Palm Beach County Real Estate Attorney Serving West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, and Beyond
Palm Beach County’s real estate market spans some of the most valuable single-family homes in the country, an enormous concentration of gated and country club communities, a deep stock of luxury condominiums along the coast, and a fast-growing commercial corridor inland. Each of those markets carries its own legal considerations, and getting the contract, title work, and closing right matters more here than in almost any other Florida county.
I’m Eric J. Goldman, a Fort Lauderdale-based real estate attorney with more than twenty years of experience representing clients across South Florida — including buyers, sellers, landlords, tenants, and investors in West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Boynton Beach, Jupiter, Wellington, and the surrounding Palm Beach County communities.
My practice is small by design — you work directly with me on every matter. Call (954) 536-7557 for a free consultation.
Palm Beach Real Estate Services
- Residential Transactions — Single-family home, condominium, and townhouse purchases and sales, including transactions in gated communities and country club neighborhoods.
- Commercial Transactions — Office, retail, industrial, and mixed-use purchases, sales, and leases throughout Palm Beach County.
- Contract Review — FAR/BAR purchase agreements, builder contracts for new construction in Wellington, Westlake, and Avenir, lease drafting and review, and addenda.
- Landlord-Tenant — Evictions, security deposit disputes, lease enforcement, and habitability claims under Chapter 83 of the Florida Statutes.
- Property Disputes — Boundary disputes, quiet title actions, partition actions, HOA and country club enforcement matters, and easement conflicts.
What Makes Palm Beach Real Estate Different
Palm Beach County is unique in Florida for the density of its gated, master-planned, and country club communities. Boca West, Polo Club, St. Andrews, Mizner Country Club, Ibis, BallenIsles, PGA National, and dozens of others each impose their own restrictive covenants, architectural review processes, transfer fees, equity buy-ins, and approval requirements. Country club communities in particular often layer mandatory club membership equity contributions on top of standard HOA dues, and those obligations don’t always make it into the resale paperwork the way buyers expect.
The luxury coastal market — Palm Beach, Manalapan, Highland Beach, Ocean Ridge, Jupiter Island — adds its own complexity: seawalls and riparian rights, beach erosion easements, historic district restrictions, and ultra-high-value title issues. The post-Surfside condo reforms apply to oceanfront and intracoastal condominiums across the county, with milestone inspections and reserve studies now driving meaningful special assessment risk in older buildings.
Wellington’s equestrian community is its own world — agricultural zoning, horse property easements, boarding agreements, and seasonal lease arrangements that few attorneys outside the area regularly handle.
Florida Real Estate Law and the Palm Beach Specifics
Florida is a title theory state, and the closing process centers on delivering clear, marketable title. Palm Beach County records are maintained by the Palm Beach County Clerk and Comptroller. I review title commitments, identify and clear exceptions, coordinate with the underwriter, and make sure the closing documents accurately reflect the deal you actually agreed to.
HOA, Country Club, and Master Association Disclosures
Palm Beach County properties frequently sit inside multiple layers of association governance — a sub-association, a master association, and sometimes a separate country club. Each may have its own dues, transfer fees, application processes, and rules. Before closing, I review the estoppel certificates, governing documents, application requirements, and any pending litigation or special assessments to make sure you understand every cost and restriction.
Country Club Equity Memberships
In a meaningful number of Palm Beach communities, club membership is mandatory and tied to ownership of the home. The equity contribution can be five or six figures, with refundability rules that vary by club. Whether and how that obligation transfers, and what your refund entitlement looks like on a future sale, are details that need to be understood before signing the purchase agreement.
Post-Surfside Condominium Reforms
Florida’s 2022 condo reform legislation, prompted by the Champlain Towers South collapse, requires milestone inspections and structural integrity reserve studies for condominium buildings three stories or higher. Coastal Palm Beach condos, particularly older buildings in Boca Raton, Delray Beach, and along Singer Island, are now facing meaningful reserve funding and special assessment exposure. I review the relevant disclosures before you commit.
Palm Beach County Real Estate Disputes
When transactions break down or property disputes arise, litigation in Palm Beach typically proceeds in the 15th Judicial Circuit Court at the Palm Beach County Courthouse in West Palm Beach, with smaller cases handled in Palm Beach County Court at the main courthouse or at the South County Courthouse in Delray Beach. I handle breach of contract claims, quiet title actions, partition suits, HOA enforcement disputes, and landlord-tenant matters. Where appropriate, I pursue early resolution through demand letters, settlement negotiations, and mediation, but I prepare each case as if it will be tried.
Palm Beach Communities I Serve
I represent clients throughout West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Boynton Beach, Jupiter, Wellington, Palm Beach Gardens, Lake Worth, Royal Palm Beach, Greenacres, Riviera Beach, Lantana, Tequesta, North Palm Beach, Juno Beach, Palm Beach, Manalapan, Highland Beach, Ocean Ridge, Singer Island, and surrounding communities.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need an attorney for a Palm Beach residential closing?
Florida does not require an attorney at every closing, but with the layered association structures, country club equity obligations, and high transaction values typical in Palm Beach, having an attorney specifically representing you is one of the most valuable protections you can buy. Title companies are neutral and cannot advocate for either side when issues arise.
I’m buying into a country club community in Boca or Palm Beach Gardens. What should I review?
HOA documents, master association documents, club bylaws, the equity membership terms, application requirements (which often include financial disclosures and interviews), transfer fees, recent special assessments, and pending litigation. The financial commitment is frequently larger than buyers expect.
I’m a foreign buyer or seller. What changes?
FIRPTA withholding obligations apply to sales by foreign persons. Purchase structuring through LLCs or trusts has tax implications worth coordinating with your CPA. I work with foreign clients regularly and can structure the closing properly.
I’m a landlord with a problem tenant in Palm Beach. What’s the process?
Florida’s eviction process under Chapter 83 starts with proper notice — typically a 3-day notice for nonpayment of rent. Suit is then filed in Palm Beach County Court. Procedural mistakes at the notice stage can derail the entire case, so getting the first steps right matters.
Talk to a Palm Beach County Real Estate Attorney
Whether you’re buying, selling, leasing, or dealing with a real estate dispute anywhere in Palm Beach County, call (954) 536-7557 or reach out through my contact page for a free consultation.