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Blossom Park Disaster: Where did all the money go? Forensic Audit Coming

guest blog by Deborah Goonan
I’ve been blogging for the past few months about a crumbling Florida condo conversion called Blossom Park. Orange County has cited the Association with numerous code enforcement violations, and has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to assist residents in relocating to safer housing.Now the condo owners have hired an attorney, Mark Lippman, to represent them in a case to oust court-appointed Receiver Frank Barber. They contend that Barber has been collecting assessments since 2011, yet Orange County’s Engineer has determined the building has structural defects in the stairways and balconies that make the condo unsafe. Owners want to know how their money has been spent, and they are about to find out with a forensic audit.

Be sure to watch the video in the WFTV Channel 9 news link below, so you can see for yourself how the structure is crumbling. The words “misappropriation” and “negligence” are being used by Lippman to describe Barber’s management of Blossom Park condominium since 2011.

But, on the other hand, where have the condo owners been all these years? How could they have not noticed such obvious levels of deterioration? It’s amazing that owners did not make a move to replace Barber several years ago. Now all of a sudden, with Orange County’s code violation report made public, and most of their tenants sent packing, the owners want to take back their Association and give their buildings some love.

But is it too little, too late? It’s rather obvious the exterior condition of the buildings is in very poor condition, and perhaps the cost of necessary repairs will exceed the value of the condos.

By the way, Frank Barber is also the Receiver for nearby Tymber Skan condominium, where rats, violent criminals, and squatters live among its few unfortunate tenants and remaining owners,

When will Orange County put an end to the madness and terminate both condos, that have already cost taxpayers more than $1 million in unpaid utility bills, crime enforcement, fire protection, and condemnations?

But this is Florida. It seems the only people terminating condos are hostile investment groups, and those condominiums are still in relatively good shape with good profit potential.

Wouldn’t you know it, investors aren’t that interested in vermin-infested, wood-rotted money pits.

See how well privatization is working to provide affordable housing?

Incredible when an HOA Fines a Handicapped Person

If you live in an HOA, remember you don’t actually own your own home. It’s owned jointly by every member of the neighborhood. That means when your HOA gets sued the damage judgments are shared equally by every member of the neighborhood. If your board does something outrageous enough to precipitate a lawsuit you could face an outrageous special assessment to pay the damage award.

With that in mind, read this next link. An HOA cuts off the water to a disabled resident. A lawsuit? Get ready to shell out big bucks.

(link to story on Atlanta surgery patient who lost her access to water)