Do you have $60,000 to spare?
Imagine you own a one or two bedroom condo in Fort Lauderdale, with a balcony view toward the Intracoastal, and within walking distance to the Atlantic Ocean and beach city night life. Ah, paradise!
Until you get a letter from the Condo Association, demanding that you cough up nearly $60,000 for needed repairs in just a few weeks. You read that right: SIXTY.THOUSAND.DOLLARS.
After Bob Norman of Channel 10 news brought media attention to Board member misconduct at Georgian Court North Condo Association last fall, former President Ed Ryan entered a guilty plea on criminal charges of practicing community association management without a license.
The Judge sentenced Ryan to 3 months probation and 25 hours of community service. Ryan was also ordered to return his ‘borrowed’ car to the Association and resign from the Board. The judge did not order financial Restitution.
The Attorney General opened the case following an investigation by Local 10 News in September.
A few months ago, a County Judge dismissed a case brought by Highlands of McKamy HOA against the Toras Chaim congregation. The small Orthodox Jewish congregation thought its battle was over, and then the City of Dallas sued the congregation over permit violations. That case is still pending.
Now, the same HOA community is back in the news, this time regarding a dispute between a homeowner and the Association over a brick wall that was inexplicably torn down, without notice, from the rear border of his yard. That left the affected homeowner’s back yard wide open to a busy road and nearby railroad tracks, significantly increasing noise levels and eliminating privacy.
Today’s blog features the story of a major developer, Centex, allegedly not delivering on amenities as promised to early buyers in the master planned community,
Sullivan Ranch in Mount Dora, Florida, was supposed to include a private equestrian center, according to Sara MacKenzie, a homeowner since 2007. She says she still has the brochures that describe the plans for owners to ride their horses on lush, rolling hills, and the developer did install a fence suitable for the purpose of keeping horses. But the two-story equestrian center, as described, has never been built. MacKenzie claims recent buyers received an addendum disclosing approval for multifamily apartments in place of the promised amenity. So MacKenzie has filed suit against the developer, with a hearing scheduled for April 21, 2015.
Yet another case of shoddy construction, this time a failing storm drain and a sinking retention pond in Michigan. Over several years, homeowners of Windridge Estates HOA have experienced cracked foundations and basement windows, shifting soil in their back yards, and movement of retention walls, as the shoreline of the nearby pond crumbles into the water.
The HOA lacks the means to make the needed repairs, so the City of New Baltimore has agreed to “help” by setting up a special assessment district, in order to collect $1.45 million from homeowners over the next 10 years. Each lot will ultimately be taxed roughly $6500.
