Question: Can condo owners bring snakes as pets into a condominium without board approval? Are there any Florida statutes concerning this matter? Read the Q&A………………………………..
Hurricane Ian – One Year later: Bonita condo owners face steep bills, no access to units (FL)
There are shortages of workers, back orders of parts, tangles with insurance companies, slow permitting and more that keep delaying work and forcing residents to stay away from their homes. Read the article…………………………..
HOA Q&A: What are our options when common area renovations become unwieldy? (FL)
Q: My condominium association is undergoing a large common area renovation. At the beginning of the project, the Board and the management company announced that we had enough reserves and other operating funds to undertake the renovation without a special assessment. Read the Q&A…………………………………
Surfside commission approves luxury condo plan at Champlain Towers collapse site (FL)
The Surfside commission voted 3-1 in favor of approving a luxury condo site plan for the location once occupied by the ill-fated Champlain Towers South. The contentious meeting saw intense exchanges between Commissioner Nelly Velasquez and Surfside Mayor Shlomo Danzinger, who has been accused of voicing racially insensitive comments towards Velasquez. Traf the article…………………………….
Citizens Property is shifting policies to private insurers (FL)
As it tries to move customers into the private market after three years of massive growth, the state’s Citizens Property Insurance Corp. could start to see its number of policies decrease. Read the article………………………………….
Kings Point Delray Beach Sued After Shooting (FL)
The victim of a high-profile shooting at Kings Point in Delray Beach is now suing Kings Point, security company “Universal Protection Service,” the Kings Point management company “Vesta Property Services,” and the alleged gunman, Robert Levine. Read the article………………………………
Artificial intelligence being used in massive condo building construction in St. Pete (FL)
Construction on the massive condominium building in downtown St. Petersburg is coming along, and part of what makes the project unique is it’s being built with the help of artificial intelligence. Suffolk Construction is using artificial intelligence and 3D modeling Read the article……………………………..
Condo owners fighting hefty HOA assessments for hurricane damage still under repair (FL)
Nearly one year after flooding from Hurricane Ian, dozens of condo owners say they are still waiting for their homes to be repaired. And those repairs could come at a very high price. Read the article………………………………
Condo Wars: Boards can use defamation laws to stifle dissent | Investigation (FL)
A months-long investigation by the South Florida Sun Sentinel found that condo and homeowner associations regularly use Florida’s defamation laws to silence critics. The laws were written to allow a victim to recover financial damages from someone who spreads lies about them and harms their reputation. Read the article……………………………..
Condo owners face depressing triple whammy (FL)
As homeowners’ associations, condos and cooperative boards head into fall budgeting season to determine how much maintenance fees need to be increased for 2024, and whether special assessments need to be levied, they are facing a gigantic triple whammy. Read the article…………………………….
License plate readers popping up in St. Johns County as an extra layer of security (FL)
“It can catch cars up to like 50 miles per hour. It gets a clear shot of them and their license plate,” Gran Lake Homeowners Association President Paul Proios said. “They’re hard to bypass, they’re very accurate.” Read the article………………………..
When condo and homeowner associations report to master association, what are the rules? (FL)
Question: Our master association is a nonprofit, not an HOA. Does that make any difference? The master seems to feel that it can do what it wants, even if contrary to the HOA’s majority. Elections require a 50% quorum, which is impossible to obtain without electronic voting (which the master association will not implement). Read […]
HOA Q&A: Is an association member with an emotional support dog subject to our pet fee? (FL)
Q: One of the owners in my condominium association has an emotional support animal. The board is considering charging this owner a pet fee. This fee is charged to all owners who have pets in the Association. Can they do this? Read the Q&A………………………………….
Orlando condo owners fight against assessment increase from damage caused by Hurricane Ian (FL)
Some owners at Dockside Condominiums in Orlando’s Conway neighborhood are finally returning to their homes after Hurricane Ian forced them out. Others are still waiting on repairs Access Residential Management estimates will cost $160,000 per unit. The whole neighborhood was underwater during Ian. Everyone living inside the 133 first-floor units was forced out by flood […]
Condo association for Caribbean Isles Villas in Miami-Dade under investigation for neglect, handling of funds
A community in disrepair demands change. The board president of Caribbean Isles Villas responds to those concerns. At the same time, Miami-Dade police confirmed to CBS News Miami its Economic Crimes Bureau is investigating the Association’s handling of funds. Read the article………………………..
RE Q&A: Who Fixes Electric Issues in Shared Walls?
An apartment building was converted to condos decades ago, and a recently discovered problem arose: Some electrical connections serve two different owners. What now? Read the Q&A……………………
Some Florida condo owners may be hit with rising insurance and inspection costs
Condo owners in the Tampa Bay area may be facing a double whammy in the coming months between homeowners insurance and inspection costs. Read the article………………………..
