Fort Lauderdale Attorney

The seawall is the owner’s. The City’s King Tides and High Tides page (read October 16, 2026) says the City amended its seawall ordinance to require new seawalls to be built to a minimum top elevation of 5 feet, asks owners whose seawall is overtopped by the tide to raise it to that standard, and says the City cites property owners whose seawalls contribute to tidal flooding on the roads. The City funds its own seawalls ($1.5 million a year, per the same page); a private seawall is the owner’s to maintain and repair. Seawall rules have changed over the years, so confirm the current requirements with the City for a specific property.

For a buyer, that makes the seawall a contract issue. Before your inspection period ends, ask the seller for seawall permits, repair invoices, engineering reports, and any City notice, and have a qualified contractor or engineer inspect the wall. A height shortfall does not show up in a title search, so raise it while the contract still lets you negotiate or cancel.

Sellers have a written duty too. Fla. Stat. 689.302 requires the seller of residential real property to give the buyer a completed Flood Disclosure at or before the time the sales contract is signed. It asks about known flood damage during the seller’s ownership, flood insurance claims, and flood assistance such as FEMA aid, and tidal flooding counts. Our Q&A on what a Florida seller must disclose covers that form and the other notices.

Vacation rentals need a City certificate. The City’s Vacation Rental Program page (read October 16, 2026) says a single-family home, a two-, three-, or four-family dwelling, or a condominium unit advertised for 30 days or less to transient occupants must hold a City-issued Vacation Rental Certificate of Compliance under Chapter 15, Article X of the City Code, and that operators must be current with their state and local licenses and tax requirements. It reports that the City Commission approved Ordinance C-26-39 on September 15, 2026, and that operating without a certificate carries a civil penalty of $1,000 per day under the amendment. Buying to rent by the night? Ask the City what a new owner must file, and read any condominium or HOA leasing rules before you sign.

Deeds for Fort Lauderdale property are recorded by Broward County’s Records, Taxes and Treasury Division, not by the Clerk of Courts, and documentary stamp tax on a deed is 70 cents per $100 of consideration (Fla. Stat. 201.02), without the surtax that applies to some Miami-Dade transfers. Florida does not require an attorney to close a sale; read title company or attorney closing, how we handle residential closings, how a title search and title insurance work, and our real estate law services.