Florida condo & HOA news
Plain-English Florida condo and HOA law updates for owners, volunteer board members, managers, and everyone navigating community-association life.
Read the latest articles ↓From the front lines
Written by Eric M. Glazer · Florida attorney
Ireally hate to be a Debbie Downer, but I have never been more afraid of an economic collapse in Florida, especially South Florida, as I do now. I couldn’t care less about the statistics that get reported about whether foreclosures are going up or not. I’m telling you that they are. I know because process…
Read: THE HOUSING NUMBERS JUST DON’T ADD UP → Iremember as a kid growing up in Brooklyn, Red Buttons would do a commercial that aired in New York, promoting Century Village. You were promised beautiful spacious apartments, amazing views, golf courses, endless entertainment and simply the perfect dream place to retire to. So forty years later, we learn…
Read: WERE WE SUCKERED IN BY FALSE ADVERTISING? → As if condos didn’t have enough problems, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have just come out with new guidelines that condos must follow. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are government-sponsored agencies that purchase large quantities of home loans to keep money circulating throughout the home mortgage economy. They…
Read: IT MAY BECOME IMPOSSIBLE TO GET A NEW MORTGAGE IN MANY CONDOS → I’ll tell you something – I give a lot of credit to Kathy Fernandez Rundle, The State Attorney for Miami-Dade County. She actually prosecutes cases of condo fraud, years ago she assembled a grand jury to make recommendations to the state legislature regarding condo crimes, kickbacks, conflicts of interest…
Read: ANOTHER STUNNING GRAND JURY REPORT ABOUT FLORIDA CONDOMINIUMS → Most community associations have their budget meeting in the month of November for the upcoming year. By doing it in November there is plenty of time to print new coupon books and let the community members know what the new monthly assessments will be for the coming year. In terms of notice, in a…
Read: IT'S NOVEMBER – AND THAT MEANS IT'S BUDGET TIME → Idon’t envy Judge Michael Hanzman, the judge who is assigned to decide the fate of the property where The Champlain Towers South Condominium once stood. The question of what to do at this sacred site is not easy. Some families want no re-development and only a memorial. The City of Surfside needs to see…
Read: THE SITE OF THE CHAMPLAIN TOWERS NOT AN EASY TASK TO DECIDE WHAT TO DO → Afew weeks ago, I wrote a blog called It’s Time To Stop A True Florida Farce. The blog spoke about the fact that members of community association boards of directors can still get certified without taking an educational class. Instead, they can sign a rather silly piece of paper that states they have read…
Read: THANK YOU SENATOR ANNA MARIA RODRIGUEZ! → Over a decade ago The Florida Legislature thought it was a good idea for members of condo and HOA boards to become “certified.” Sounds like a good idea. The problem is that the legislators allowed for two ways to become certified. One way is by going over to your computer and printing a form that is on…
Read: IT’S TIME TO STOP A TRUE FLORID → No doubt some changes are on the way for condominiums as a result of the Surfside tragedy. The changes are long overdue. Here’s another long overdue change that is necessary..the condominium insurance statutes.Suppose I told you that under Florida law, there is no absolute requirement that your condominium…
Read: AND WHILE YOU'RE AT IT…. PLEASE FIX THE INSURANCE STATUTE → Iwas lucky enough to be on vacation the past two weeks. On my last day, I woke up to the tragedy that was unfolding in Dade County as the Champlain Towers South Condominium came crashing down in Surfside. There are still over 150 people missing or unaccounted for. Before commenting on this devastation…
Read: A TRAGEDY WITH MORE QUESTIONS THAN ANSWERS → Iworked my way through college by working at The Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office. I loved my job. I would interview defendants to determine if community service was a more appropriate punishment than incarceration. If I was convinced that the defendant could be trusted, I would send him or her to a…
Read: THE COST OF CRIME → So the Florida Legislature has ended their session and I’m sure everyone wants to know what association laws passed this year.So here we go….. Subrogation New law: If a condominium association’s insurance policy does not provide rights for subrogation against the unit owners in the association, an…
Read: HERE ARE THE NEW LAWS EFFECTIVE JULY 1ST → So The Florida Legislature has ended their session and I’m sure everyone wants to know what association laws passed this year. So here we go….. Subrogation New law: If a condominium association’s insurance policy does not provide rights for subrogation against the unit owners in the association, an…
Read: HERE ARE THE NEW LAWS EFFECTIVE JULY 1ST → Today is March 15th, otherwise known as “the ides of March.” This was the day The Romans considered as a deadline for settling debts. But most of us relate this phrase to William Shakespeare. In his play Julius Caesar, a soothsayer attracts Caesar’s attention and tells him: “Beware the ides of March.” And as…
Read: BEWARE THE IDES OF MARCH → Last week we blogged about some association bills that were filed in Florida’s Legislature. I thought two were bad but one was good. Here are some more: CS/HB 0623: Provides that if a condominium association’s insurance policy does not provide rights for subrogation against the unit owners in the…
Read: 2020 legislation-PART 2 → Talk about beating a dead horse. I have been asked over and over and over again, by unit owners all across the state if: They are entitled to a refund at the end of the year or; They can currently withhold portions of their monthly assessment, because the pool, restaurant, club, spa, gym, card room,…
Read: CAN I GET A REFUND? → It’s the end of the summer. Millions of kids across our state have to suck it up and return to school. And if the kids have to endure school for the next ten months, all of you can endure a measly three hours. I’m talking of course about Condo and HOA Board Certification and Legal Update Course. There’s a…
Read: IT’S BACK TO SCHOOL TIME-PART 5 → Dominic Devoted has been the President of Broken and Bruised Condo for as long as he cares to remember. He longs for Labor Day because he knows that even the condo trouble makers understand what Labor Day stands for. Even they know not to bother him on what should be the holiest of holy days for board…
Read: A LABOR DAY TRADITION CONTINUES-PART 3 →Read it. Then watch it.
