Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced the appointment of Robyn Barineau, Deborah Bell, Gary Pyott, and Dawn Warren to the Regulatory Council of Community Association Managers. Read the article………………………..
‘It’ll never be developed’: Pine Islanders fend off attempt to turn golf course into houses (FL)
A group of Pine Islanders is flipping the prevailing real estate model on its head. Instead of watching their up-for-sale neighborhood golf course turn into rentals, duplexes or Airbnbs, they banded together to buy it themselves, so it will stay green. Read the article………………………..
Boca Raton Property Manager Accused Of Indecent Exposure, Battery (FL)
The property manager for the Boca Lakes Condominium Association is facing indecent exposure and battery charges following his arrest by the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office. Read the article………………………..
Court awards condo owner $232,170 after lawyer denied records by Boca Raton community board (FL)
The Boca View Condominium Association refused to allow an owner’s lawyer to inspect association records and now it’s paying a hefty price — owners’ legal fees totaling $232,170. Read the article………………………..
Invasive rabbits released by homeowner has a Florida suburb searching for answers
When Alicia Griggs steps outside her suburban Fort Lauderdale home, Florida’s latest invasive species comes a-hoppin’ down the street: lionhead rabbits. Read the article………………………..
Residents angered that HOA board skipped meeting, made decision via email (FL)
Question: Recently, our 5-person HOA board of directors decided to terminate the contract of one of our HOA’s major vendors and to hire a new vendor in its place. These two decisions were made without the benefit of a board meeting and based strictly on emails and/or phone calls among the board members. Read the Q&A…………………………..
Mast Capital sued over troubled oceanfront condo buyout in Miami Beach (FL)
The owners of a unit at Amethyst are suing Mast Capital over the dragged out condo buyout of the oceanfront Miami Beach property, which is now facing competition — or collaboration — from David Martin’s firm, Terra. Read the article………………………..
Must an HOA provide the documents I request, even if that means mailing or emailing to me? (FL)
Q: I own a condo in Florida as an investment property, but I do not live in the state. I made an official records request to my condominium board, looking for them to provide certain ledgers and other financial reports. Read the Q&A………………………….
Condo Owners Push Back Against Massive $14K Assessment Amid Alleged Neglect (FL)
Amid the growing financial strain of a massive surprise expense and neglected maintenance, residents of a Coral Springs community are voicing their concerns and desperately seeking a fair resolution from its association. Read the article………………………..
Brace yourself Floridians, the promised insurance relief isn’t expected soon and could get worse
The Florida insurance industry is in a state of crisis. Over the past year and a half, 15 Florida insurers placed moratoriums on writing new business in most counties and seven were declared insolvent. Read the article………………………..
Police called on property owners after HOA increases monthly fees to $350 (FL)
A homeowners association meeting at the Mandarin Lakes neighborhood in Naranja Lakes went off the rails. The Tuesday night meeting was cut short after residents say the cops were called by the HOA. Read the article………………………..
Palm Beach condo-building redo hits a brick wall with architectural panel. Here’s why. (FL)
Architectural commissioners appeared surprised at their most recent meeting when they were asked to approve a plan to strip one of Palm Beach’s most prominent oceanfront condominium buildings of its distinctive red-brick accents. Read the article………………………..
Lakeland Homeowners’ Insurance Woes Mount As Another Carrier Pulls Out of Florida
Farmers Insurance Group announced Tuesday that it is pulling out of Florida, becoming the 15th company to stop insuring homes in the state in the past 18 months — on top of seven companies that have been declared insolvent in the same timeframe. Read the article………………………..
St. Augustine neighborhood amenity center vandalized (FL)
The search is on for a group of men caught on video vandalizing a St. Augustine neighborhood clubhouse overnight Monday. Now, the homeowner’s association says the neighborhood is left to clean up thousands of dollars in damage. Read the article………………………..
Volusia homeowners install piles as retention pond threatens foundations (FL)
As Florida prepares for hurricane season, one Volusia County couple is spending thousands to protect their property before another big storm. Over the years, the bank of the retention pond behind their home has severely eroded, driving the pond dangerously close to their propert Read the article………………………..
Condo dwellers smacked with skyrocketing insurance premiums (FL)
Question: Recently I received a notice from my condominium association that there is a $500,000 shortfall in the budget related to our insurance premiums. Starting next month all unit owners will be charged a certain percentage to cover this shortfall. To me this seems not quite right, since we all have paid association dues monthly […]
‘Reign of terror is over’: Wellington’s Black Diamond elects new HOA board members (FL)
Residents of the Black Diamond development in Wellington have at long last elected a new board, making moot the outcome of a lawsuit that sought to remove board members through a recall. Read the article………………………..
Owner of property management company accused of stealing nearly $600K from Seminole County HOA (FL)
The owner of a property management company for a large HOA community in Winter Springs has been arrested on embezzlement charges. Investigators said Tammi Morrison stole nearly $600,000 of the HOA’s money in the short time she was in charge. Read the article………………………..