Hammocks wins $2M settlement in suit claiming ex-HOA leaders allowed massive fraud (FL)
The Hammocks won a $2 million settlement in a case accusing former board members of turning a blind eye to an alleged massive fraud that plundered millions of dollars from association coffers. Read the article………………………..
One Park vs. Block 6 condo conflict awaits judge’s decision (FL)
A whirlwind of activity swirled around the proposed One Park condo development in The Quay last week. A hurricane-disrupted trial concluded, the scheduled Planning Board public hearing is set to resume, and a Sarasota city commissioner filed a misconduct complaint with the Florida Bar. Read the article………………………..
‘We’re a little scared’: Miami condo owners say dangerous construction debris is falling on property (FL)
People who live in a Miami condo say they’re concerned for their safety from what they say is dangerous debris coming from a luxury building being built nearby. Miami’s newest luxury condos Aria Reserve are under construction Read the article………………………..
Older condos subject to stricter regulations in unincorporated Bay County (FL)
Condos in unincorporated Bay County now have stricter standards. County commissioners approved a mandatory structural inspection ordinance at Tuesday’s meeting. It’s similar to an ordinance in South Florida that was passed after the Surfside Condo collapse killed 98 people. Condos more than three stories tall and at least 25 years old will be visually inspected. […]
Condo resident: Can association force lone holdout in building to get hurricane shutters? (FL)
Question: Our association documents do not require shutters. Every unit in our ocean front building has them except one. We are three different building stacks, each with separate assessments. What would be required for the association to pass a requirement for all units to install and maintain hurricane shutters? Read the Q&A……………………………….
Condo owners in good standing fear eviction in Pembroke Pines (FL)
Property owners paid mortgage, insurance and homeowners association fees but still fear being put out at Heron Pond Condominiums. Pembroke Pines code inspectors found structural problems threatening safety in several buildings earlier this year. Read the article………………………..
Real estate Q&A: Condo’s AC went out and temporary fix is hiking the bill. Can I be reimbursed? (FL)
Q: Air conditioning is included in our condo’s monthly maintenance fees. The chiller that cools the entire building stopped working on July 20, and we are still awaiting replacement/repair, which has been postponed twice thus far. We were provided with portable AC units. However, running these portable units has drastically increased my electricity bill. There […]
Elderly woman who accused condo manager of antisemitic attack upset after Broward State Attorney opts not to pursue case (FL)
An elderly Fort Lauderdale woman is upset following a decision by the Broward County State Attorney’s Office not to press charges against the condominium manager who, she claims, attacked her and mouthed an antisemitic slur. Read the article………………………..
Former condo association president accused of getting $33,000 kickback (FL)
According to the Miami-Dade police arrest report, Dvir is accused of getting a nearly $33,000 kickback from a vendor doing work in the building. Read the article………………………..
Shaker Village Resident Sues HOA to Block Sale of Clubhouse Property (FL)
Shaker Village resident Tonya Nesbitt is seeking an emergency temporary injunction and declaratory judgment to prevent Shaker Village from selling the property on the north side of Commercial Boulevard west of Florida’s turnpike until Association members have voted on whether to authorize the sale. Read the article………………………..
Orange County Community Conference: A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (FL)
On October 14, 2023, Orange County will host its in-person Community Conference, an annual event that provides residents an opportunity to learn about innovative ways to improve neighborhoods. This year’s workshops will offer a well-rounded blend of topics for individual citizens, voluntary neighborhood organizations, homeowners associations and other community groups. Read the article………………………..
Families fume over plans taking space from Surfside condo collapse memorial (FL)
Plans to include garbage collection and a loading dock on the same street as a proposed memorial site for the 98 people killed in the 2021 collapse of the Champlain Towers South building in Surfside have angered and outraged relatives of some of the victims, along with former and current elected town officials. Read the […]
Attorney: Former Key Biscayne condo manager will plead not guilty in alleged fee theft (FL)
The former EmeraldBay condominium manager Maria Ferrer Rodriguez plans to plead not guilty and go to trial on charges of stealing maintenance fees from a unit owner, her attorney said in court Monday. Read the article………………………..
Condo insurance market tightens, posing more challenges for residents, boards (FL)
Question: Our condo board says we cannot get insurance bids and that we have to stay where we are. Is that true? Read the Q&A……………………………….
HOA Q&A: Does Florida law supersede an HOA’s restrictions on having a flagpole on a lot?
Q: I live in a homeowner’s association. I have been thinking of installing a flagpole on my lot and flying various flags. My homeowner’s association has restrictions about flagpoles. But, I heard that the right to have a flagpole and fly certain flags is protected under Florida law. Is this true? Read the Q&A……………………………….
LOCAL NEWS Miami condo owners say they’re being forced out of their homes (FL)
Condo owners at Biscayne 21 received a notice last Friday that their building services would be discontinued. The development demanded the remaining residents move out by Friday, but they refused to leave without a fight. Read the article………………………..
