Article
Courtesy of NBC Channel 6 South Florida
By
Heather Walker
Published April 29, 2023
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The fight from condo owners continues after a state law passed that
increases the amount of money required in condo reserves. The law is aimed
at preventing another Surfside collapse.
However, retired condo owners say it could force them to move because they
can’t afford it.
NBC6 learned that lawmakers are aware of the concerns and
working on changes.
Currently, two bills
(Senate Bill 154 and House Bill 1395) are moving through
Tallahassee. The bills could extend the deadline for condo
reserves to increase by one year. Lawmakers said it’s the
short-term fix that they can tackle during this session
while they work on more long-term solutions.
“My message to them is hang on — help is coming,” Rep. Vicki
Lopez said.
Lopez represents Brickell, Edgewater and part of downtown
Miami where condos are prevalent. She introduced a bill in
the House that will pair with a Senate bill to clarify the
new law.
And the hope is to extend the deadline for reserves to 2025,
which would alleviate some financial pressure for condo
owners like Nola Senica. |
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Two bills moving through Tallahassee could extend the
deadline for condo reserves to increase by a year.
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“We have people here that live on social security, and
when they raise those HOA fees, a lot of them are quite elderly and they are
going to have to go somewhere — I don’t know where,” Senica said.
Senica has owned a condo in Margate for more than 15 years. She has been
sounding the alarm since Senate Bill 4D passed, telling NBC6 that her
quarterly condo payments will now have to increase by $400 or more to be in
compliance with the new law that is aimed to keep residents safe from any
building deterioration and prevent something like the Surfside collapse.
“We are so far inland from Surfside," Senica said. "We are not on a barrier
island, and they are going to try to make one size fit all and it doesn’t
work."
She said instead of saving her and her neighbors from a disaster; the new
law is putting them in financial trouble. So, she reached out to NBC6 for
help back in December of 2022. NBC 6 reached out to Florida lawmakers, who
said they would work to fix that.
Four months later we checked back in. And lawmakers, including Lopez, said
they will use this summer to work on more long-term solutions to solve condo
owner’s concerns.
“I’m listening all the time and they have my commitment that I am in this
with them,” Lopez said.
Senica believes it’s a step in the right direction but remains worried about
having enough money to continue living in her condo.
“Please consider that fixed income is exactly that it’s a fixed income and
when you are older. you don’t have a chance to go get another job to help
pay for it,” Senica said.
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