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………………………..
Pool deck at collapsed Florida condo building failed to comply with codes, standards, officials say
The swimming pool deck of a beachfront South Florida condominium that collapsed two years ago, killing 98 people, failed to comply with the original building codes and standards, with many areas of severe strength deficiency, federal investigators said Thursday Read the article………………………..
Residents at Clearwater condo plea for help after living with broken elevator for more than month (FL)
A Clearwater condo complex elevator has been broken since May 10. For the elderly residents on the top floors, every trip up and down the stairs is difficult. 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 […]
Polk says there’s no easy fix to Imperial Lakes flooding, but long-term fix is in planning (FL)
Imperial Lakes residents looking for a quick fix to decades-long flooding problems will probably be disappointed. Joan Pezzani and her neighbors told Polk County commissioners at Tuesday’s meeting that they wanted an immediate fix to periodic flooding along Imperial Lakes Boulevard. The boulevard is the only way in or out of the massive 1,700-acre golf […]
Canadian Geese creating a flock of issues in Southside Jacksonville community (FL)
Residents of Ironwood Village in Jacksonville are facing various challenges from feathered foes. Some neighbors have voiced their concerns about geese that are damaging their lawns and creating a mess in the area. Read the article………………………..
We just have to work around it’: Sea turtle nest blocks beach access for Redington Beach condo residents (FL)
Sea turtle nesting season is underway, and nesting sites have been popping up along Florida’s beaches. Disturbing a nest is a crime, a third-degree felony under Florida’s Marine Turtle Protection Act, so residents at a condo along Redington Beach are taking unusual measures to get around the sea turtle nest that’s blocking their access to […]
Florida insurance fraud investigation widens to include earlier hurricanes
Republican Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis confirmed at an Orlando news conference Thursday that the investigation of alleged insurance fraud that was launched in the wake of Hurricane Ian last September is widening to include earlier storms. Read the article………………………..
Voters make big changes at EmeraldBay condo in wake of legal troubles (FL)
In a strong rebuke amid mounting legal issues, EmeraldBay condominium owners voted building President Louisa Conway out of office Tuesday night. Also defeated was Antonio Camejo, a fellow director and the association’s treasurer. Read the article………………………..
Lakewood versus STARability: No movement yet in building controversy (FL)
The summer slowdown is here and that’s evident by the standstill on the controversy between the Lakewood community in East Naples and the nonprofit STARability Foundation. “Nothing is going on,” said Charles Salyer, president of Lakewood Master Homeowners Association. Read the article………………………..
‘We panic every time it rains’: Lakeland condo owners frustrated after rain, sand flood homes (FL)
Neighbors in Lakeland are stuck with flooded homes and say a construction company and the city left them with nowhere to turn. 10 Tampa Bay was the first to report on issues at Magnolia Pointe Condos when they flooded on Friday for the second time in two weeks. Read the article………………………..
FL: Expert says condo retaliation against residents is common
Residents who try to hold condominium associations accountable are often subjects of retaliation, creating a culture of fear where rogue boards can run amok, said former Sunny Isles mayor and real estate attorney Dana Goldman. Read the article………………………..
Roof damaged by Hurricane Ian leaks months after the storm (FL)
Pools of rain collecting on a roof with no way of draining. Hurricane Ian damaged the roof at the Parkway Condominiums in North Fort Myers, and now, with the rainy season, the apartments are getting water damage. Read the article………………………..
HOA Q&A: If personal property blows onto condo roof, does owner or HOA pay to remove it? (FL)
Q: During a recent storm, swirling 65+mph winds picked up a small piece of patio furniture from my second-floor balcony and lifted it up and over the roof, whereupon it landed on another roof. The management company had reached out to the community asking to keep them apprised of any storm-related issues or damage. Read […]
‘Malicious and vindictive’: Woman says HOA towed late husband’s cars as she planned funeral (FL)
A South Florida woman is accusing her homeowner’s association of towing away her late husband’s cars while she dealt with his sudden death and planned his funeral. Dori Cousley’s 59-year-old husband Richard died of a sudden heart attack. Read the article………………………..
EmeraldBay condo named in another lawsuit as problems mount (FL)
The legal problems are mounting for the EmeraldBay Condominium Association, which is fighting a new lawsuit from the company it hired to do extensive concrete restoration work for the 12-story Key Colony building. Read the article………………………..
Florida Judge Slams SFR Contractor 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………………………..
400 chunks of concrete may explain what caused a deadly building collapse in Florida
A federal team investigating the collapse of a condominium tower in Surfside, Fla., has moved into the next phase of its work. Ninety-eight people died on June 24, 2021, when part of the Champlain Towers South building unexpectedly collapsed. Read the article………………………..
