An elderly man died Friday morning in a fire at a condo complex on Jacksonville’s Southside, firefighters said. The fire broke out shortly before 4 a.m. at the Lakecrest Condominiums on Belle Rive Boulevard, just east of Southside Boulevard. Read the article…………………………….
State law passed after Hurricane Ian negates Sarasota’s move to control taller buildings (FL)
Aloophole in Sarasota’s development rules city officials closed last year has been reopened by a state law passed after Hurricane Ian, setting the stage for potential construction of the tallest building downtown and the opportunity for developers to build even more in coming months. Read the article…………………………….
Prepping for a nightmare scenario: What happens if there’s a condo collapse in Volusia County? (FL)
This week, some are training on how to respond to what would be a true nightmare: A condo collapse in Daytona Beach Shores. The Federal Emergency Management Agency is hosting the training at the county’s Emergency Operations Center at 3825 Tiger Bay Road Daytona Beach. Volusia County and chose the scenario. The county’s coastline is […]
Surfside condo collapse investigators provide key insights into possible causes of the disaster. Here are the top takeaways (FL)
Federal investigators on Thursday shared updates on their probe into the cause of the catastrophic 2021 condominium collapse in Surfside, Florida, providing key insights into the factors that may have led to the deaths of 98 people under a mountain of rubble. Investigators have identified hundreds of possible points of failure in the building, eventually […]
‘My serenity is being invaded upon’: Neighbors consider suing over code violations (FL)
In a deed-restricted neighborhood in Hillsborough County, some residents say they’re out of options to get neighbors to follow county code and deed restrictions. In Hillsborough County, short-term rentals are allowed but must be rented out for at least seven days. One neighborhood in the county says it’s easy enough to find rental after rental […]
New law mandates condo inspections for older buildings (FL)
Charlotte County sent notices to owners of 168 condominiums built decades ago that are at least three stories high, informing them the structures must undergo comprehensive inspections under a new state law. Charlotte County Building Official Shawn McNulty explained what the new law means and how it came about during the Board of County Commissioners […]
Supplemental Claims Don’t Need to Include Damage Estimates, Fed Appeals Court Says (FL)
A federal appeals court has, at least for now, put an end to lingering questions about some property insurance claims litigation: The insured does not need to submit a competing damage estimate when filing a supplemental claim if the policy does not require it. Read the article…………………………….
Condo roofs are becoming nesting sites for threatened shorebirds. Here’s why. (FL)
As Florida’s wild natural beaches have become more and more scarce, beachside buildings with gravel rooftops have multiplied by the thousands. Shorebirds that nest in the sand have had to adapt. Several species, including black skimmers, least terns, roseate terns and American oystercatchers, have taken to nesting on the plentiful gravel rooftops of buildings near […]
Developers pay $102 million for Naples waterfront condo community (FL)
A pair of Florida developers have bought a 2.5-acre beachfront property near the Naples Beach Club and plan to build a luxury condominium tower on the site. BH Group and the Kolter Group, both from South Florida, paid $102.6 million for the property — which has 200 feet of beach frontage Read the article…………………………….
Ponte Vedra condo residents claim HOA is targeting them with thousands in legal fees (FL)
A select group of people living at the Belleza at Ponte Vedra Condominium complex reached out to Action News Jax questioning the HOA’s authority to charge them thousands in legal fees. Five residents living at Belleza tell Action News Jax the fees have been piling on for well over a year, claiming it all dates […]
Condo advisor lays out how Florida’s market got so dire
In the wake of a 2021 Florida law, condo owners are facing a variety of new requirements and potentially massive fees. Following the collapse of Champlain Tower in Surfside, the legislature passed a statute requiring, among other things, that buildings over 30 years old (20 years on the coasts) be inspected and collect reserve capital […]
Low condo reserves could lead to crisis for owners. What’s the best approach? (FL)
In the past, some would assume that the motivation for serving on a condominium board was to leverage a prime parking spot. The more recent reality is very different, with board members’ decision-making history now being put under the microscope for claims of mismanagement and breach of their fiduciary duty. The scrutiny is justified. Read […]
What can owner do condo as new state rules, insurance costs drive steep fee hikes? (FL)
Dear Readers: This week, I wanted to remind everyone that the December 31, 2024 deadline for condominiums to obtain a Structural Integrity Reserve Study, or SIRS, is fast approaching. For any budget passed on or after December 31, 2024, the reserve funds mandated by this required report cannot be waived. Read the article…………………………….
