For the rest of my life September 11th will always be one of the toughest days of the year for me for obvious reasons. I went to NYU which is located a short distance from The Twin Towers. I would see them every day. They were as permanent a fixture as there was. I went…
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A LABOR DAY TRADITION CONTINUES
Yves Takenenuf is a Board member at Black and Blue Condo, a 100 unit condo located in Central Florida that borders on a lake, a forest and is clearly a little slice of heaven. It’s even a 55 and over community. So what can go wrong? Yves is a dedicated Board member who works tirelessly…
HEY HOA OWNERS……DO YOU GUYS FEEL LIKE YOU’RE THE WINNERS?
If you live in an HOA and have been a reader of this blog, you know that you have been reading about the devastating times that thousands of condominiums and millions of condominium owners are going through as the state now requires mandatory inspections, mandatory repairs and mandatory reserves in our condominiums. On the other…
BOARD MEMBERS BETTER BE CAREFUL
Board members I’m telling you now……..be careful. I’m seeing it already. Unit owners are starting to freak out over the passage of huge assessments to cover the costs of mandatory inspections, mandatory repairs and massive increases in insurance rates. As we know, we’re not talking about pesky increases to the monthly cost of living in…
IT’S BACK TO SCHOOL TIME
This is my favorite time of year. Summer is over and students cram the classroom to learn. I’m not talking about our youngsters. I’m talking about those of you who live in a condominium or HOA and seek to become certified to serve on a board of directors. Each year I get to certify a…
MAKE SURE YOUR DOCS DON’T COST YOU MONEY – PART 2
Last week was a primer on how foreclosures generally work and how banks get off the hook when they get back a unit when they foreclose on an owner’s unit or home. We learned that the banks are protected by the law because they only owe a few bucks to the association when they get…
MAKE SURE YOUR DOCS DON’T COST YOU MONEY
Let’s start with what some of you already know……..foreclosures are on the rise. Incredibly, this is happening before huge special assessments are kicking in for many of you and before mandatory reserves go into effect. If foreclosures are already on the rise, what’s going to happen when special assessments and reserves take hold of most…
NEW CONDO LAW MAKES IT CLEAR THAT THE CONDO MUST MAKE THE REPAIR
I get so many calls and e-mails each week about whether the condominium or the unit owner is responsible to fix something that’s broken. Florida Statute 718.113 was recently amended and here’s what it says: (1) Maintenance of the common elements is the responsibility of the association, except for any maintenance responsibility for limited common…
THE INSURANCE CRISIS IS AT A DANGEROUS POINT
While condo owners are now dealing with mandatory inspections, mandatory repairs and mandatory reserve accounts, both condo and HOA owners are facing the joint monumental problem of staggering increases in property insurance and the lack of choice among insurance companies. Our sponsor Greg Waltz sent me an article recently that is simply mind blowing and…
BUT I DON’T WANT TO PLAY GOLF ANYMORE…………..
Florida Statute 720.31 states the following: An association may enter into agreements to acquire leaseholds, memberships, and other possessory or use interests in lands or facilities, including, but not limited to, country clubs, golf courses, marinas, submerged land, parking areas, conservation areas, and other recreational facilities. An association may enter into such agreements regardless of…