As the foreclosure tsunami recedes, judges and legislators are tweaking the laws that determine who gets stuck with the bills. Many are for past-due condominium fees.

That’s where Florida’s safe harbor provision comes into play. It caps condo assessments owed by “a first mortgagee or its successor or assigns” that acquires title through foreclosure. Liability is limited to the lesser of 12 months of fees or 1 percent of the original mortgage debt.