ORLANDO — It’s been
two years since the condo collapse at the Champlain Towers
in Surfside, Florida.
Since then, lawmakers have passed laws to try and stop it
from happening again.
The new requirements
include structural inspections by engineers or architects
for condominiums 30 years old, and recommended fixes must be
made.
That means condo boards will have to set aside enough money
for future repairs as well as thousands of extra dollars for
residents in fees. Many of those residents are seniors.
Speaker Designate Daniel Perez told the house floor after
the law was voted on by the house, that, “moving forward,
the structural integrity component of a condo will be
reserved, they will be maintained, they will be up to par so
that future condominiums never have to worry about another
surfside taking place.”
Mitchell Goldman who works and lives in a
condo said his office complex they just passed a special
assessment increasing fees of 25% to deal with all the new
costs required by the legislature. |
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A new law enacted
after the condo collapse in Surfside requires safety
inspections and requires associations to keep money in
reserves for any repairs and for those living on a fixed
income.
Goldman said it’s getting harder to afford living here and
people are getting priced out of condo living.
“I just don’t think they thought about the cost. They
thought about what they needed to enhance the safety and
soundness of the condominium, but the cost that is passed
down to individuals. I don’t think they contemplated or had
any idea what those costs would be,” Goldman added.
A woman, who wanted to remain anonymous, wrote to Channel 9
stating similar concerns: “I own a tiny (864 sf) condo in
this community and I’m currently paying $491.53/month. I’m
68 years old and on Social Security. An increase in monthly
HOA fees or a one-time assessment will put me on the street.
Has this been considered by legislators or is this ‘across
the board’ legislation just a quick ‘fix’ to an issue that
impacts primarily coastline condominiums?”
She received a letter from her HOA warning her that costs
could go up because of this bill. The letter in part states:
“It cannot be stressed enough that while the board
understands the significant impact and increase in
assessments has on all owners, we cannot disregard the
fiduciary responsibility we have to make sure the financial
responsibilities of the association are covered. These are
unattended consequences of the laws that try to protect
those living in a condominium, but the legislature and the
authors of this bill are standing on safety.”
Channel 9 has reached out to Perez’s office about
the financial concerns, but his office did not return our
request for comment.