It’s the end of the summer. I watched my kids suck it up this week, pack their school bags and head off to school to return for another year of learning. Millions of kids across our state did the exact same thing. And if they can do it five days a week for the next ten months, each of you can do it for a one shot deal of three hours. I’m talking of course about Condo and HOA Board Certification.
There’s a lot that goes into my job as a lawyer in this area of the law. Working on the current cases I have, keeping abreast of the changes in the law, advocating for legislative reform, doing the Condo Craze Radio Show each week and writing this blog each weeks as well. Without a doubt however, my favorite part of what I do is teaching and meeting all of you at our state-wide seminars.
As you all know by now, condo and HOA directors must get certified within one year prior to getting elected or appointed to the board or within 90 days of actually getting elected or appointed to the Board. They can do so in one of two ways. The first way is the chicken’s way out and quite frankly is an embarrassing loophole in the law. The law actually allows you to sign an affidavit which basically states that you have read your association’s governing documents and that:
“he or she will work to uphold such documents and policies to the best of his or her ability; and that he or she will faithfully discharge his or her fiduciary responsibility to the association’s members.”
Honestly, this is ridiculous. Many of you have illegal provisions in your governing documents. Your affidavit apparently requires you to promise to uphold these provisions even if they are illegal and unenforceable. Worse yet, the affidavit does not even require you to read or even acknowledge Florida Statute 718 (the condo statute) or Florida Statute 720 (the HOA statute).
Thank heavens that the law provides that you can also get certified by taking a DBPR approved course. I fought hard two years ago to ensure that HOA members had the ability to get certified by attending these classes and am very proud of helping to pass legislation which did just that. I am also proud to say that I have taught the course to over 8,000 of you all across the state. At each class, not only do the attendees learn something, but I do as well. So do the attorneys in my firm. Your questions always help raise awareness to so many issues and often times you provide practical answers to what may seem like complicated issues. The bottom line is that we all learn from each other.
Whether the issue is budgets, reserves, insurance, year-end financial reporting, your fiduciary responsibilities as board members, the election process, foreclosures, suspension of rights, access to records, arbitration, mediation or even if the new laws that get passed each year apply in your association (the answer may surprise you), we really try to cover it all and a lot more.
Our course not only certifies directors, but also provides three continuing education credits for community association managers. (2HR and 1OPP). It’s great to see so many Board members take the course together with their manager. We always serve food and drink, we often assemble a panel of experts, the setting is always first class, and best of all….it’s completely free. You even leave with a summary of everything we just taught.
Our first class is quickly approaching and it will be part of our “Condo Craze Day of Education.” It’s on Saturday September 20th. It will be here in Broward County at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. There’s a lot in store. The festivities get under way with check in and breakfast at 8:00 a.m. You can get to meet all of the radio show’s sponsors and eat some breakfast. At 9:00 — our Board Certification Course will start — and of course we will also be including a discussion of all of the new laws for 2014. After our seminar our guests can choose to also attend two of the following classes: … all for free:
WATCH YOUR WALLET – TAUGHT BY ASSOCIA MANAGEMENT
ROOFING 201 – TAUGHT BY BEST ROOFING
THE ELECTION AND RECALL PROCESS – TAUGHT BY AFFINITY MANAGEMENT
BUDGETS AND RESERVES – TAUGHT BY GERSTLE ROSEN AND GOLDENBERG, CPAs.
ENERGY SAVINGS 101 – TAUGHT BY ELCON ELECTRIC
ASPHALT 101 – TAUGHT BY DRIVEWAY MAINTENANCE
HOARDING 101 – TAUGHT BY SERVICEMASTER
SAVING CAPITAL (ALL ABOUT RESERVE STUDIES AND MORE) — BY CUSTOM RESERVES
THE COMPLAINT PROCESS – TAUGHT BY THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL REGULATION
We will also be teaching our Board Certification Seminar all over the state:
October 2nd, 2014 at 9:00 a.m. at the L & L Condo and HOA Expo in Miami;
October 15th, 2014 at 9:00 a.m. at the L & L Condo and HOA Expo in West Palm Beach;
October 22nd, 2014 at 9:00 a.m. the L & L Condo and HOA Expo in Tampa;
November 12th, 2014 at 8:00 a.m. at the PM Expo event in St. Petersburg.
December 11th, 2014 at 8:00 a.m. at the So. Fla Cooperator Expo in Ft. Lauderdale.
AND WE HAVE LOTS MORE IN STORE FOR THE FIRST HALF OF 2015 — ALL AROUND THE STATE. JUST KEEP CHECKING OUR WEBSITE.
In order to register, you can visit the show’s website at www.condocrazeandhoas.com. Or……just download our new Condo Craze App on your I-Phone or Android device– and just click on the “Register for Our Seminars” Tab. Once registered, you will get an e-mail confirmation.
I really look forward to another year of meeting all of you. It is a true honor and privilege.