‘I have not slept well in days’: A/C still not working in Brickell condo building after another setback (FL)
Just hours after the air conditioning was repaired at a Brickell condominium, two pipes burst, leaving many residents once again with no A/C and with no clear fix date in sight. Read the article………………………..
Florida HOA’s Can Ban Fireworks, You Can Be Fined, Cited, Trespassed
A reminder to homeowners who live in Boca Raton, Delray Beach, and Boynton Beach communities with homeowner’s associations. While Florida law permits fireworks on July 4th, your community has the right to ban them. And if you violate the ban, you could face fines, citations, even a potential trespass violation if your HOA calls the […]
‘I’m upset’: Residents go days without working A/C at Brickell condo building (FL)
As of Monday night, A/C is back on for several condo units in tower three of the Four Ambassadors. But before the air conditioning got repaired, some condos hit temperatures exceeding 90 degrees. Read the article………………………..
The impending catastrophe: Florida property owners compelled to reduce insurance coverage
Florida’s property insurance crisis is worsening despite recent legislative efforts. The cost of property insurance with windstorm coverage has significantly increased, and coverage amounts have been reduced. As a result, many property owners are choosing to forgo windstorm coverage, which puts their financial well-being at risk, especially with the 2023 hurricane season now upon us. […]
What can residents do when the HOA or condo board hasn’t posted audit or held elections? (FL)
Question: According to the Condominium Act, “each year the board of administration must prepare and complete a financial report of the previous year’s financial activities within ninety (90) days following the end of the Association’s fiscal year, or on such other date as the bylaws of the association require.” Read the Q&A……………………………
HOA Q&A: Can monthly assessment invoices be emailed instead of mailed via postal service? (FL)
Q. Traditionally our association has mailed monthly assessment invoices to owners via U.S. mail. We are now considering e-mailing the statements in order to save time, money and paper. Can we do this? Read the Q&A………………………………..
Ex-Marco councilor Victor Rios gets two years probation in condo election fraud case (FL)
Former Marco Island City Councilor Victor Rios was sentenced to two years of probation on Wednesday for committing personal information fraud while allegedly rigging a 2019 condo board election. Read the article………………………..
Town scuttles plan for public boat dock behind new waterfront condos (FL)
The dock was a condition of the town’s approval of the project, and the standoff imperiled Cornerstone’s ability to obtain a certificate of occupancy, potentially leaving people who bought high-priced residences there unable to move into them. Read the article………………………..
Farmers Insurance Halts Sale of Homeowners Policies in Florida
In early June, Farmers Insurance Group announced it would cease issuing new homeowners policies in Florida for the foreseeable future. A Farmer’s spokesperson explained the decision, stating, “[w]ith catastrophe costs at historically high levels and reconstruction costs continuing to climb, we implemented a pause on writing new homeowners policies to more effectively manage our risk […]
Residents at Plantation Acres demand more safety protocols for horses due to increased traffic and congestion (FL)
Horse lovers in Plantation Acres are concerned that increased traffic and congestion are making their equestrian community unsafe. Read the article………………………..
‘I said, this is it’: Man speaks out after surviving condo building shooting (FL)
Guido is now suing the Isola Condominium Association, its management company and a handful of other parties, alleging in the lawsuit they were negligent and should have done more to stop the shooter. “There were at least six separate instances where the condominium and those working for the condominium could have stopped this from happening,” […]
Gated community votes on when to close the gates, but counting homeowners’ votes gets tricky (FL)
Question: We recently had a vote to close our development’s gates 24/7, rather than the current dusk to dawn closure. We have approximately 260 homes in our development. Of the votes cast, a strong majority voted to close the gates 24/7. There were 30 homeowners who did not vote. The HOA board chose to count […]
Investigation at luxury Key Biscayne condo widens (FL)
Widening the scope of a criminal probe at the posh EmeraldBay condominium, the State Attorney’s Office confirmed this week it is now involved in a “misappropriation of funds” case that is now in its seventh week. Read the article………………………..
Condominium association fees go up two years after deadly building collapse in Surfside (FL)
In Tampa Bay, real estate attorney Alicia Seward said condominium associations are raising fees because they have to build up reserve funds for repairs. “There’s certainly a concern that with the increased expense that they would certainly not be able to afford to live there,” she said. Read the article………………………..
Condo Owners Could Be Caught Short By Recertification Mandates (FL)
Florida marks the two-year anniversary of the Champlain Towers South condominium collapse in Surfside tomorrow. Recertification laws passed after the tragedy could leave many condo owners with a rude awakening.Read the article………………………..
