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Published
on June 1, 2004
By
Jan Bergemann
FOX 29 - WFLX in Palm Beach County created the panel for the first telephone bank in Florida dealing with HOA and Condo problems. After continuing newscasts every Tuesday evening for three weeks under the headline “HOA NIGHTMARES,” the stage was set for the phone bank during the News at 10 PM on May 25, 2004.
News anchors Claudia Shea and Alan Gerstel, assisted by Bebe Novick and Ann Miller, hosted a great News show, which included another segment of
HOA NIGHTMARES, headlined HOA LAWS.
This phone bank definitely proved a point many owners’ activists have claimed for many years: Association statutes definitely need
REFORMS and ENFORCEMENT.
Manning the phone bank were eight volunteers, who answered the endless questions from interested callers.
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Julio Robaina -- House Representative (R-117) Miami -- Chair of House Select Committee on Condo Governance
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Cathy Lively – Attorney -- Palm Beach
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Barry Silver – Attorney -- Boca Raton
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Karen Gottlieb -- Member HOA Task Force -- Ft. Lauderdale
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Humberto Sanchez -- LULAC Councilman +
CCFJ-Condo Chair -- Miami
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George Andres – a.k.a. “The Jupiter Flag Man” -- Jupiter
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Phil Castronova -- Chairman CCFJ Area 9
(PBC) -- Lake Worth
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Jan Bergemann -- CCFJ President – Member HOA Task Force -- St. Augustine
As expected, the telephones rang off the hook. From shortly after 10 PM – the moment the number to call was shown on the screen – until
well past 11 PM the eight volunteers found not even time for a breather.
The most common issues of the calls were the same as usual:
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Problems with association attorneys
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Outrageous legal fees for late dues and fines
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Boards violating their own regulations
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Rules made up by board members
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Lack of Disclosure
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Total lack of enforcement of the Florida Statutes
Actually, the phone bank just proved what activists all over Florida say all along:
HOA and CONDO NIGHTMARES will not stop in Florida until the regulations created by the Florida Legislature are being strictly enforced by a government agency. Florida’s homeowners and condo owners need somewhere to turn to fight the many abuses they face living in these associations.
According to the organizers of the phone bank, only one other issue ever created this kind of response from the public:
Used-Car Dealers!
Is this where our associations are headed? Is this the reputation we want for our communities, who falsely claim to protect our property values?
Being compared to Used-Car Dealers?
The organizers and volunteers of this great show definitely deserve a big “THANK YOU!” The huge attention by the public proved one more time that not only a few “disgruntled” owners are complaining, as the industry partisans want the public to believe. There are many flaws in HOA and CONDO La-La-Land.
Isn’t it high time our elected officials face the facts and protect their constituents against all the known abuses?
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