A Surfside condominium association may have made a financial misstep when it took title to an oceanfront apartment, then asked the next owner to pony up overdue assessments, a divided Third District Court of Appeal panel said Wednesday.

In July 2008 the Spiaggia Ocean Condominium Association Inc. initiated lien foreclosure proceedings against New York publicist Ellyn Harris, who owned Unit 402, and a year later won a default summary judgment of $30,865.