Estoppel certificate
Also called: Estoppel letter; resale certificate; status letter
An estoppel certificate is a document the association issues, usually at the request of a title company during a sale or refinance, stating the owner's account status as of a date: regular assessments and their due dates, any unpaid balance, special assessments levied, fines, and pending violations.
"Estoppel" is the point: once issued, the association generally cannot later claim the buyer owes more than the certificate showed for that period. That makes accuracy important. Many states regulate these certificates closely, setting what they must contain, how fast the association must respond, and the maximum fee it may charge. Florida's HOA statute, for instance, spells out all three.
Other states use a broader resale certificate or disclosure packet that also includes the governing documents, budget, and insurance information.