Letter to Editor of the Sun Sentinel

By Donna D. Berger
Executive Director Community Association Leadership Lobby hollywood
Posted August 24 2005

For months, Florida Condominium Ombudsman Virgil Rizzo has complained that his office is severely underfunded and understaffed. Now, it appears we may be seeing the result in his office's issuance of an incomplete and tangential Condominium Ombudsman's Quarterly Report (April-June 2005), as reported in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel ("Rampant mismanagement plagues condo boards, report finds," Aug. 19).

Having reviewed Dr. Rizzo's report in full, I can say that for the tens of thousands of outstanding board members of condominiums who volunteer their time and energy for the betterment of their communities, this report is a slap in the face.

Dr. Rizzo's report concludes that "the major problem continues to be the incapability and inability of board members to properly manage the operation of the association, as required by statute, articles of incorporation, declaration, bylaws, and rules and regulations." Yet, the basis for this conclusion would seem to be largely anecdotal, rather than statistically sound.

Your newspaper summarized that "most of the 4,000 queries" received during April-June involved directors of associations. But what does that tell us exactly? Independent reports show a handful of individuals filing "repeat complaints" are responsible for skewing the overall number of complaints against boards. A recent state-commissioned audit of complaints showed just 54 unit owners filed 833 "repeat complaints" for 46 percent of all complaints against boards during 2003-04.

Perhaps if Dr. Rizzo's office had either more resources or greater capabilities in collecting and analyzing statistically sound data, we would be provided with constructive information about the true nature of complaints and abuses that sometimes do occur in condominiums. What we have in this report is an irresponsible snapshot that shifts blame onto all those individuals who selflessly take time to volunteer to serve on their community association boards.