State legislators, Doral Mayor to have conference on new condo laws, issues (FL)
Florida State State Reps. David Borrero and Juan Carlos Porras and Miami-Dade State Attorney Assistant State Attorney John Perikles, division chief of the economic crimes unit, and Sgt. Carlos Luffi of the Miami-Dade Police economic crimes will participate in a day-long “information session” at the Doral Cultural Arts Center. Read the article…………………………….
Sarasota residents raise concerns about new FEMA flood zone map (FL)
Some Sarasota County property owners who didn’t need flood insurance have gotten notifications from their mortgage lenders — about 6,000 homes were impacted after they were moved into FEMA’s new flood zone mapping. Up to 1,000 along the Honore Avenue axis in Palmer Ranch are also included. Read the article…………………………….
Laketown Wharf Condominium Association’s response to evacuations (FL)
The Laketown Wharf Resort Condominium Association has responded to the mandatory evacuation of 63 units. The owner’s association attorney is Brandon Burg. Burg issued a statement Friday morning saying they’ve hired an engineer to inspect the 2-stairwells deemed structurally unsound by Panama City Beach inspectors. Read the article…………………………….
Is it safer? WPTV returns to community year after deadly alligator attack (FL)
Al Thomas and his family won’t forget what happened on the banks of a nearby retention pond on Feb. 20, 2023. Their neighbor, Gloria Serge, walked her dog when a large alligator lunged out of the pond. “He grabbed her leg, and he dragged her in, and they do that spinning,” said Thomas of the […]
Urgent fix needed for South Florida condo owners as climate threatens structures
Florida condominium owners are getting buffeted from every direction, and it’s starting to hurt. Flooding, hurricanes, soaring insurance premiums, and now a new state law designed to protect residents physically but which could kill them financially, are intensifying into a powerful storm of consequences of past inaction. Read the article…………………………….
“It’s ridiculous”: Five days & counting, but no power for some Collier condos (FL)
At least 16 units in an apartment complex in Collier County have been without power for nearly a week, leaving residents coping with lost food and increasing Florida humidity, and no electricity. Read the article…………………………….
2 Wynmoor Village employees arrested for allegedly stealing up to $10,000 worth of items from a resident (FL)
Two men have been arrested following a stunning crime at a South Florida condominium making the 83-year-old victim’s family ask questions. Coconut Police Police said that a building manager and director of security who were employed by a Coconut Creek retirement community were arrested for allegedly stealing from one of its residents. Read the article…………………………….
