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…
Day: March 2, 2022
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…
IT MAY BECOME IMPOSSIBLE TO GET A NEW MORTGAGE IN MANY CONDOS
As if condos didn’t have enough problems, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have just come out with new guidelines that condos must follow. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are government-sponsored agencies that purchase large quantities of home loans to keep money circulating throughout the home mortgage economy. They won’t purchase these loans any longer unless:…
HOW IN THE WORLD DID WE GET HERE?
So, I get a call a few weeks ago from a reporter at The New York Times. He was doing a story about the incredible number of condominiums in Miami and how fast they were all built. How the entire skyline on the coast changed dramatically in the past 40 years or so and if…
DEVELOPERS BEWARE: YOU MIGHT NOT BE A "BULK BUYER" AFTER ALL
After the financial crisis of 2007 and 2008, The Florida Legislature passed the “bulk buyer” statute. The purpose of the law was to get large companies to purchase a bulk of units in a condominium without being labeled as a “developer”. If you are a developer you may owe lots of responsibilities to the owners.…
BEFORE YOU HIT THAT "SEND" BUTTON
Florida Statute states: 120.565 Declaratory statement by agencies.— (1) Any substantially affected person may seek a declaratory statement regarding an agency’s opinion as to the applicability of a statutory provision, or of any rule or order of the agency, as it applies to the petitioner’s particular set of circumstances. A man by the name of James Hanseman…