In Volusia, county officials are preparing to implement and review milestone inspections for 86 buildings following a new state law. Senate Bill 4–D was created in response to the collapse of Champlain Towers South in Surfside, Florida in 2021. The bill established milestone inspections, which assess the structural integrity of aging condominiums. Milestone inspections are […]
What is SB 4-D and why might it make your older condo suddenly unaffordable? (FL)
If you own a Florida condo over three stories tall and over three decades old, you may be seeing some serious association fee hikes coming soon……According to the SB 4-D bill, the deadline for inspecting buildings 30 years old and older is Dec. 31, 2024. Read the article…………………………….
FIU interdisciplinary team supporting federal investigation into 2021 Surfside condo collapse
A team led by the federal government continues to investigate the 2021 partial collapse of Champlain Towers South, the 12-story beachfront condominium in Surfside, Florida, that resulted in 98 deaths and multiple injuries. Now an interdisciplinary FIU team will contribute to the search for answers into what caused the disaster, its ramifications and precautions that […]
Climate change is threatening South Florida condo owners. The state should help them.
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…………………………….
“Even more difficult.” Here’s how South Florida’s condo buyout landscape will shift following landmark ruling
The developer of the planned Edition Residences in Miami’s Edgewater is on unforeseen footing after a recent ruling that could cost it millions of dollars, and alter the landscape of future condo buyouts and terminations statewide. Two Roads, a Miami and West Palm Beach-based development firm led by Reid Boren and Taylor Collins, completed a […]
Miami Beach looks to hire a condo ombudsman (FL)
A call to find city funds to hire a condominium ombudsperson has been referred to Miami Beach’s Finance and Economic Resiliency Committee. “In order to properly implement the Condominium Assistance Charter Amendment,” the resolution that city commissioners referred says, “the city should create a position for a professional with relevant experience assisting condominium and/or co-op […]
What drove Jewfish Key residents to petition for de-annexation? (FL)
Off the coast of Longboat Key’s north end, Jewfish Key is home to about 38 acres and eight properties. The property owners question whether it makes sense to be a part of Longboat Key. On Jan. 16, the Jewfish Key Preservation Association, Inc. submitted a petition for de-annexation, or contraction, to the town of Longboat […]
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…………………………….
Condo owner fears ‘best efforts’ language in law allows HOAs to scrimp on insurance protection (FL)
Question: I am troubled by your recent advice concerning condominium association insurance requirements. Your response stated that “the Condominium Act, at Section 718.111(11), provides that the association must secure ‘adequate’ property insurance, which insurance must be based on the replacement cost of the property …” Read the Q&A………………………………..
Bill requiring Florida HOAs to provide residents with its rules unanimously passed
The state House and Senate have each unanimously approved a House Bill 1203 related to Homeowners’ Associations in Florida. The legislation would require HOAs in the state to give each resident its rules and covenants and force them to let each person know of any updates to those documents. Read the article…………………………….
EV charging in FL condos – can an Association prohibit owners from installing EV charging outlets in their assigned parking spaces?
EV charging in Florida condo buildings and communities is much more involved than having a charging outlet installed in the garage of your Single-Family Home. Today we are doing an overview of Florida Condominium Owners Associations (COAs) allowing unit owners to install a dedicated charging outlet at their individual parking spaces, and/or the Association installing […]
Former Seminole County HOA manager accused of stealing $437K from HOA
Tammi Morrison, a former President of the Ashford Park Homeowners Association, was arrested by the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office after investigators say she stole $437,000 from the community association when her business managed the neighborhood. Read the article…………………………….
Longtime Carrollwood Village HOA president reflects on legacy to community
“The job of the president of the homeowner’s association is to lead the board and get a decision made on a topic or an issue or opportunity — the object is to get the discussion going and they make the decision. “All you can do is identify the opportunities and options, get to a consensus […]
From Now On…….HOA Directors Are On the Radar as Well (FL)
There’s no question that 2024 will be remembered as the year that both HOA and Condominium law were jolted. This week, let’s discuss how HOA directors can wind up behind bars. Read the article…………………………….
