Amid the growing
financial strain of a massive surprise expense and neglected
maintenance, residents of a Coral Springs community are
voicing their concerns and desperately seeking a fair
resolution from its association.
A band of 26 unit owners at the University Club Condominiums
at 1365 Northwest 94th Way are speaking out after residents
received notification that the condo association, Southeast
Condo Management, had instituted a special assessment fee of
$14,400 per unit due to be paid off through monthly payments
of $1,200 over the next year.
According to unit owners, payments for the assessment fee
are mandatory and come in addition to a $400 monthly
maintenance fee they already pay, creating a nearly $20,000
cumulative bill for the year, just in upkeep costs.
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Resident Wendy King outside of her condo at University Club in Coral Springs. |
“The board stated that
the Special Assessment of $364,000 is necessary to pay for
repairs to an assortment of things, such as roof
replacement, painting, mailbox replacement, 40-year
inspection repairs, trees, irrigation, and sod,” King tells
Coral Springs Talk.
“Residents are shocked by the super-high special assessment.
Several of us have commented that we have lived in condos
most of our lives. Assessments are part of the deal, but we
have never seen an assessment of more than a couple thousand
dollars.”
In addition to the eye-popping assessment price tag, King
says unit owners are in the dark as to what exactly the
issues are with the roof, assumed to be the biggest issue of
what the association has deemed urgent improvements to be
made.
“They have not stated why the roof needs to be replaced,”
King says. “I’m not sure if it is just that it is too old or
what.”
King says a chief building official assigned to the
Univesity Club’s case told her the property owner was
initially charged for failing to submit the 40-Year Building
Safety Reports by September 2022; however, in March 2023,
they finally submitted the reports, leading to the closure
of the building code case.
The official also explained to King that the engineer’s
report highlighted structural and electrical life safety
issues, indicating the need for repairs, and provided the
property owner with 180 days from the report to complete the
necessary repairs.
Currently, no permits have been obtained for the repairs.
However, the official told King that there is still
sufficient time (approximately six months) for the property
owner to comply and avoid any liens, thus, explaining the
sudden rush by the association to conduct repairs and pass
on the urgent costs to the unit owners.
King tells Coral Springs Talk that her attempt to
communicate with Southeast Condo Management to discuss the
repairs, financial concerns, and alternative solutions has
been met with a stiff arm, adding that they’ve not only
refused suggestions but won’t even meet with unit owners to
provide answers for weeks.
“We asked the condo association to meet with us to discuss
either them taking out a loan to cover the assessment costs
or at least give us more time to pay,” King said.
“But they simply replied with a message refusing to meet
with us until after July 26 and refusing to talk about
alternative solutions.”
Coral Springs Talk has reached out for comment from
Southeast Condo Management but has not received any
communication as of this writing.
King says unit owners know work needs to be done. Still,
they simply wish to be involved in decision-making that will
cost some that own multiple units over $30,000 this year, an
untenable amount of money during one of the worst economic
times many have ever lived through.
King also points out the fact that the association has
seemingly squandered its normal maintenance fees and refuses
to use any reserves to pay for what it is calling urgent
repairs.
“We are all understanding that the building needs repairs,
and we want those repairs to be made so we are safe and in
compliance with the city,” King said.
“We are just confused as to how the condo management company
has failed to save hardly any money in reserves to pay for
these foreseeable expenses.”
Describing the current condition of the University Club
condos, King highlighted several specific issues, including
loose bricks, a neglected pool full of debris, rusted
mailboxes, malfunctioning doors, peeling paint, and overall
untidiness.
“There are loose bricks on the stairs and walkways that
create the danger of falls. Despite paying for the regular
pool maintenance, the pool is usually full of debris.”
When questioned about the association’s transparency in
allocating funds, Wendy King remarked, “I do not feel like
the association has been transparent,” King said.
“Even though each of the 26 unit owners has been paying $400
per month toward maintenance, there does not seem to be
routine maintenance happening, and it does not seem like
they’ve been setting money aside in reserves as they
should.”
In terms of collective action, King shares that she has
tracked down 10 of the 26 homeowners that the association’s
decision will impact, and they are all on board with
fighting back to the point that they’ve planned a protest
that will likely be held outside the office of Southeast
Condo Management on University Drive.
Regarding legal avenues unit owners can take, King said the
group has already begun exploring their options, including
contacting multiple city commissioners for advice.
“Our concerns and copies of all correspondence with the
condo association have been forwarded to the city attorney
and Commissioner Nancy Metayer [Bowen] [who] is very on
board with trying to help us.”
In proposing alternative plans, King conveyed that unit
owners are willing to work on a solution that both gets the
work done and provides them with more time to pay the sum.
She said the most palatable solution would be for the
association, not individual owners, to take out a bank loan
to pay for the work outlined in the Special Assessment. They
also suggested the association give them three years to pay
off the $14,400 rather than one year.
“The association did not save any money towards the 40-year
inspection, even though since the Surfside tragedy, it has
been well known that these inspections are important and
required.”
“I don’t want my family to become homeless; likewise, I
don’t want my elderly or disabled neighbors to end up
homeless either.”