Humberto Sanchez

CCFJ, Inc. and Miami-Dade Advocacy Leader

June 25, 2005            Miami, Florida

Good morning honorable Representative Robaina, Mr. Chair person, ladies and gentlemen of the Condo Advisory Council, I take this opportunity to commend those of you who have taken very valuable time away from your families to serve on this panel.

When one is seeking justice and fairness I think is important to recognize that there are good attorneys, there are good boards, there are good managers, and for those we don’t need any laws

However, I must express concerns when I see that some members of this panel also represent the very same entities mostly responsible for the horrible stories that we witness just about every day associated with condominium living through the whole State of Florida.

In fact, how is it possible that members of these firms such as Becker and Poliakoff and Community Association Institute, etc. are sitting on this panel?  How is it possible that people who represent a firm that have been sanctioned in federal court for violations of the laws be sitting here today on this panel? They happen to be the same parties who act against any meaningful reform to protect the citizens living on condominiums; I believe there is a great conflict of interest.

The Governor, State Representatives, State Senators, County Commissioners, City Mayors, City Councilman, Police Departments, State Attorney Office, and just about every department from any public office are constantly listening to all kinds of complaints associated with condo living, everyone knows we have a tremendous problems, except the Department of Business of Professional Regulations, and the Division of Condominium and Land Sales who keep claiming that only receive a handful of complaints per year.

How can these problems be solved when some of these very same problems are created or permitted by very same regulatory agencies. I heard several times that representatives of DBPR expressed to a Citizens trying to address a complaint, “If you are having so many problems why don’t you move out”?? Is this the way the regulatory agencies handle complaints? Are they part of the solution or part of the problem?

How about predatory foreclosures, people set-up in a way that before they know their properties are sold sometimes without even knowing? And how is it possible that this may be done without a Judicial Process??? Do we live in America, or do we live in Iraq?

Overviewing the condo problems in general, are we in the presence of thousands of incompetent people or are we in presence of Corruption??

I respectfully request that this document be part of the record. Thank you very much. I’m open to any questions.