Re-Running a Column I wrote years ago, because boards need a refresher on where we are I always thought that the dry part of the Board Certification Course was teaching about budgets and reserves. The material simply doesn’t lend itself to any interesting side stories or provide much room for jokes or even amusing anecdotes. …
Month: March 2022
MAYBE IT’S TIME TO BRING BACK AND OLD LAW
Even after the death of 98 innocent people at The Champlain Towers in Surfside, the fact is…….The Florida Legislature did not pass a single law regarding the need for more building inspections, mandatory funding of reserves, mandatory education for board members or anything whatsoever to prevent another tragedy. It seems impossible to believe. Prior to…
MY APOLOGIES TO THE FAMILIES OF THE VICTIMS
Today, I feel sadness for the victims in Surfside and their families. I said a million times on the air and in columns that they did not die in vain. I swore that as a result of their deaths, The Florida Legislature would ensure that at least some forms of reserves would be mandatory, that…
IT’S GETTING TOUGHER TO COLLECT THOSE UNPAID ASSESSMENTS
When I started practicing law in 1992, condominiums and HOAs had it a lot easier when it came to collecting their unpaid dues. If someone was thirty days late, you were able to file a lien on their home or unit right away. And if they didn’t pay within thirty days, foreclose on their unit.…
WHERE WE ARE AT FOR THE MOMENT AND THANK YOU SENATOR BRADLEY
I first want to give you some good news. On the more broad scale, I want you to know that the listeners and viewers of this show, along with yours truly, really count in the eyes of The Florida Legislature. There have been many times when I drafted legislation and I asked each of you…
WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES
It’s almost a dream, but a year ago things were certainly different in the condo world than they are today. I was dealing with fights about mandatory masks in the common areas, fights to re-open the pool and gym, meetings only being held by Zoom and all sorts of other issues all related of course…
THE RIGHT OF ENTRY INTO A CONDOMNIUM UNIT
I have been lucky over the past two weeks, having won a few condominium arbitration cases. One of the cases involved a demand by a condominium association for entry into a unit in order to verify the existence of a Jacuzzi, loft and fire pit. The owner refused and asserted many defenses. In the end,…
THERE MAY BE LOTS OF NEW SHERIFFS IN TOWN IF THIS BILL PASSES
Senator Anna Maria Rodriguez filed our mandatory condo education bill in Florida’s Senate. But if you think she’s done trying to change additional condominium laws, you would be very wrong. She also filed Senate Bill 274 which creates the Condominium Fraud Investigation Pilot Program. According to the bill itself, the purpose of the program is…
SO DO WE NEED IN PERSON MEETINGS OR NOT?
I mean no disrespect to anyone who suffered from Covid or who had a family member suffer from Covid over the last two years. My sympathies are with you wholeheartedly. However, in terms of having unit owners participate in the affairs of their communities by way of telephone or ZOOM, Covid was the kick start…
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
The Florida Legislature is in full swing. Each year lots of bills get filed, but few make it to the finish line and become law. Here’s an update on two bills that are moving towards becoming law: SB 394: This is my mandatory education bill, requiring directors to get certified by attending a course. Senator…