Can condo board limit who can play on its pickleball courts? Resident fed up with crowd (FL)
Question: I live in a condominium, and there is an issue regarding the use of our pickleball courts. Some of the owners are allowing residents of other nearby communities to regularly join them in using the courts. Due to the limited number of courts, the use of the courts by outside guests is preventing unit […]
Crews respond to fire at Palm Harbor condo complex (FL)
Multiple units responded to a fire in the Cobbs Landing neighborhood of Palm Harbor Saturday afternoon. A three-story condo complex, located at 3311 Haviland Court, sustained heavy damage, according to Palm Harbor Fire Rescue (PHFR). Read the article…………………………….
A perfect storm is coming to South Florida as maintenance fees threaten condo owners
A financial cliff may await Florida condo owners at the end of the year, as new regulations may cause association maintenance fees to skyrocket. Condo owners can take matters into their own hands to avert being shoved off the edge — but the window of opportunity is rapidly closing. Read the article…………………………….
Florida condo listings soar as sales sink amid high insurance rates, HOA fees
Florida condo owners are stuck in a rut as prices drop and mounting insurance rates and condo fees are scaring away buyers. It’s led to more condos sitting on the market for longer than single-family homes according to realtors in the Bay Area. Read the article…………………………….
‘It’s paradise lost’: Florida’s condo market is floundering
Shipman, like many Floridians, watched helplessly as the average cost of homeowners insurance across the state ballooned by about 40% in 2023 alone, with homeowners association (HOA) fees snowballing due to new condo regulations. “I felt like Florida was such a paradise,” says Shipman. “Sometimes with the rising costs and everything, I feel like it’s […]
Miami’s Villaggio Condo Residents Demand Tighter Security After Bold Daylight Mail Theft (FL)
Thieves have once again targeted the Villaggio in the Grove condominiums, striking in broad daylight and pillaging residents’ mail, according to surveillance footage from the Miami neighborhood. As 7News reports, on Wednesday, a masked man bypassed a supposedly secure call system entrance and proceeded to pry open multiple mailboxes before absconding with a bounty of […]
Sugarmill Woods man takes on the HOA machine
Disputes between residents and their homeowners associations (HOA) are commonplace and some can get downright nasty. But the HOA that Jerry Carr belonged to – the Sugarmill Woods’ Cypress Village Property Owners Association – raised nastiness to another level entirely and led to a precedent-setting state intervention. In fact, a state agency threw out the […]
Coconut Creek Leaders Consider Changes to Reduce Financial Strains on Homeowners Associations Due to Tree Rules (FL)
Coconut Creek homeowners association leaders recently came to the city asking for help. Tree replacement in Coco Lakes is estimated to cost $200,000. And there were more. They were looking for assistance to replace dying trees and resolve other tree issues in their communities. Those costs have fallen on homeowners through HOA assessments because of […]
Florida HOA Fees Jumping Higher In 2024
On top of the high cost of property insurance, condo and homeowners are complaining about their local HOA fees increasing by hundreds of dollars each year, if not monthly. “It’s no longer the big metro areas in the state seeing higher homeowner fees, it’s also hitting the smaller rural counties as well,” Read the article…………………………….
Video captures crook breaking into mailboxes inside Coconut Grove condo (FL)
Police are searching for two crooks who broke into community mailboxes in Miami’s Coconut Grove neighborhood; surveillance video captured the criminals in action. It happened around noon on Wednesday at the Villagio in the Grove condominium building, at 2740 SW 28th Terrace. Read the article…………………………….
NE Miami-Dade condo community deemed unsafe after failing 50-year recertification (FL)
Residents at a northeast Miami-Dade condo community are concerned after the county’s Unsafe Structures Unit declared the buildings “unsafe” for failing its 50-year recertification. Vanessa Ortiz, a single mother of two, says she is moving out of the Jade Winds community because the conditions are too much for her to handle. Read the article…………………………….
