Community Split as Valencia Shores Votes Down Pickleball Expansion (FL)

The growing tension between tennis and pickleball players at Valencia Shores, a 55-plus community west of Boynton Beach, led to the rejection of a plan to convert another tennis court into pickleball and bocce facilities. The referendum, which required a two-thirds majority, failed to secure enough votes, leaving the community divided over the issue.   Read […]

Sandoval wants city to take over Heydon Lane (FL)

Although Cape Coral City Council did not support a petition from the Sandoval Community Association to take over one of its roads, the request remains under consideration.  The association asked for Council to consider the transfer of Heydon Lane to the city.    Read the article…………………………….

Sunrise condo owners crowdfund after HOA board resigns, leaving bills unpaid (FL)

When the entire homeowners association (HOA) board at Grenadier Lakes at Welleby in Sunrisa abruptly resigned, dozens of condo unit owners were left in financial limbo, forced to pay twice for insurance because state law delayed the election of new leadership.  With no board in place to authorize payments, the community’s insurance provider demanded more […]

Insurance, repairs and market slump driving some condo owners to the brink (FL)

The 2021 Surfside Condo collapse spurred the Florida legislature into action, in an effort to prevent a similar tragedy from happening again. Laws passed have increased scrutiny on maintenance and forced residents to make much larger financial commitments to reserve funds, so that condo associations can make repairs when needed. However, there is a growing […]

Insurance, repairs and market slump driving some condo owners to the brink (FL)

The 2021 Surfside Condo collapse spurred the Florida legislature into action, in an effort to prevent a similar tragedy from happening again.Laws passed have increased scrutiny on maintenance and forced residents to make much larger financial commitments to reserve funds, so that condo associations can make repairs when needed.    Read the article…………………………….

Florida’s condo crisis at its breaking point. Tallahassee lawmakers must act

A quality of life that for so long has been attainable for those of us of moderate income now threatens to slip beyond our reach. Condo living, which for decades has drawn millions of out-of-staters to Florida’s warmth and coastal bounty, is increasingly too expensive to sustain, particularly for retirees.   Read the article…………………………….

Bills propose changes to condominium participation in My Safe Florida Home

Rep. Vicki Lopez, R-Miami, and Rep. Christine Hunshofsky, D-Parkland, filed a proposal (HB 393) on Tuesday aimed at expanding participation among condominium associations in the My Safe Florida Home program.  Current law requires unanimous votes of condominium unit owners to participate in the program.   Read the article…………………………….

Man Arrested for Extortion Amid HOA Dispute Over Special Assessments (FL)

A contentious dispute over community special assessments has led to a resident’s arrest on extortion charges.  Margate Police Department records, Gary Steinberg, 63, a resident of Margate’s Fiesta Townhomes community, was taken into custody on January 31 following an investigation into an email he sent demanding monetary compensation in exchange for withholding personal information about […]

HOA: Spectrum deal will raise nearly $3M for Suntree (FL)

An agreement with cable and internet provider Spectrum is expected to produce nearly $3 million in revenue for the Suntree area spanning 10 years, the Suntree Master Homeowners Association Board of Directors explained in a January online notice to residents.   Read the article…………………………….

Ideal Board Composition Questioned (FL)

Q: During our recent condominium association board meeting, we received questions about how the number of board members impacts our effectiveness. Is having an odd number of members important to avoid tie votes? And, does having an even number, whether due to vacancies or not, create challenges for decision-making?    Read the Q&A………………………………..

New Florida law governs oversight, brings financial bite

A new law has transformed the condominium market in Florida, forcing owners to change their financial plans. The laws have been prompting many owners to sell their condos now, because the bills have come due and they cannot afford to pay them.  Read the article…………………………….

Bristol developer wooing residents of two aging waterfront buildings in West Palm Beach (FL)

Power developer Al Adelson is courting the aging Portofino waterfront condominium in West Palm Beach with a $150 million offer that some owners call a life-changing windfall and others an unwanted eviction.  Adelson, who built the ultra-luxury Bristol condominium on the city’s Intracoastal Waterway, has touted Portofino’s North Flagler Drive location because it also sits […]

Real estate Q&A: Can HOA stop us from smoking in our home? (FL)

Q: Our association adopted a rule banning all smoking anywhere on the premises, including inside individual units, except for a small, designated area outside. The rule was passed by a vote at our annual membership meeting and passed. We have owned our home here for 25 years, and no one ever complained about my wife’s […]

Could your condo be a takeover target? Know the signs that could attract a developer ((FL)

Condo takeovers increased in 2024 — a possible escape for owners who face mounting monthly fees and spiraling special assessments.  Condo buyouts or terminations need 80% of owners to agree to sell to a developer.  The Miami Herald spoke with three real estate experts who are at the forefront of these deals,    Read the article…………………………….

Important Insights from Florida’s Former Condominium Ombudsman

Today’s episode takes us further on that path as host Donna DiMaggio Berger sits down with Spencer Hennings, who brings firsthand knowledge as Florida’s former Condominium Ombudsman about the types of owner complaints he saw time and again while serving in that role. Appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis in 2020, Spencer served in this critical […]

Orange County leaders to decide fate of troubled condo complex (FL)

Commissioners in Orange County will meet Tuesday to discuss a troubled condo complex. The Tymber Skan on the Lake condos has been plagued by public safety concerns for over 20 years.  Officials said only eight of the 49 original buildings remain at the complex near South Texas Avenue, east of Lake Catherine.     Read the […]

Pines owners offer to sell to homeowners for $75 million

In a Jan. 27 letter to the Pines Trailer Park Homeowners Association (HOA), Pines Park Investors LLC offered to sell the mobile home park to the residents for $75 million.  At that price, each of the 86 mobile homeowners would be responsible for $872,093.02.  “This has got to be a joke,” said one Pines resident, […]

New Hurricane Protection Law Questioned (FL)

Q:  What is the penalty, if any, for a Florida condo association that refuses to adopt hurricane protection specifications? We have none and there is no interest in doing so. Seems to fall into “they won’t find out about us.”   Read the Q&A………………………………..

Quebec snowbirds fleeing Sunshine State in droves due to high costs, weak loonie

Many Quebec snowbirds living in Florida are listing their properties for sale, citing the high cost of living and a beneficial exchange rate due to the declining value of the Canadian dollar.  Jasmin Gosselin has been escaping Quebec’s freezing temperatures for over 20 years, seeking refuge in his Boynton Beach condo, nestled in the Sunshine […]

Temporary repairs complete at Sunrise condo after buildings deemed unsafe (FL)

Days after residents in a Sunrise neighborhood were forced out of their homes after the city deemed some buildings to be unsafe, they are now allowed to come back.  According to the city, the Grenadier Lakes at Welleby engineer said the units that were identified as unsafe to live in were temporarily strengthened and are […]

Florida Legislature Convenes For Special Session Called By Governor DeSantis

The Florida Legislature will convene a special session Monday at the behest of Governor Ron DeSantis, despite objections from legislative leaders. Senate President Ben Albritton and House Speaker Daniel Perez announced the session in a joint memo on Friday but offered no details on how lawmakers would address the Governor’s agenda.   Read the article…………………………….

Insurers are dropping HOAs, threatening the condo market

Insurance is getting harder to find and more expensive in much of the country. Just ask homeowners’ associations.  Mirroring trends in the single-family home market, insurers are boosting premiums or exiting the business of covering HOAs’ common property entirely, citing rising losses from extreme weather and aging buildings. The steep premium hikes usually end up […]