Article
Courtesy of THE FORT LAUDERDALE CITY NEWS
By
Grayson Walker, Ph.D.
Published
July 2007
Gulag is an acronym for the former Soviet Union’s penal system. Since then, it has come into common use to describe any repressive system. I named my column the “Tales From The Galt Gulag,” because I write about the repression of unit Owners on the Galt Ocean Mile.
The Galt Ocean Mile
is the biggest crime scene in Broward County.
Democracy in Danger
Most of us have a basic understanding of
the United States Constitution, which
I consider one of the greatest documents
ever written. The Constitution does
several things for us. It establishes the
three branches of government (legislative,
executive, & judicial), and protects
us from excessive government power.
One of the most important things
the Constitution does comes in the
Bill of Rights (the first ten amendments).
The Bill of Rights addresses our individual
freedoms. The Framers of the Constitution
added the Bill of Rights because these
guarantees of our individual freedoms
were necessary to insure ratification of
the Constitution. Condominium
owners are equal owners
in a private, non-profit corporation.
While the condominium documents appear
to define the rules of the organization,
they are all but unenforceable by
a Unit Owner. In very simple English,
there is no democracy in your condominium,
for you left your rights at the
door when you bought your condominium.
In a condominium, you have the
right to obey and to pay. If you think this
sounds like fascism, you are right.
The United States Constitution created a
series of checks and balances to protect
us from the arbitrary exercise of
power by the government. Florida’s Condominium
Act, Ch 718, has no such checks
and balances. Instead, it created a
totalitarian state in each condominium association.
Unlike the Framers of the
Constitution, the Florida Legislature never
bothered to amend the Condominium Act
to guarantee our individual rights.
The AARP proposed a Condominium Owner’s
Bill of Rights, but it has not
been adopted by our Legislature.
Just like Iran, Venezuela, Syria and China,
a condominium board makes unilateral
decisions. The board creates its
own rules, and thus acts as the legislative branch.
The board selects its own
officers, who act as the executive branch.
The board enforces its rules with
fines and foreclosures, and thus acts
as the judicial branch. You have no ability
to appeal the Board’s decisions.
If this sounds like a dictatorship to you, you
are right.
Florida is facing the greatest threat to
democracy in each of its condominiums.
The Florida Condominium Act created a
Fascist, un-American system. It is an
anathema to the American way of life.
Condominium Commando
A Condominium Commando is a
self-centered member of a Condominium Board
who uses fear and intimidation to
rule the Association. The Condominium
Commando is an adult version
of the playground bully. While the
phrase has a cute ring to it, such a person
is anything but cure. The term is
misleading. The Condominium Commando is
actually a Fascist Dictator.
Lord Acton said, “Power corrupts, and
absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
The history of world civilization documents
corruption. Repeatedly, we see
corrupt leaders blinded and even driven
crazy by power. Thus, Louis XIV said,
“L’Etat, c’est moi” (I am the State).
Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts
absolutely. The Florida Condominium Act
grants almost unlimited power
to the board, and human nature guarantees
absolute corruption.
Power corrupts. It is also true that corrupt
people seek power. The failure of
the Condominium Act invites corrupt people
to become Condo Commandos.
Condominium Ombudsman
In 2004, the Legislature created the Condominium
Ombudsman’s Office to
help protect Unit Owners from the corruption
of the Condominium Commando. The
driving force behind creating this
help for Unit Owners came from State
Representative Julio Robaina. Our Condominium
Ombudsman is charged with
representing the interests of the public
by investigating and addressing complaints
reported by individual citizens.
The Legislature recognized that the Department
of Business and Professional Regulation
had failed to protect the rights
of Condominium Unit Owners. They
designed the Condominium Ombudsman’s Office
to handle the many problems
in condominiums without resorting to
mediation, arbitration, or the courts.
The Condominium Ombudsman’s Office
investigates Unit Owner’s complaints,
works for fair settlements, and
is available to monitor condominium elections.
Ombudsman in Dange r
The many forces that work against the
Unit Owner are attempting to weaken
the pathetic powers of the Department of
Business and Professional Regulation.
