CREATING LAWS WITH NO ENFORCEMENT IS A WASTE OF TIME AND RESOURCES!

An Opinion By

Published May 13, 2025

Year for year Florida’s legislators are adding more and more laws to an already existing encyclopedia-size book of laws. What they always seem to forget is adding the necessary enforcement tools. And if there is a legislator finally willing to create the tools necessary to enforce existing laws, his bills are quickly killed – behind closed doors. We saw it this year with HB 983 – sponsored by Representative Juan Carlos Porras, a bill that was strongly supported by many Florida law enforcement agencies.  Despite getting unanimous vote of support in two committee hearings, the bill was killed by “Speaker” (speaker for whom?) Daniel Perez, to help his friends in the community association industry.

What do legislators expect owners to do with all these new laws? Win the lottery in order to be able to pay for the immense cost of enforcing these laws?

Enforcement of laws regulating community associations is totally inept. Remember, last year millions of dollars were given to the Division of Florida Condominiums, Timeshares and Mobile Homes in order to seriously improve their services and the enforcement of the laws. Result: ABSOLUTELY A TOTAL FAILURE!

Good example: Last year’s CONDO 2.0 bill (HB 1021) required each building on condominium property that is three stories or higher in height to have a structural integrity reserve study completed by December 31, 2024, for each building on the condominium property that is three stories or higher in height. Guess what: According to estimates more than 50% of all buildings that should have had a structural integrity reserve study completed failed to do so. Punishment for violating the law:  ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! Instead this year’s CONDO 3.0 bill (HB 913) gave them another year time to complete the reserve study.

That leaves the question: Who is still taking all these new laws seriously?