LEGISLATIVE SESSION 2025 -- VERY DISAPPOINTING SO FAR?

An Opinion By Jan Bergemann

Published April 29, 2025

There may be a few highlights on the last few days, but so far this year's session is very disappointing for Florida's homeowners and condo-owners. Owners of property in mandatory homeowners' associations get absolutely NOTHING: ZERO, ZIPP, ZILCH, NADA!

Not one of the bills filed with the intention to create more owner-friendly statutes and to help owners fighting scams, fraud and embezzlement in their community made it out of committees - some were not even considered for starters. Owners of trees are still not liable for damages caused by their trees to their neighbors. Obviously lowering the danger of damages caused by trees during hurricanes makes no sense to our elected officials. The bill would have as well helped a little with the big insurance crisis. NO TAKERS!

And for condo owners? So far there is no solution to be published to solve the differences between the two condo bills. Maybe an agreement was reached, but what we have seen so far, makes lifes for condo owners even moe difficult because of very convoluted language in the bill proposals so far. It looks like even attorneys have a hard time figuring out how to properly interpret these proposals. And hopefully the final bill -- if there are finally favorable votes on House and Senate floor -- will not attempt to kick the can further down the road. We all know what needs to be done, but the longer the legislature allows owners to avoid their responsibilities the bigger the damage to these owners. Didn't the statutes allowing owners to vote down reserves year for year teach all of us a lesson?

We'll know Friday night -- hopefully with some positive ending for some of the serious problems Florida's property owners are facing!

WHAT SAY YOU?