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HALFTIME IN TALLAHASSEE
An Opinion
By Jan Bergemann
Published
March 31, 2025
It's halftime in Tallahassee -- and nearly
everything goes as predicted.
Serious tax reductions, property insurance and condo association
bills are making the headlines.
Are sales-tax reductions or eliminating property taxes really in
play, or are the politicians just baiting Floridians with empty
talk?
According to the number of bills going forward trying to solve the
insurance crisis the legislators seem to mean business. We'll see
what ends up on the Governor's desk for his signature. The bills are
definitely quickly marching through committee hearings.
CONDO BILL 3.0 (HB
913 +
SB 1742) will be the bill to be watched by Florida's condo
owners. The bill is more or less aimed at clarifying provisions of
last year's bill (HB
1021), trying to even add some enforcement to laws ignored
by quite a few condominium associations. But I guess in the end the
two sponsors of the companion bills, Representative Vicki Lopez (R)
and Senator Jennifer Bradley (R), have to decide which version will
make it to the floor vote.
"My Safe Florida Condominium Pilot Program" (H
393 +
SB 592) has unanimous support and will definitely end up on
the Governor's desk. Lots of money to finance this program are
already set aside in the budget. Legislators from both sides of the
aisle are really trying hard to ease the financial pain caused by
the bills that are supposed to assure the safety of the hi-rise
condominium buildings.
It seems like homeowners living in mandatory HOAs (FS 720)
continue to be treated as the stepchildren of Florida's
legislators.Not one of the bills filed has so far gotten any
committee hearings -- and time is quickly running out. I always
wonder why that is the case, considering that nearly double as many
voters live in HOAs than in Condos. Republicans are always clamoring
for "fair elections". Well, the election provisions for HOAs (FS
720.306) would actually make Russia or China proud.
But, never forget, the legislature in Tallahassee still has four
more weeks to what's right for us -- the citizens of Florida!
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