Fraud charges at Kendall condo association illustrate need for effective safeguards (FL)
Alleged thefts at community associations during the last couple of years in Miami-Dade, Southwest Florida and other parts of the state have shined a spotlight on fraud in condominium associations and HOAs. New laws to add teeth to the criminal and civil penalties for association fraud were unanimously approved by both chambers of the Florida […]
Candidates May Vote For Themselves (FL)
Q: My condominium association has a five-member board of directors. At our upcoming annual meeting, there will not need to be an election as there are three open seats and three candidates. However, the question has arisen as to how to conduct the organizational meeting to be held following the annual meeting where the board […]
Allstate’s Florida Company Defends 54% Condo Rate Hike. Blames Reinsurance, Hurricane, Rapid Growth
When Allstate’s Florida unit, Castle Key Indemnity Co., entered the surging condominium insurance market in 2020, it looked like it had made a smart bet: Within two years, the carrier had added no fewer than 123,000 policies. Then came reinsurance price increases and $56 million in hurricane losses. Read the article…………………………….
Lawmakers criminalize kickbacks and concealing records at condo, homeowners associations (FL)
Florida lawmakers boosted repercussions against community association board members and managers who go rogue, including criminalizing kickbacks and hiding records. This session, the House and Senate passed two condo and homeowners associations bills. They require Gov. Ron DeSantis’ signature to become final. Read the article…………………………….
Post-tension cable snaps at Emerald Bay – Village says no safety concern (FL)
Village officials said Friday night they are monitoring a failure of at least one post-tension cable that snapped at the Emerald Bay condominium Friday that sent chunks of concrete flying in the luxury condominium’s garage. More than a dozen parking spaces were closed off with yellow caution tape and holes could be seen in the […]
Owner wonders why Condominium Act limits board member terms while HOA Act does not (FL)
Question: The Florida Condominium Act, Section 718.112, limits condominium board member terms. Why are HOA boards not included in this statute? Read the Q&A………………………………..
Lauderhill leaders address public safety concerns at HOA event (FL)
City leaders gathered with department and homeowners association representatives Thursday to discuss a lengthy agenda of issues impacting Lauderhill, including public safety, taxes, code enforcement and storm water management. “We do this community leaders breakfast about once every three to four months,” Commissioner S. “Ray” Martin said. “The idea is to make sure that we […]
Boynton’s Valencia Reserve is renovating clubhouse for $9.3M. Here is what homeowners will pay. (FL)
Homeowners in the Valencia Reserve development west of Boynton Beach have overwhelmingly approved a referendum calling for the expenditure of $9.3 million to rebuild their 13-year-old, 42,000-square-foot clubhouse. Each of the 1,043 homeowners will need to pay about $8,000 for what will be one of the most expensive renovation projects undertaken in Palm Beach County […]
House toppeled the estoppel, preventing $100M in new HOA fees (FL)
The House in the waning hours of the 2024 Legislative Session stood its ground on the “Home Tax” bill dealing with estoppel certificates and who can pay for them. Its unwillingness to budge left the measure (HB 979) dead for the Session. Read the article…………………………….
HOA ‘3 Minute Rule’ Questioned (FL)
Q: Our homeowners’ association board only lets residents speak at board meetings after taking a vote. They can only speak for 3 minutes in total. My understanding is that the residents should be able to speak before the vote, and they can speak for 3 minutes per item on the agenda. What is the rule […]
A Generator Bill That is Long Overdue (FL)
Until now there was no law in our Florida HOAs that would allow a home owner to install their own electrical generator with above ground or below ground gas tanks. Here we are, living in Florida with sometimes unbearable heat and humidity, we have a large elderly population, hurricanes generally hit in the hottest parts […]
Florida condo owners are stuck in a ‘train wreck’ as prices drop and mounting insurance rates scare away buyers
Owners are trying to unload units in the face of the skyrocketing costs of maintaining an apartment in Florida. At the same time, prospective buyers are driven away by those same fees. “It’s definitely been a slow-motion train wreck,” said Joe Humphfner, who owns a condo in Jupiter, near West Palm Beach. Read the article…………………………….
