Florida HOA Back Fees

[Caitlin Wild]

Hi! First post and first purchase so go easy on me please! My husband and I recently purchased a condo at auction in Florida when the mortgage foreclosed. There were no other liens and the original owner passed away so we believe the condo to be empty. We expected some back HOA dues, but were a little surprised when it came out to be about $26,000. I know we are responsible for these dues, and we plan to confirm everything with an attorney (awaiting a call back right now), but I have two questions.

1. Is there a way to find out the exact amount of back HOA dues prior to purchasing at auction? Obviously, we could call and ask the HOA and they may or may not share, but I was wondering if there are other options? The area we reside in South Florida has the majority of homes with an HOA so purchasing properties without HOAs is unlikely.

2. Has anyone had luck with negotiating with the HOA on the amount due?

We've been watching the auction calendar for a while and only really paying attention to mortgage foreclosures, but now I'm wondering if it's smarter to look into HOA foreclosures. If we have an idea of the amount of the mortgage, we won't have a surprise cost like this. Thoughts?