock has even started.
If you live in a condominium, this is not your statute
This page and this tool are built around Chapter 720 of the Florida Statutes, which governs homeowners' associations. Condominium estoppel certificates fall under Chapter 718 and follow their own rules. Cooperatives, timeshares, and mobile home parks are different too. Do not rely on this page's answers for any of those — check with your association or an attorney for the statute that actually applies.
If you got a violation notice instead
An estoppel certificate is not the same thing as a violation notice or a fine. If that's what you're dealing with, this tool is the wrong one — use the HOA violation responder tool instead.
What to do next
The free tool reads the request date you enter and counts the 10 business days from Fla. Stat. 720.30851, so you can see exactly where you stand. It also helps draft a follow-up letter. It cannot force an association to act, and for anything contested, confirm with your closing agent or a Florida community association attorney.
Estoppel Clock reads what you type and explains Florida Chapter 720 in plain language. It can be wrong, it is not legal advice, and it is not a substitute for reading your community's own declaration and bylaws, and the fee an association may charge depends on rules outside this tool. For anything contested, talk to a Florida community association attorney.