Learning the Florida Contract for Sale and Purchase

Everything Matters. A good agent reads it even if you want to gloss over it....read!

🗓️ Section 11 & 12 of CRSP-17: Dates, Delays, and Deliveries

aka “Time Is of the Essence... Unless There’s a Hurricane”

Let’s walk through two deceptively simple but absolutely crucial sections of the Florida CRSP-17 contract: Section 11 (Effective Date, Time, Force Majeure) and Section 12 (Notices).

These clauses might look like contract filler—but they govern when everything starts, how delays are handled, and what counts as proper notice. In real estate, this is where deals are made—or broken—based on a missed email or a miscounted calendar day.

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📆 11(a) – Effective Date

The clock officially starts ticking on the Effective Date—defined as the moment the last party signs or initials the final offer or counteroffer and it’s delivered to the other side.

🔔 Pro tip: The Effective Date is not when someone says the deal is signed. It’s when the last signature is received. Miss that nuance and you might miscount your inspection period—or worse, waive your right to cancel.

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⏰ 11(b) – Time Calculations

All timeframes in CRSP-17 are based on calendar days, not business days. But here’s the twist:

• If a deadline lands on a Saturday, Sunday, or U.S. legal holiday, the deadline automatically rolls to the next valid business day.

• If it’s a deadline that counts backward from the Closing Date (like “5 days before closing”), and that day is a weekend or holiday, the deadline moves to the day before that weekend or holiday.

🤓 In other words: You need to know if your timeline is counting forward or backward. It matters.

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🌪️ 11(c) – Force Majeure

Hurricanes. Earthquakes. Acts of God. War. Terrorism. Delays in delivery from FEMA, FedEx, or fate itself.

If one of these “force majeure” events makes it impossible to perform a contract obligation, the CRSP-17 grants an automatic extension for the duration of the event.

But here's the limit:
If the delay lasts more than 30 days, either party can cancel the contract in writing, and the Buyer gets their deposit back.

💡 Strategy Note: This clause saved a lot of deals during storm seasons—and broke just as many when no one knew what to do after 30 days passed.

📬 Section 12 – Notices: What Counts, What Doesn't

All notices must be in writing and delivered via:

• Mail

• Personal delivery

• Email or other electronic media

And here's a critical rule:
If the Buyer is required to send a written notice (like canceling after an inspection), and they don’t—that contingency is void. It's like it never existed.

⚠️ Example: If your contract is contingent on financing, and you forget to send written notice that you didn’t get a loan? That contingency is dead—and your deposit is at risk.

Another key point: If a lawyer or real estate agent receives a notice, it’s treated as if the Buyer or Seller themselves received it.

🧠 Reminder: Notices delivered to your agent are binding—even if your agent is on a boat in Bimini and forgot to check their email.

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🎯 Why These Sections Matter

These two sections form the invisible structure around everything else in the contract. They govern:

• When obligations begin

• What happens when life goes sideways

• What counts as valid communication

• And how deadlines are interpreted

Miss these, and you can accidentally waive rights, lose deposits, or be forced to close under terms you no longer want.

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If you're representing clients or buying for yourself, your job is to treat Section 11 like a ticking clock and Section 12 like a legal paper trail.

Because in Florida real estate, time isn't just money—it’s your right to cancel, your ability to renegotiate, and sometimes your entire deposit.

🔗 The Series So Far – Learn the Florida Contract for Sale and Purchase (CRSP-17 Sections 1–20)

✅ Section 1 – Parties and Property Description
✅ Section 2 – Purchase Price
✅ Section 3 – Financing
✅ Section 4 – Closing Date; Occupancy
✅ Section 5 – Closing Procedure; Costs
✅ Section 6 – Inspection Periods
✅ Section 7 – Real Property Disclosures

✅ Section 8 –Maintenance and Repairs

✅ Section 9 –Risk Of Loss

✅ Section 10 - Title

✅ Section 11 and 12 - Time and Notice

Next up: Section 13 and 14 – Easy. The Whole Agreement⏳🌪️
If you thought this was rigid, just wait.

Subscribe if you haven’t already — and share this with someone who still thinks the contract is “just a form.” 🙄