tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83108144350540961992024-03-13T09:32:11.917-07:00Off the Deep End in Florida?Tyler Berdinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03447615900980759254noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8310814435054096199.post-14857156060735711022011-03-23T19:47:00.000-07:002011-06-01T20:40:36.899-07:00Florida has Condo dispute arbitration, but for how long?<div style="font: 10.0px 'Courier New'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #783f04;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">(Editor's note: Florida has state licensing of condominium managers and arbitration of owner and board disputes. New proposed legislation would dismantle this system. This article recently appeared in the Fort Lauderdale Sun Sentinel)</span></span></span></div><div style="font: 10.0px 'Courier New'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 10.0px 'Courier New'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">By Daniel Vasquez </span></div><div style="font: 10.0px 'Courier New'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 10.0px 'Courier New'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">A new Florida bill seeks to deregulate condominium community association managers and dismantle the state's arbitration system for settling owner and board disputes out of court.</span></div><div style="font: 10.0px 'Courier New'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 11.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 10.0px 'Courier New'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">What would that mean? Community association managers and companies, which often manage the finances and day-to-day operations of communities, would no longer be required to be licensed by the state or report crime convictions to state officials, critics say. In other words, virtually anyone - regardless of qualifications or criminal background - could become a manager in charge of what could be millions of dollars worth of property and assets.</span></div><div style="font: 10.0px 'Courier New'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 11.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 10.0px 'Courier New'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">In addition, condo owners and board members would be left with fewer consumer protections and assistance at a time when such communities face dire financial times because of widespread foreclosures and a down real estate market. It would also mean the end of the agencies charged with enforcing state condo laws and educating owners and board directors. The state does not have such regulatory boards for homeowners associations.</span></div><div style="font: 10.0px 'Courier New'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 11.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 10.0px 'Courier New'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">"The bill itself is total chaos," said Jan Bergemann, president of the Cyber Citizens for Justice, the state's largest grass-roots community association advocacy group. "In short, it removes what little enforcement of Florida statutes there ever was."</span></div><div style="font: 10.0px 'Courier New'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 11.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 10.0px 'Courier New'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 11.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">The changes are proposed as part of House Bill 5005, which aims to trim</span></div><div style="font: 10.0px 'Courier New'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">government agencies and resources in general. It would also eliminate</span></div><div style="font: 10.0px 'Courier New'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">regulation of auctioneers, talent agents, home inspectors, mold assessors,</span></div><div style="font: 10.0px 'Courier New'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">movers, geologists and other professionals. It originated in the Economic</span></div><div style="font: 10.0px 'Courier New'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Affairs Committee and was approved by House Speaker Dean Cannon, R-Winter</span></div><div style="font: 10.0px 'Courier New'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Park.</span></div><div style="font: 10.0px 'Courier New'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 11.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 10.0px 'Courier New'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 11.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 10.0px 'Courier New'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">"This legislation proposes to repeal licensing and examination requirements</span></div><div style="font: 10.0px 'Courier New'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">and penalties for numerous specified professions, occupations, and</span></div><div style="font: 10.0px 'Courier New'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">businesses currently regulated by the state," said Katherine Betta,</span></div><div style="font: 10.0px 'Courier New'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">spokeswoman for Cannon. "By approving this bill, the speaker indicated his</span></div><div style="font: 10.0px 'Courier New'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">overall support of the concept, but now it is the work of the various</span></div><div style="font: 10.0px 'Courier New'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">committees to ultimately determine which items should be included before the</span></div><div style="font: 10.0px 'Courier New'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">bill comes to the House floor."</span></div><div style="font: 10.0px 'Courier New'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 11.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 10.0px 'Courier New'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">If passed as is, the bill would shut down the Division of Florida</span></div><div style="font: 10.0px 'Courier New'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Condominiums, Timeshares and Mobile Homes, the consumer protection agency</span></div><div style="font: 10.0px 'Courier New'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">that enforces community association law (with the exception of homeowner</span></div><div style="font: 10.0px 'Courier New'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">communities). It would also close the Office of the Condominium Ombudsman,</span></div><div style="font: 10.0px 'Courier New'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">which seeks to educate owners and board members on state condo, co-op and</span></div><div style="font: 10.0px 'Courier New'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">timeshares laws via phone calls and/or free or low-cost classes open to the</span></div><div style="font: 10.0px 'Courier New'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">public. The legislation would also end the division's arbitration system.</span></div><div style="font: 10.0px 'Courier New'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Florida law currently requires parties involved in owner and board of</span></div><div style="font: 10.0px 'Courier New'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">director disputes to meet in arbitration before a lawsuit can be filed.</span></div><div style="font: 10.0px 'Courier New'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 11.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 10.0px 'Courier New'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">That would go away, sending disputes to attorneys and judges, experts say.</span></div><div style="font: 10.0px 'Courier New'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 11.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 10.0px 'Courier New'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">"The judiciary has enough on its plate with the foreclosure crisis, budget</span></div><div style="font: 10.0px 'Courier New'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">cuts, staff cuts, etc., as well as what looks like additional budget cuts</span></div><div style="font: 10.0px 'Courier New'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">coming this year," said Howard J. Perl, an attorney with the community</span></div><div style="font: 10.0px 'Courier New'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">association law firm Katzman, Garfinkel and Berger, who tracks such</span></div><div style="font: 10.0px 'Courier New'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">legislation. "If this bill is allowed to become law, this will potentially</span></div><div style="font: 10.0px 'Courier New'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">add thousands of cases to a judicial system that is already overburdened,</span></div><div style="font: 10.0px 'Courier New'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">underfunded and understaffed."</span></div><div style="font: 10.0px 'Courier New'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 11.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><br />
</span></div>Tyler Berdinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03447615900980759254noreply@blogger.com0