Category Archives: Florida

Wild Times in Southern Florida at Waterbridge Condominiums

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Egads, it’s just an average meeting of an average Condo Board. Some poor average shmuck who’s been insisting that the board repair the fire damage over his apartment gets taken to the cleaners. All the resident did was ask to see the Condo Association’s financial records…it seems there are no reserve funds to pay for the fire damage. The board president repeatedly tries to scratch this guy’s eyes out. Another former board president admits to a local TV crew that he’s harrassed and even pulled a gun on this same resident.

LOL! What a wonderful day it was when the video camera was invented!

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Story Behind Florida’s Epidemic of Hostile Condo Takeovers

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guest blog by Deborah Goonan

In a previous blog, I explained CAI’s conflicted stance on private property rights of condo owners. In this blog, I provide the back-story.

Prior to 2007, if owners wanted to terminate the condominium regime, Florida law stated that 100% of owners – and lien holders – had to agree to the termination and a specific plan for liquidation of all assets. (Governing documents could specify a lower threshold, but few did.) The main problem with unanimous consent was that, following some of Florida’s hurricanes which damaged a significant number of condo buildings beyond repair, it was difficult or nearly impossible to locate and obtain consent from every unit owner, thus delaying termination and redevelopment.

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Where Does CAI Stand On Florida Condo Terminations?

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guest blog by Deborah Goonan

Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock for the past decade, you have probably heard about Florida’s boom and bust real estate market for condominiums. The big news right now is the fact that hundreds of condo owners are being forced to sell their homes at a loss to developers and investors, in a series of so-called voluntary condo terminations.

In a recently published article in the Wall Street Journal,  Jack McCabe, CEO of McCabe Research & Consulting LLC, was quoted as saying close to 400 uncompleted complexes remain as part condo and part rental in the state of Florida.

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Not Just HOAs! ALL Of You!

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guest blog by Deborah Goonan

There may be a tendency on the Neighbors At War website to concentrate on warning people in Homeowners Associations. But that may be too narrow a scope.

Don’t limit our audience to HOA owners. Include tenants, who make up more than 30% of HOA residents in many communities. Include home and condo buyers, particularly those who are looking for a home and true quality of life.

Savvy real estate investors who really want the HOA model and know how to work the system: We can leave them out of the equation.

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Stupid, Stupid Florida

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You’ve heard about the new law in Florida, haven’t you? The one that now gives “emergency powers” to all Homeowners Associations, condo associations and property owners associations?

Yep, all HOA boards will now have “emergency powers” to raise dues, make contracts and borrow money without even all board members being present, without even allowing homeowners to have a say.

All I can really do is shake my head in disgust and ask my readers to consider five of the most significant dates in world history:

January 30, 1933.

February 27th, 1933.

February 28th, 1933.

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