PEMBROKE PINES -
Property owners paid mortgage, insurance and homeowners
association fees but still fear being put out at Heron Pond
Condominiums.
Pembroke Pines code
inspectors found structural problems threatening safety in
several buildings earlier this year. They issued mandatory
evacuations. Those asked to leave do not know when they can
return. Still, each owner must continue to pay all bills and
fees, the property manager said.
"It's demoralize," Ted Victor, who bought his condo in the
complex 17 years ago. "It's very, very sad."
Victor's home is across the breezeway from one of the
evacuated buildings. His family feels next.
"The hardest part in full transparency is
seeing my wife cry about this at night because she worries
about the finances," Victor said. |
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His wife works two
jobs. Victor is a teacher. They have two children. Victor
said his family saw their complex slowly crumble over the
years but were routinely promised repairs that never
happened.
"I just really, really
believed that somebody, maybe the management would be
responsible," he said.
The homeowners association charges $550 a month in dues,
Victor said. Despite this, he and others wonder how much
goes into maintenance and they hardly want to pay any more
fees until management provides answers.
CBS News Miami spoke with the property manager who declined
to share any documentation, give a statement, or answer
questions on camera.
She said every property owner needs to pay fees because the
association remains responsible for care of the common area,
and working amenities like gates and must pay insurance. If
they do not, the complex is in jeopardy, the property
manager said. |
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The city ordered
engineers to inspect all 19 buildings on the property this
summer. So far, every report showed fixable structural
problems, the property manager claimed. It is not clear,
though, when work could begin or how long repairs will take.
"The word is it could be six months or a year," Victor said.
"I'm not necessarily sure we can survive that."
While searching for apartments with room for his family,
Victor found most want $2,500 or more a month. So, he is
looking for an overnight job to help save up for a move he
can hardly afford.
"I don't believe that's fair and I don't believe that's
right," he said. "Someone should have to answer to that.
We've never been negligent. We're hard-working people and we
should be able to remain in our homes safely. Everyone is
afraid of a replay of (the) Surfside (building collapse). I
understand that. But whoever is responsible for the
negligence they should be able to pay for the situation."