Island Winds reverses ban on Florida Audubon to allow shorebird nest monitoring (FL)
The Island Winds Condominium Association has lifted their ban on Florida Audubon from using their property to monitor shorebird nesting. Dave Nusbaum, president of Island Winds Condominium Association, said the association’s ban was lifted after the settlement between the nonprofit and property owners Kurt Kroemer and Ed Rood over their lagoon walkover near the Little […]
Laketown Wharf residents given a 72-hour evacuation notice
For the second time this year, Panama City Beach officials are calling for a mandatory evacuation from a high-rise condominium. Inspectors say a stairwell at the Laketown Wharf complex on Front Beach Road is structurally unsound. As a result, the city is requiring a number of residents to get out of their units by 5 […]
Family of deceased man files lawsuit against Pompano Beach condo for failing to protect its residents (FL)
The family of a deceased man is suing a Pompano Beach condominium, which they said, is responsible for the death of their family member. The family said 87-year-old Vincenzo Cammalleri died, and his friend is still badly ill, after getting infected with Legionnaires disease, a pneumonia that spreads when a bacteria is inhaled or when […]
Kendall HOA, residents in uproar over 5G cell towers appearing in their neighborhoods (FL)
South Florida community is in an uproar over several 5G cellphone towers that are popping up in their neighborhood. In the past few months, residents in Kendall have seen massive poles pop up on public sidewalks in the area of Southwest 117th Avenue and Killian Parkway. The homeowners said this is an issue that is […]
Sweetwater condo residents upset after their cars were towed; management says vehicles didn’t have valid parking permits (FL)
Residents at a condo in Sweetwater woke up to find their cars gone, and they were shocked when they found out who had towed them. 7’s Heather Walker investigates. No one wants to start their day this way. Arely Correa, car towed: “We got up early in the morning to go to work, and we […]
Tampa Bay area condo owners grapple with increasing monthly costs
From skyrocketing insurance costs to hefty monthly fees, condominium owners in the Tampa Bay area are feeling the pinch, some even saying it could force them out. At Town Shores of Gulfport, a 55+ community, more than 100 residents met with a panel of experts Tuesday afternoon to discuss what can be done to help. […]
What are Florida’s new homeowners association laws? How to find your HOA’s rules
More than 75 million Americans live in subdivisions, condo buildings and other communities with homeowner associations (HOAs) that require them to pay monthly fees and follow a set of rules. And Floridians who live in places with homeowner associations now have laws protecting their right to know what their dues are paying for. Read the […]
Anatomy of a fall: Florida condo case to decide who to blame for dangerous balcony
On the second day of vacation with his wife and kids, David Casey was sipping a glass of pinot noir on the balcony of a rented condo in the Florida Panhandle, taking in the night view of the beach. As Casey leaned against the wooden railing on the third-floor unit in Seacrest, it suddenly gave […]
Legislature adds teeth to Florida’s community association fraud laws
In response to cases such as the alleged theft of more than $4 million at the Hammocks HOA in Kendall and the arrests of four of its former board members and one of their spouses, the Florida Legislature has passed two bills to strengthen criminal penalties for association fraud and malfeasance. The bills, which were […]
Neighborhood nuisances: Can noisy pickleball courts, duck-feeding residents be stopped? (FL)
Question: Is there a way to make a resident stop feeding ducks when their neighbors object? I live in a community of villas which are reasonably close together. There is one resident who insists on feeding ducks on a regular basis. This has brought a great deal of consternation to surrounding neighbors who find duck […]
Homeowners insurance carrier cutting Florida policies
Following recent major hurricanes like Ian and Nicole in 2022, and Idalia last year, Florida homeowners ought to prepare for increases of up to 23% this year, according to a new report by Insurify. Condo owners, for example, are bracing for the state to rule on a more than 50% rate hike request by Castle […]
“There’s something radically wrong here:” Are birds safe in Estero subdivision? (FL)
Frank Albergo loves living at Wildcat Run Golf & Country Club in Estero. So that’s why he says he called me, Estero’s Community Correspondent, when he noticed something happening in their back yards that made him nervous. Albergo said he and his neighbors were concerned for the health of the animals that live nearby. Read […]
HOA Q&A: Are we required to give notice of meetings to people who don’t live here all year? (FL)
Q: A large percentage of the owners in our condo building live out of town for at least part of the year. The board posts notices of all meetings on the bulletin board in one of the common area rooms of the building. Is the Board required to give these notices to the owners who […]
‘I would blow it all up’: Suspect arrested for threats to Palm Beach condo board (FL)
A man was arrested in Palm Beach on Wednesday after he allegedly threatened to blow up a residential building during a condo board meeting. According to the Palm Beach Police Department, Paul Cataldo was arrested shortly after an April 3 condo board meeting during which made statements about blowing up the building. He was booked […]
Floridians hit by Ian will pay more for flood insurance. What can Tampa Bay learn?