Imperial Lakes could see work started on short-term flooding relief this weekend (FL)
Polk County Commission Chairman George Lindsey says a there could be some relief soon for persistent flooding problems in Imperial Lakes that have blocked roads and kept some residents from their homes. Read the article………………………..
Probe of Surfside building collapse that killed 98 to be completed by June 2025, US investigators say (FL)
The probe into the 2021 collapse of a beachfront condominium building that killed 98 people in South Florida should be completed by the fourth anniversary of the disaster, federal officials said Thursday. Read the article………………………..
Pinellas accounting manager stole over $700,000 from HOAs, deputies say (FL)
A Tarpon Springs woman is back behind bars after she was accused of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from homeowners associations in the Tampa Bay area. Read the article………………………..
Board Term Limits Questioned (FL)
Q: I recall that a few years ago there was a lot of discussion regarding term limits for board members. I have not heard anything about term limits recently and know that a number of board members in my community have served for a long time. What is the term limit for condominium association board […]
Antisemitic literature left in West Melbourne driveways overnight, prompting police probe (FL)
City Council Member John Dittmore is president of the Hammock Lakes Homeowners Association, which has 280 homes. He said residents in neighboring Eber Cove, Manchester Lakes and Stratford Pointe received the flyers, and he is working with those HOA officials to collect information. Read the article………………………..
3 more buildings at Pembroke Pines condo complex deemed unsafe, ordered evacuated (FL)
Three more buildings at a Pembroke Pines condominium complex have been ordered evacuated after they were deemed unsafe, following the earlier evacuation of three other buildings at the same development. Read the article………………………..
Our expert explains HOA rules regarding emotional support animals, cannabis use (FL)
Question: I am a board member of my condominium association. Is the board allowed to create rules or policies concerning ESAs in a condominium building? For example, can we impose weight limits, limit the number of animals per dwelling, exclude specific breeds, mandate that they only use the service elevator, etc. I’ve tried researching issue […]
HOA Q&A: Can Board members be required to work outside of attending meetings and voting? (FL)
Q: I’m a member of a condominium board in which the other board members are more interested in keeping the quarterlies as low as possible by end rounding state laws increasing the deductible on the insurance without members knowledge, or increasing a lifespan of a roof so as not to fund it just for their […]
Pinellas may enforce structural inspection on aging condos (FL)
The collapse of the Champlain Towers South building in Surfside, Florida in 2021, which left 98 dead, triggered several legislative actions to prevent similar catastrophic events from recurring – and Pinellas County officials want to adopt the latest set of those building requirements. Read the article………………………..
Estates at Turtle Run HOA Board Faces Backlash Over Delayed Annual Election (FL)
The Estates at Turtle Run Homeowners Association Board has received criticism for failing to hold its annual election mandated by the bylaws on December 7, 2022. The majority of the board is being criticized for delaying elections and neglecting homeowners’ interests by other board members and residents. Additionally, the board has not met since October […]
Florida retiree loses her home after falling for foreclosure rescue pitch
Someone else’s vehicles are parked in Elvira Zicari’s Port Richey driveway. And according to court documents, it’s now owned by an investor who rented it out. Read the article………………………..
Should Florida’s CFO step in to help Ian-battered homeowners escape contractor liens? (FL)
Insurance company Heritage Property & Casualty ignored the $2 million emergency claim on townhome community Parkwoods VI for months, and Panama City-based repair company SouthernCAT grew impatient. Communications between the homeowner’s association and its members show the repair company placed a lien on all the townhomes in February of 2023 at roughly $30,000 apiece. Read […]
SEVEN BRIDGES SECRET: Homeowners Outgraged After Board Secretly Settles Suit Against GL Homes (FL)
For the second time in two weeks, homeowners in the gated West Delray Beach community of Seven Bridges are outraged after its elected board of directors made a major decision behind closed doors — and failed to announce that decision to anyone. In the latest example of questionable conduct, the board settled its 558 lawsuit […]
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……………………………….
Turmoil hits Location Ventures’ Coral Gables condo project (FL)
A year after completing Villa Valencia in Coral Gables, Location Ventures failed to secure a final certificate of occupancy for the 13-story boutique condominium. And since last month, 10 contractors, including project manager Winmar Construction, have filed 23 construction liens totaling nearly $7 million against the building’s development entity, records show. Read the article………………………..
‘We’re stressing’: Residents move out of Pembroke Pines condo buildings deemed unsafe (FL)
Balconies in all 19 buildings on the property were shut down in January. Then in July, Pembroke Pines Police reported all buildings also showed signs of structural deterioration and potential unsafe conditions. Residents of buildings two, three, and 10 were put on notice they had 10 days to move out. Read the article………………………..
Florida report on insurance failure raises more questions than answers
After Sawgrass Mutual Insurance Co. went under in 2018, Florida regulators were supposed to do a financial autopsy to determine what had gone wrong. But they didn’t hire forensic accountants to dig into Sawgrass Mutual’s finances, as they had in previous insolvency cases. Read the article………………………..