Even worse, the fascist forces are
working to undermine the Condominium Ombudsman,
and eliminate the
office. If these anti-Owner forces are successful,
we may be left with a system that
forces us to hire a lawyer for the
smallest of complaints, or to suffer quietly.
I urge you to contact Governor Crist,
Representative Robaina, and Representative Bogdanoff,
to express your support
for the Condominium Ombudsman’s Office.
Fort Lauderdale Code Enforcement
Your calls to Fort Lauderdale’s Code Enforcement
Department have been extremely
effective. Two managers have resigned
because of your inquiries. The
City is investigating the many illegal changes
to condominiums that put your
home risk. Protect your building, your
home, and confirm that all work on
your building had a permit and an inspection.
Help for Owners
Attorney Inger
Garcia can be reached at www.IngerGarcia.com
or by telephone at 954-752-1213.
Jan Bergemann’s Cyber
Citizens For Justice is an organization of Owners,
for Owners, to protect Owners’ rights. For more
information, please visit them at www.CCFJ.net
or
telephone 386-740-1503 or by email at [email protected]
The Galt Mile Yahoo! Discussion group is a free forum. You can reach it at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/GaltMile/
and if you wish to subscribe, simply send an email to [email protected]
The Southpoint Condominium Yahoo Discussion group is a free forum.
You can reach it at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SouthpointCondominium/
and if you wish to subscribe, simply send an email to [email protected]
The Southpoint Condominium website can be reached at http://Southpoint-Condominium.org
The AARP’s Bill of
Rights for Homeowners is available online at http://assets.aarp.org/rgcenter/consume/2006_15_homeowner.pdf
Government Officials
Governor Charlie Crist can be reached at 850-488-7146 or by email at [email protected]
.
Your State
Representative is Ellyn Bogdanoff. She can be
reached at 954-762-3757 or by email at [email protected].
State Representative Julio
Robaina can be reached at 305-442-6868 or by email at [email protected]
Harold Hyman of the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation’s Bureau of Enforcement canbe reached at 954-202-3982 or by email at
[email protected]
.
Danille Carroll is our Condominium Ombudsman. She can be reached at 954-202-3234 or by email at
Danille.[email protected]
Fort Lauderdale Police Chief Bruce Roberts can be reached at 954-828-5700.
State Attorney Michael J. Satz can be reached at 954-831-6955.
Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jim Naugle can be reached at 954-828-5003, or by email at
[email protected] .
The Galt Gulag’s Fort Lauderdale City Commissioner is Christine Teel. She can be reached 954-828-5003, or by email at
[email protected]
Fort Lauderdale City Manager George Gretsas can be reached at 954-828-5013, by fax at 954-828-5021, or by email at
[email protected]
Code Enforcement Head Cate Mc-Caffrey can be reached at 954-828-4989, or by email at
[email protected]
.
Code Enforcement Supervisor John Gossman can be reached at 954-828-5806, or by email at
[email protected]
Galt Gulag Code Enforcement Officer Al Lovinshimer can be reached at 954-828-5118, or by email at
[email protected]
.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
I
own an apartment in the Galt Gulag,at the Southpoint condominium, on
the Galt Mile in Fort
Lauderdale. Many people
do not realize how many rights they
give up when they buy an apartment in
a condominium association.
I
have taught American Government, Constitutional Law, and Ethics for over
twenty-years, but I was not
prepared for life in
the Galt Gulag. At the
June 2005 Board meeting, Board
President Marty Glazer called the critics
of the Board “insurgents.” I am an
insurgent in the Galt Gulag. You can reach me at [email protected]
or 954-567-0520.
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TALES
FROM THE GALT GULAG -- PART I
TALES
FROM THE GALT GULAG -- PART II
TALES
FROM THE GALT GULAG -- PART III
TALES
FROM THE GALT GULAG -- PART IV
TALES
FROM THE GALT GULAG -- PART V TALES
FROM THE GALT GULAG -- PART VI
THE CONDO LAWYER -- INGER GARCIA
THE CONDO LAWYER -- INGER GARCIA
II
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