Does condo owner have recourse for common work that disrupts her peace and quiet? (FL)
Question: My 90-year-old mother comes down to Florida from Canada for health reasons and, of course, for the weather during the winter. Last year we were informed her condominium would be lining the pipes. We informed them that she’s away for eight months a year and asked if they could please do the work during […]
E-bike battery ignites flames in Bonita Springs condo (FL)
Fire crews say the call came it just after 7:30 p.m., after multiple neighbors reported they could see smoke coming from a unit on the second floor. The three-story building had to be evacuated as crews tried to put out the fire caused by an e-bike’s lithium-ion battery, according to Chief Greg DeWitt. Read the […]
Florida Condo Mitigation Bill Passes but Other Insurance Bills Uncertain After Changes
A Florida pilot program to fortify coastal-area condominiums is on its way to the governor but other property insurance bills may have hit a snag after last-minute changes – with just two days left in the legislative session. The state Senate on Wednesday voted 39 to 0 in favor of House Bill 1029, which had […]
New videos released as officials give update on Surfside condo collapse investigation
Engineers studying the June 2021 collapse of the Champlain Towers South condominium building in Surfside are releasing portions of video that confirm the sequence of visible events, but still cannot say whether the failure that triggered the collapse – what they call the “initiating event” – occurred out of sight, including in the pool deck, […]
Legislature approves ‘Condo 3.0’ bill to boost board accountability, building safety (FL)
Malfeasant condo board members and associations that for years have skirted Florida law through loopholes in state statutes may soon face a reckoning due to a reform package now bound for Gov. Ron DeSantis’ desk. Lawmakers unanimously passed HB 1021, which will overhaul state laws governing condo oversight and management by holding condo buildings and […]
2024 Legislative Session: What changes can condo residents & homeowners expect? (FL)
With the 2024 Florida Legislative Session winding down, the legislature has days to approve reforms for how Condo and Homeowners’ Associations operate. We spoke with one of the bill sponsors for more than a half-hour Tuesday morning about the progress and what changes condo residents and homeowners can expect. Read the article…………………………….
Family of alligator attack victim sue (HOA) for $7 million (FL)
Following a deadly alligator attack in July of 2022, the family of the 80-year-old victim – Rose Marie Wiegand – is taking legal action against the Boca Royale Golf & Country Club. Her family is now seeking $7 million in damages from the Boca Royale Golf & Country Club’s homeowner’s association, who they claim to […]
Miami high-rise resident pulled rifle on man after ‘incident’ with HOA manager, cops say (FL)
A verbal argument that “became physical” escalated when a resident of a downtown Miami high-rise pulled a rifle on another man, police said. According to an arrest report, the whole thing stemmed from an “incident” earlier that day involving the building’s homeowners association manager. Read the article…………………………….
Collier, Lee condo fraud: Owners of management company indicted on federal fraud charges (FL)
The owners of American Property Management Services, who allegedly stole millions from dozens of Southwest Florida community associations, have been indicted by a federal grand jury. The 17-count indictment, filed in January, charges Orlando Miserando Ortiz and his wife Lina Munoz Posada with wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering and failure to file income […]
Expanding My Safe Florida Home Program to condos
As Florida’s 2024 legislative session ends Friday, lawmakers are hoping to push a bill to expand the My Safe Florida Home Program to condo associations across the finish line. The My Safe Florida Home Program currently offers up to $10,000 in state grant money for single-family homeowners to harden their homes with the goal of […]
Owner Questions Board’s Contracting Authority (FL)
Q: Recently, my condominium association authorized a major construction project. The contract for the work is several million dollars in value. The board of directors voted to move forward with their preferred contractor and authorize the president to sign. Isn’t this the type of contract that must be voted on by the owners? Read the […]
Condo owner: Can I attend membership meetings along with my designated power of attorney (FL)
Question: If a condominium unit owner submits a “limited power of attorney” form to their association secretary listing a non-resident in that condominium association as their representative to speak and act on their behalf at membership meetings, does the owner forfeit the right to attend alongside their “attorney?” What if the owner happens to be […]