Fight to make troubled Tymberskan

condos in Orlando safer

Article and Video Courtesy of Channel 35 FOX News

By Mike Synan

Published February 1, 2015

Watch VIDEO

ORLANDO -- Orange County commissioners are making another effort to save the troubled Tymberskan Condominiums, this time by giving its receiver money for legal actions related to evictions. Code Enforcement Manager Bob Spivey says they have been busy boarding up dilapidated buildings there and preparing them for demolition.

"This is an ongoing process. Certainly we will be identifying additional buildings and units and periodically have to go back and re-board some of these things as they get vandalized," said Spivey.

Now the commissioners have given the receiver of the property $7,800 dollars to help initiate legal proceedings against squatters and absentee landlords that are not paying association dues. Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs says the money is what is left from funds approved in June to improve safety in the complex.

    

"Try to give him the ability to salvage this Condominium Association quite frankly," Mayor Jacobs said. "He's short the legal fees that he needs to go through the process to make sure the people start paying the HOA directly. If that works, then he'll be on the road to self sufficiency."
    

Evicting squatters is no easy task, and District Commissioner Victoria Siplin is willing to be patient and let the receiver and the Sheriff work to get people out that do not belong.

"There are legal issues that we have to be aware of. I don't say so much that it is frustration, but it's a situation that we are involved in because you are dealing with humans. You are dealing with families."

Tymberskan still owes thousands of dollars in unpaid water bills to Orlando Utilities, but Commissioner Siplin did say she is not interested is just bailing them out by using taxpayer money to pay that bill.

   
"You have to take responsibility for your community, and the County is here to assist, but we are not giving out handouts."

The receiver of the property has been making monthly payments to Orlando Utilities Commission to reduce that outstanding bill, but after paying for that and garbage collection has nothing left over to help repair and improve the property. Part of this money will go to making sure any rent payments go directly to the HOA and receiver as opposed to out of state property owners that are not paying their HOA dues.

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