READ CONDO COLLECTION ATTORNEY BOB TANKEL'S LATEST E-MAIL

An Opinion By Jan Bergemann
President, Cyber Citizens For Justice, Inc.

Published August 11, 2011

In case you haven't had your daily laugh today, please read attorney Bob Tankel's latest missive to the folks on his e-mail list:

From: Bob Tankel <[email protected]>

To: Robert Tankel <[email protected]>

Sent: Mon, 08 Aug 2011 20:20:51 -0000 (UTC)

Subject: Attached interactive 2011 Legislative change handbook

Hi, Bob Tankel here.

As you may know I am on the Advisory Board of the Community Advocacy Network, (www.canfl.com), an advocacy initiative for community associations.

Please feel free to pass this information on to our mutual clients as well and any Community Association managers you know.

*I strongly recommend membership in CAN as it helps serve as a counterweight to such organizations as Jan Bergmann's CCFJ, Associated Industries, Florida Home Builders Association etc,. etc,. none of whom lobby for the benefit of HOA members and their Boards.*

As an example we are working on getting a change in the Documentary Stamp Tax law which currently makes it more expensive to take a deed in lieu of foreclosure when owners want to give their homes to the association instead of going through the delay and expense of foreclosure. This seems like a no brainer, but you need to be aware of it and the law needs to be changed.

Please let me know if you have any questions about the attached or about CAN. Together we will make a difference.

This communication is from a debt collector. This is an attempt to collect a debt. Any information obtained will be used for that purpose.

We have implemented a sustainability initiative throughout the firm; as a result this may be the only means by which the material contained herein is provided to the recipient.

Articles, video updates and my Blog is at our web site, www.condocollections.com

INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS TRANSMISSION IS ATTORNEY PRIVILEGED AND CONFIDENTIAL. IT IS INTENDED FOR THE USE OF THE INDIVIDUAL OR ENTITY NAMED ABOVE. IF THE READER OF THIS MESSAGE IS NOT THE INTENDED RECIPIENT, YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT ANY DISSEMINATION, DISTRIBUTION OR COPY OF THIS COMMUNICATION IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED. IF YOU HAVE RECEIVED THIS COMMUNICATION IN ERROR, PLEASE IMMEDIATELY NOTIFY US BY TELEPHONE. THANK YOU.

ROBERT L. TANKEL, P.A.

1022 MAIN ST. SUITE D

DUNEDIN FL 34698

727.736.1901 V

727.736.2305 F

888.266.3652 Toll Free

I am not sure what in this e-mail is supposed to be attorney-client privileged, especially since Tankel must have sent it to lots of people. And actually, the only thing that deals in this e-mail with “debt collection” is Tankel's e-mail address. I can understand that Tankel doesn't like me or CCFJ -- we rejected his membership application and sent his money back. But putting CCFJ on the same level as Associated Industries and The Florida Home Builders Association is giving my statement more weight when I opined that Tankel must have won his BAR license at a county fair.

I guess Tankel can't understand that an organization like CCFJ has a serious problem accepting ethically challenged lawyers as members. The list of "weird" actions by attorney Bob Tankel is long, so is his list of BAR complaints. I guess Tankel can't understand that an organization like CCFJ has a serious problem accepting ethically-challenged lawyers as members. The list of "weird" actions by attorney Bob Tankel is long; so is his list of BAR complaints. A recent article in the St. Petersburg Times -- Experts: Pinellas lawyer takes foreclosure fight to ethical edge -- shows clearly why we want to keep safe distance from a lawyer like Bob Tankel.

So, now Tankel joined CAN (Community Advocacy Network), a lobbying group that is run by the law firm of Katzman Garfinkel & Berger. As much as I like Donna Berger's enthusiasm and smile, I have to say that she has a tendency to surround herself with people and organizations that have a less than stellar reputation among owners in community associations. Just see attorney Bob Tankel, the latest addition to her Advisory Council. Even Berger's two partners can not necessarily be considered association/owner-friendly. Leigh Katzman's remarks at town hall meetings angered more than one condo owner. Attorney Alan Garfinkel faced his fair share of lawsuits filed against him by association boards. I just read the allegations made in these lawsuits -- and Leigh Katzman's desperate attempts to seal the documents. If only 25% of the allegations were true, I can only say: "Ouch!"

According to recent announcements, CAN is now even teaming up with ASSOCIA -- a management company from Texas whose President & Chief Executive Officer is Texas Senator John J. Carona. Talk to Texas homeowner advocates about ASSOCIA and/or Carona -- you'll sure get an earful.

Let's be honest. Put a few board members on the Advisory Council and hire folks like the Raphans, who have an owner-friendly reputation. But it still doesn't turn a law firm lobbying group like CAN into an association/owner-friendly entity. Professionals lobby for their professions, not for the folks who pay for their services! What's so difficult to understand?

THERE IS NO FREE SPEECH HERE -- ACCORDING TO ATTORNEY BOB TANKEL!