The September 1, issue of the St. Pete Times "Action" column by Nancy Paradis, is must read for all residents of any homeowners association nationwide. After millions of residents have been fleeced into bankruptcy by greedy managers who raised assessments, late charges and even forfeiture under the pious "duty calls" license to steal...now comes a Florida Manager, named Patricia Cooper, complaining the Department Of Business and Professional Regulation had the audacity to raise her manager's renewal fee from $15.50 to $305.00!
       According to the know-it-all CAM newsletters, "the regulatory Council of Community Association Managers" is currently facing a severe budget deficit....Statutory fee limits, established when the CAM program was housed in the Division of Florida Land Sales, Condo's and Mobile Homes, were set without much study on the regulation of the profession. (So, what else is new? )
     The program was transferred to the Div. of Professions in 1996, but the fees received from license applications, renewals, disciplinary action, etc. have not generated sufficient revenue to meet the council's expenditures..."Because Florida Statute 455.219 requires all professional boards and councils to be financially self-sufficient and maintain a reasonable cash balance, one step the council has taken is to raise the biennial fee to $105, plus collect a special one-time assessment of $200 from all licensees...etc.
      If the shoe fits wear it, managers, you have ripped off residents with special assessments since 1963 and cold heartily informed them, "Pay up or be sued, " so frankly speaking, it's time you got a taste of your own highway robbery. Of course the real solution is to abolish this gulag style commune that preys on the meek, the weak and the uninformed to give politicians a free tax ride.  
      I hope managers get hit with a hike in fees nationwide because what is good for the goose is good for the gander and it's time they had a taste of their own bitter medicine.
Willow Vance for Equal Protection in Property Rights

According to the newsletter, "the Regulatory Council of Community Association Managers is currently facing a severe budget deficit. . . . Statutory fee limits, established when the CAM program was housed in the Division of Florida Land Sales, Condominiums and Mobile Homes, were set without much study on the regulation of the profession." 

The program was transferred to the Division of Professions in 1996, but the fees received from license applications, renewals, disciplinary action, etc., have not generated sufficient revenue to meet the council's expenditures. Because Florida Statute 455.219 requires all professional boards and councils to be financially self-sufficient and maintain a reasonable cash balance, one step the council has taken is to raise the biennial fee to $105, plus collect a special one-time assessment fee of $200 from all licensees. 

The newsletter also suggests that not all community association managers are outraged: "The department has received numerous calls, letter and e-mails speaking against deregulation and supporting the increase of fees to maintain regulation of CAMS." 

With regard to your statement that the department lacks fiscal responsibility and is passing on its error to you, we can only suggest you contact your legislators. Remember also that one of the best ways to affect change in the government is at the polls.