guest blog by Deborah Goonan
Florida Legislators have done it again. They have managed to pass a bill that gives the illusion of protecting condo owners, but, in reality, does very little to prevent real estate investors and developers from exploiting consumers, violating 5th Amendment Rights to unlawful taking of property and just compensation.
In the final week of the 2015 legislative session, both the Florida House and Senate voted unanimously to approve passage of HB 643 (identical to SB 1172). Republicans Chris Sprowls and Chris Latvala sponsored these companion bills, with the intention of making it more difficult for bulk buying investors to take advantage of condo owners, particularly those who paid high prices at the time of purchase. Tens of thousands of Florida condo owners have faced forced termination of their distressed condominium associations, with the result that most have been kicked to the curb, forced to sell their units for pennies, most losing all of their equity or left with outstanding mortgages.
Even in its original draft, HB 643 and companion bill SB 1172 had loopholes. (See link to previous blog) But over the course of recent weeks, the two bills were consolidated and amended (watered down) 9 times.
So many loopholes remain in this bill, and news releases are providing inaccurate and incomplete information, touting HB 643 as a “step in the right direction.”
For instance, a recent news release states that condo owners will receive 1% of the value of the unit to help with relocation expenses. But HB 643 specifically states that the relocation allowance will be equal to 1% of termination proceeds. With all the offsets allowed against termination proceeds — the outstanding first mortgage, delinquent assessments, special assessments, fines, etc. — the proceeds could end up being very low or even zero. Do the math – 1% of zero is zero.
Plus there are so many conditions for condo owners to receive the original purchase price of their condo units, that this bill is unlikely to help the vast majority of condo owners. The conditions include:
o The original purchase has to be made from the developer, not a resale;
o The property must be the owner’s homestead, as registered in the County of residence;
o The owner must have absolutely no financial obligation to the lender or the HOA, including an unpaid exorbitant special assessment and/or questionable fine issued by the bulk owners in order to “break” owners and pressure them into selling at a loss.
o The “full purchase price” concession only applies if bulk owners represent at least 80% of voting interests approving a plan of termination. What if the bulk buyer that controls, say, 75% of voting interests, but then amends the documents to allow for first right of refusal? That would give investors the power to approve sales to straw buyers that will vote in favor of termination, but exempt them from reimbursing owners their full purchase price when that exceeds current fair market value. As written, the bill would not require buyers to be disclosed as affiliates as long as no one buyer acquires at least 20% of the condominium.
And if the bulk buyers control less than 80% of the voting interests, but a percentage sufficient to allow unilateral amendment of the governing documents, this bill does nothing to stop investors or developers from changing the basic rules of the game to their own advantage — even reducing the percentage necessary to approve the termination below 80%, as is permitted by FL Statute.
The loopholes are so obvious, even to non-attorneys and lay people. How can Legislators – many of them educated in law, political science, business, or public policy – justify voting in favor of HB 643?
(South FL Business Journal news release on HB 643)
(unanimous vote of approval)
(full text of HB 643)
(previous blog)