Less than two years ago, Hurricane Ian destroyed more than 5,000 structures in Lee County in Southwest Florida and caused major damage to 14,000 others. Now, from rebuilding efforts, more bad news has emerged: A federal agency says local officials weren’t following its rules, so more than 100,000 local homeowners will face spikes in flood […]
Bill to enhance condo safety measures post-surfside awaits governor’s signature (FL)
After the Champlain Towers South collapse killed 98 Surfside residents in 2021, the Legislature moved quickly to beef up structural inspections. Those reforms continued last month, when the Senate voted 40-0 to approve HB 1021, which now awaits Gov. Ron DeSantis’ signature. Read the article…………………………….
Legislature Adds Teeth to Florida’s Community Association Fraud Laws
The article focuses on two bills to strengthen criminal penalties for association fraud and malfeasance that have been passed by the Florida Legislature with unanimous votes in both chambers. . . . Both bills impose the exact same strict criminal penalties for a number of violations. They make it a first-degree misdemeanor to intentionally deface […]
Post-Champlain Reforms Will Hit Aging South Florida Condos Hard
Some South Florida condo owners are in deep trouble. Three years after the deadly collapse of the Champlain Towers South in Surfside, Fla., regulations meant to prevent another building disaster are coming into effect — and look set to cost condo owners, especially those living in aging buildings. Read the article…………………………….
Florida lawyer writes rules to win condo auctions for $100. Judges let him do it.
The auction of this Oakland Park condo is not normal by the standards of Florida foreclosure sales, but for attorney Brad Ira Schandler, the auctioneer that day, it’s straight from his playbook. As with nearly every foreclosure auction he’s involved in, he and his associates win. The victorious bidder this morning? Schandler’s sister, Nadine August. […]
Director Disqualifications Are Limited (FL)
Q: It recently came to light that one of our board members has an ongoing dispute with another unit owner, resulting in the unit owner taking out a restraining order against the board member. This is very concerning. Shouldn’t this result in the board member being removed from the board of directors of our association? […]
Court asked accelerate to unusual condo-vs-condo case in Key Biscayne (FL)
A Miami judge is being asked to put a quick end to a bizarre dispute in which two luxury Key Biscayne condominium associations are suing each other. The question? Who pays maintenance fees when an individual property owner falls behind on payments. A hearing in the year-long lawsuit has been set for April 23 before […]
Who pays the bill? Straub, Palm Beach Polo homeowners head to court over Big Blue Preserve (FL)
The 92.4-acre wetland, considered Florida’s largest remaining Cypress Hammock, has been the center of a decades-long legal dispute between Wellington and developer Glenn Straub. Now Straub is suing the property owner’s association of Palm Beach Polo Golf & Country Club over the same claims that the village filled against his company for years: failing to […]
Watershed ruling changes condo buyout landscape (FL)
Many condo terminations “just won’t work” following a recent appeals court ruling in Florida. The ones that we have reported on over the past year or so are all likely in some sort of limbo, or dead in the water, sources tell me. Condo buyouts, the precursor to developers terminating associations to eventually develop new […]
Former HOA president took course in property managing but should board have hired him? (FL)
Question: Our HOA board hired a resident of the community to be the HOA’s property manager. This individual was the HOA president (for several years) and resigned his board position to take the paid property manager position. He completed his certification immediately preceding taking the position. He had no previous property manager experience and services […]
“Wind Mit” inspections can reduce Florida home insurance premiums
Here in Florida, property insurance must go beyond a standard Homeowners policy. Because we experience hurricanes and tropical storms, windstorm and flood coverage are strongly recommended, and required when there is mortgage financing on your house or condominium. Over the past few years, Florida property owners have been hit with significantly increased premium costs and […]
Can HOAs Ban Politicking? (FL)
Question: With the upcoming elections, our association is considering banning politicking in our community. They want to stop everything from door knocks to lawn signs, all in an effort to “keep the peace.” While I understand that community harmony is important and this will be another controversial election, I don’t think they are allowed to […]