Waukesha, Horizon West condo owners close to lawsuit resolution (wI)
The city of Waukesha and Horizon West condominium owners are close to resolving a lawsuit over the former home of 65 people. Residents were forced out in December 2021 when city engineers feared the building might collapse and later issued a raze order. The condo owners did not want to pay to tear it down […]
Wildlife gardening in HOA communities (FL)
If you live in a community with a homeowners association (HOA), there may be restrictions on landscaping, or processes to have landscaping plans approved. Getting approvals for your desired garden does not have to be difficult. Read the article………………………..
Criminal investigation at EmeraldBay condo into reported “misappropriation of funds” (FL)
A criminal investigation is in progress at the EmeraldBay condominium in Key Colony into a misappropriation of funds, police said. It is just the latest turmoil inside the vast luxury complex that is home to one-fourth of the island’s residents. Read the article………………………..
HOA Q&A: Can a homeowner’s board assess costs to fix a resident’s damage to entry gate? (FL)
Q: Our homeowners association is a gated community that uses an automatic entry system. Recently, one of our member’s teenagers became frustrated when the gate did not open automatically and used his vehicle to force the gate open. The gate strike caused significant damage to the gate which the Association paid for. Can the Board […]
Hammocks receiver sues former HOA leaders over allowing alleged $3M fraud (FL)
Less than a year after four ex-board members of the Hammocks homeowners association were charged with massive fraud, a new lawsuit takes aim at other former HOA leaders who allegedly did nothing to stop the scheme that siphoned millions of dollars from residents. Read the article………………………..
Elderly Clearwater couple unable to leave condo after elevator breaks: ‘We can’t do anything’ (FL)
An elderly couple says they can’t get out of their Clearwater condo for doctors’ appointments because a broken elevator. Evelyn Mense, 86, and her husband live on the top floor of her condo building at the Villas at Countryside. Read the article………………………..
Edgewater condo owners sue developer Two Roads over termination (FL)
Ten unit owners are fighting Two Roads Development’s termination and planned demolition of their waterfront condo building in Miami’s Edgewater. Read the article………………………..
300 dump trucks traverse Florida neighborhood each day to restore dunes decimated by Hurricane Ian
Beach defenses, millions of years in the making, took Hurricane Ian half a day to tear apart in Barefoot Beach, Florida. The dunes were decimated. Now, the small neighborhood and preserve is rebuilding their first line of defense, just weeks before the start of the next hurricane season. Read the article………………………..
Condo vs Condo: Key Colony sues EmeraldBay for unpaid bills (FL)
The Key Colony Homeowners’ Association is suing the EmeraldBay building – and by extension, hundreds of its own members – for what it says is a breach of a 30-year financial practice used to manage millions of dollars in owner fees each year. Read the article………………………..
Florida high-rise condo owners feel financial pinch with rising HOA fees and insurance costs
High-rise condos in Florida are feeling the financial squeeze with new structural mandates and rising insurance costs; now, individual condo homeowners with Citizens Property Insurance have to get flood coverage for their units, even if they’re ten stories above ground. Read the article………………………..
Can Seller Get Delayed Special Assessment Back? (FL)
Question: We were specially assessed for a project for our condominium. We paid almost the entire assessment at his point, but we need to sell our unit and move due to an opportunity. The board postponed the project for at least a year if not more. Are we entitled to get our money back when […]
Regulators were warned years ago that insurance companies were altering Florida claims
After seeing Buvens’ estimate, United Property and Casualty, known as UPC, sent engineers to the home. The engineers found six broken tiles but reported no damage. A final report — with Buvens’ name on it — said the claim wasn’t covered and the homeowner was owed $0. Read the article………………………..
‘An absolute nightmare’: Residents say race to build new seawalls slowed by state (FL)
Residents of Grand Coquina Beach-side condos in Daytona Beach Shores say they have finally obtained permits from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to begin construction on a new seawall following destruction from Hurricane Ian. Read the article………………………..
HOA board re-votes to keep ducks alive after controversial decision (FL)
The Breakers West Association Master Board re-voted on Monday to overturn its original vote to kill dozens of ducks in the community. Earlier this month, CBS12 News reported the HOA board’s controversial decision that left members of the community up in arms. Read the article………………………..
Condo court battle continues in downtown Orlando (FL)
The property manager of a downtown Orlando condo building called Orlando Police to try to kick 9 Investigates out of a meeting, right before the board passed a half-million-dollar assessment that some owners argue could be unlawful. Read the article………………………..