Code changes for tall buildings still in the works 2 years after Surfside condo collapse (FL)
It’s been two years since 98 lives were lost in the tragic collapse of the Champlain Towers South building in Surfside. WPTV is taking a look at what has changed both locally and statewide regarding building codes and ways to prevent another tragedy. Read the article………………………..
Two years after Surfside collapse, a bitter feud over the oceanfront land
On a lot scarred by the memories of 98 people who died here two years ago, developers are hopeful a new luxury oceanfront 12-story condominium building could soon rise. The building, designed by a world-renowned architectural firm, will be constructed of glass fiber reinforced concrete and was partially inspired by one of South Florida’s most […]
At least 26 South Florida buildings deemed unsafe, evacuated since Surfside condo collapse
In the aftermath of the Champlain Towers South collapse, South Florida’s aging buildings have come under scrutiny, prompting more enforcement as well as evacuation orders. NBC6 found more than two dozen buildings have been evacuated across Miami-Dade municipalities. Most of them are near the coastline. Read the article………………………..
HOA Q&A: What are the new requirements for structural inspections of condo buildings? (FL)
Q: I understand there are new laws revising requirements for the milestone inspection reports for condominiums three stories or higher. Can you summarize the main points? Read the Q&A……………………………
Cost of condo living on the rise after partial collapse of Champlain Towers South in Surfside (FL)
The cost of condo living is on the rise, partly because many South Florida condo associations are scrambling to meet new state requirements passed after part of the Champlain Towers South building collapsed in Surfside. “It’s on the equivalent of Hurricane Andrew in 1992,” said Peter Zalewski, who runs the condo data and analytics website […]
Condo Owners Could Be Caught Short By Recertification Mandates (FL)
Florida marks the two-year anniversary of the Champlain Towers South condominium collapse in Surfside tomorrow. Recertification laws passed after the tragedy could leave many condo owners with a rude awakening. Read the article………………………..
Residents complain about unsanitary pool conditions at South Florida condo
A big benefit to condo living are the amenities. But residents in one community say they are paying for a pool they can’t use. So they turned to Kevin Ozebek and the 7 Investigates team for help. Read the article………………………..
Eviction letters have Miami Beach condo owners living in fear (FL)
Apartment owners of a Miami Beach building have been living in fear since they received an eviction letter, notifying them that their building was in need of repairs. Watch the news report…………………………..
House Bill 437 Overrides Certain HOA Flag Rules In Florida
House Bill 437, which Gov. DeSantis recently approved, expands the right of homeowners to display certain flags in Florida regardless of HOA rules. The newly passed law will take effect on July 1. Read the article………………………..
HOA Q&A: Has the law changed regarding if an owner is delinquent in payment of assessment? (FL)
Q: Our condominium association is planning to adopt a rule to allow trucks under a certain length in the community, as long as the truck is used for personal and not commercial purposes. Our Declaration prohibits trucks from being used or kept in the community except for commercial trucks that may be in the community […]
Bradenton to update vacation rental rules to include condos, deadline to register extended (FL)
Bradenton is hoping to find balance with new updates to vacation rental regulations that aim to keep the peace between short-term rental business owners and local residents who often raise concern about their tenants. Read the article………………………..
Real Estate Counselor: Condo owners concerned by rising association budgets make for ideal committee members | Opinion (FL)
Many condominium associations in South Florida and across the state have already begun planning and implementing changes for the new milestone inspections and reserves requirements that lie in store as a result of last year’s condo-safety reforms. Budgetary and assessments increases are becoming necessary for most communities, and naturally this is triggering questions from impacted […]
Is it legal? An HOA board that never meets. A rule demands good credit score to purchase (FL)
Question: Our HOA board hasn’t had meetings in many years and only holds a meeting when they count the votes for the election of new (the same) board members. How is it possible for the board of directors to make decisions and spend money without holding meetings for the membership to attend and listen? […]
Florida Judge Slams SFR Restoration Firm for Misrepresentation, Fraud in Tower Hill Case
SFR Services, a Florida restoration firm made famous by its volume of claims litigation and its charges that United Property & Casualty Insurance Co. had instructed desk adjusters to alter their estimates, now finds itself in some legal trouble of its own Read the article………………………..
Is it legal? An HOA board that never meets. A rule demands good credit score to purchase. (FL)
Question: Our HOA board hasn’t had meetings in many years and only holds a meeting when they count the votes for the election of new (the same) board members. How is it possible for the board of directors to make decisions and spend money without holding meetings for the membership to attend and listen? Read the […]
HOA Q&A: Can a board president withhold community financial info from other members? (FL)
Q: I am on the board of the HOA where I live, and the rest of the board recently passed a resolution that said that from now on, only the president and the property manager can view and control the payroll information for the community. I was the only board member that voted against it, […]
New Florida law expands right to display flags despite rules created by local HOAs
Starting July 1, Gov. DeSantis signed a bill increasing the number of flags homeowners can display regardless of rules created by the homeowners’ association. Read the article………………………..