Board hiding behind misinterpreted Florida Statutes

Our HOA Board (community of 49 homes) has taken to quoting Fl. Statute 720 with regards to meeting protocol and responsibilities. They, unfortunately are not interpreting the Statute correctly and are creating their own, ongoing changes to policy and procedure. When petitioned to include matters on the agenda, the board responded with arbitrary rescheduling of the matters, in direct violation of Statute. The Board is also planning to vote on hiring a management company without a vote or input from the membership as to the expenditure of major funding. And, to top it all off, the vice president has taken to visiting members homes or accosting them in his driveway and bullying them for taking part in petition signing and doubting the Boards actions. All actions of dysfunction and troubling behavior. When contacted, the State claims "no enforcement ability" over HOA, despite the Statutes. The City itself is "government light" and does not offer ombudsman or arbitration services. How difficult is censure or recall of a Board in these instances?

As you have found, state and local governments usually don't do much to enforce HOA laws and leave enforcement to the courts. Have you read your by-laws and other governing documents? They probably include the requirements for board recall. Typically this involves having some % of the members petition for a "special meeting" at which an election takes place to replace board members. As Far mentioned, state law can also provide method for this.

Hiring contractors, including a management company, is in the purview of of the board, there is no requirement to seek homeowner agreement. However, many HOA documents include verbiage that either limits the amount of special assessments and/or dues increases without homeowner approval, or provides for homeowner challenge over a certain amount. If you have not done so, acquire and read those governing documents. These typically include both a "by-laws" for the corporation, and Ccvenants/CCRs/Deed restrictions.

If the board won't follow the governing docs and/or state law, and no government agency will assist, you would probably need to sue for enforcement. Since this can be expensive, it is best done by a group of like minded owners who can share the expenses.

If anyone, board member included, is harassing you on your property, tell them they are trespassing and contact law enforcement as needed.

Right at the bottom of page one on your link it says that recalls can also be done as provided in the governing documents.

Or autonomy?

Not sure what the problem is here?
The Statute provides relief in a manner superior to any Florida HoA docs (i.e. trumps them).
They even provide the forms and instructions.

A written recall allows the community to be canvassed for the required amount of signatures by the member(s) initiating the action. Once you get 51% you can stop canvassing. Upon completion and properly delivery the recall is moved forward by operation of the law.

This eliminates chicanery by the BoD.

Thus it trumps them.