Real Estate Counselor: Prevalence of unpaid HOA dues shows need for uniform collections policies | Opinion
The collection of maintenance assessments from community owners is among the most fundamental aspects of community association operations. The viability of the community association model relies on owners paying their share of the costs incurred by associations to operate and maintain their community and preserve their property values. Read the article………………………..
HOA Q&A: Are dues paying owners entitled to know who’s delinquent and if any sanctions? (FL)
Q: With HOA and condo associations’ constant emphasis on dues and budgets, are we entitled, as dues paying owners, to know (no names, please) how many owners are delinquent, what our association is doing about collecting these funds and sanctions, if any, currently imposed? Read the Q&A……………………………….
Plaque honoring local teen hero who died trying to save another removed by HOA (FL)
In an email, Miami Management, Inc. said, ” At this time, the association has no comment regarding the matter. Sarah Perry, Aiden’s mother was provided a detailed explanation and arrangements made for her to be present, so she could take possession of it when it was removed.” Read the article………………………..
Some condo buyers are hesitant to purchase as they wait out new rules (FL)
Some uncertainty among potential condominium buyers is brewing as they wait to see how the latest state guidelines on condo safety play out. Read the article………………………..
Emotional support animal rights run amok? Condo resident balks at service dogs poolside (FL)
Question: We live in a 142-unit condominium. Regarding pets, our rules state that “this is a pet free community. No unit owner, lessee or guest may keep a pet within any unit or common area.” Read the Q&A……………………………….
HOA Q&A: Can members of the Board of Directors vote by proxy? (FL)
Q: My condominium board just had a board meeting. The board is composed of five directors. There were two directors present at the meeting. One of the directors stated that he had the proxies of two other directors. Read the Q&A……………………………….
Impose meaningful sanctions on Treasure Coast developers who refuse to follow the rules (FL)
I’m speaking in particular of a case in which D.R. Horton, a company that bills itself as “America’s homebuilder,” has apparently created drainage problems for neighboring properties through its preliminary work on a subdivision alternately known as Kanner Lake or Willow Pointe. Read the article………………………..
Boca Raton HOA Sues Resident Over Fence, House Color (FL)
In another example reaffirming that complying with a homeowner association’s rules is not optional in Florida, the Fieldbrook Estates property owner’s association is suing a homeowner over the removal of a fence, the repainting of a home in a color not approved by the HOA, and other cosmetic issues. The fence removal, according to a […]
Florida lawmakers reverse Citizens flood insurance requirement for high-rise condos
Back in December, 8 On Your Side told you how a new rule was about to kick in. It required Citizens Property Insurance policyholders who live in high- rise buildings to buy flood insurance as well. This applied even to condo owners on the 20th floor, for example. Read the article………………………..
Minutes Must Be Kept Permanently (FL)
Q: How long must a 50-year-old condominium retain the minutes of the board of directors’ meetings? Read the Q&A……………………………….
Lack of a tree-cutting permit could cost Astor condo association more than $20,000 (FL)
When Jungle Den Villas condo association president Tony Adams paid a company to cut down a large oak tree on association property in Astor, he didn’t think much of it. The tree was dangerous. It was decaying, and the root system was damaging the dock and seawall, according to a document from a tree specialist. […]
HOA Q&A: Can people not 55 live in a 55-and-over community? (FL)
Q: I live in a 55-and-older co-op and there is a home here that the person who owned it passed and her daughter took the home over. She has since moved in with her sister, her sister’s friend and her boyfriend who are not 55. Read the Q&A……………………………….
Woman Claims Critical Injury On Bench Press (FL)
The G.L. Homes community of Valencia Reserve is being sued by a homeowner who claims she was critically injured on fitness equipment that should have been maintained — but wasn’t. The suit names Valencia Reserve Homeowners Association and Total Health Systems as the Defendants. G.L. built but does not run the community. Read the article………………………..
Florida lawmakers pass condo safety changes
The state’s Senate on Wednesday gave final approval to a bill that would revise a condominium-safety law that stemmed from the deadly June 2021 collapse of the Champlain Towers South building in Surfside. Read the article………………………..
North Bay Village residents of condo deemed unsafe receive checks after donation from Channel 7 Foundation (FL)
Some residents in North Bay Village have received a helping hand weeks after they were ordered out of a condominium. North Bay Village Mayor Brent Latham on Wednesday delivered checks to those who were displaced when their building was deemed unsafe in April. Read the article………………………..
DeLand neighborhood watches large washout expand, creeping closer to homes (FL)
FOX 35 News called the Saddlebrook homeowners association and was told it keeps residents informed, and they didn’t want to comment on the washout. However, residents said they have been in the dark about what’s being done. Read the article………………………..