Resume - The Law Office of Douglas G. Christy, PLLC

Douglas G. Christy concentrates his practice on community association law, primarily representing condominium associations and homeowners’ associations throughout Southwest Florida including Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Polk, Hernando, Sarasota, Manatee, DeSoto and Charlotte counties. Mr. Christy is also one of only 198 attorneys statewide who is a Board Certified Specialist in Condominium and Planned Development Law.

As General Counsel for commercial property owners associations and community associations, Mr. Christy:

• Drafts governing documents and amendments thereto;
• Dispenses legal and practical advice regarding day to day disputes between community associations, owners, developers and governmental entities;
• Prepares contracts, addendums and modifications and assists in contractual negotiation and contractual dispute resolution;
• Gives legal advice regarding requirements of the governing documents and the laws regarding elections, financial operations, insurance, assessment collection and maintenance, repair and replacement; and
• Prepares clients for elections and meetings of the Board/members.
Mr. Christy also assists commercial property owners associations and community association clients in mediation, arbitration and litigation concerning covenant enforcement disputes, collections, mortgage foreclosures and other claims.
During his final semester of law school, Mr. Christy worked in the Florida Senate as a Legislative Aide for State Senator Gwen Margolis, monitoring and analyzing ongoing budget and other legislative issues before several committees on which Senator Margolis served.

EXPERIENCE

RECOGNITION

• Recognized as a “Rising Star,” by Florida Super Lawyers, 2015-2018

PROFESSIONAL / COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES

Mr. Christy is an active member of the Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section of the Florida Bar and its Condominium and Planned Development Committee. Mr. Christy also served on the Executive Council of the Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section of the Florida Bar and was the Co-Chair of the Publications (Florida Bar Journal) Committee of the Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section of the Florida Bar from 2015 until 2021. Mr. Christy was also selected for the Fellowship Program of the Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section of the Florida Bar for a two-year term from 2013 to 2015. In July of 2020, Mr. Christy was appointed to serve a three-year term on the Florida Bar Rules of Civil Procedure Committee.

Mr. Christy is a frequent lecturer on community association law and at continuing legal education courses on the topics of collection of assessments, effective covenant enforcement and covenant preservation. Mr. Christy is also a member of the Community Associations Institute.

Mr. Christy, who resides in Sarasota, currently serves as Chair of the City of Sarasota Nuisance Abatement Board and was appointed by the City of Sarasota in October, 2017, to serve as its representative on the Citizen Advisory Council for Public School Facility Planning. He also serves on the Citizens Advisory Committee for the Sarasota/Manatee Metropolitan Planning Organization on behalf of Sarasota County. He previously served on the Sarasota County Historical Commission.

In his free time, Mr. Christy enjoys baseball, Florida history, and traveling with his wife and daughters.