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BOARD MEMBERS “NOT IN THE KNOW” ARE MUCH EASIER TO
FLEECE!
By
Jan Bergemann
Published March 10, 2023
Since
years we are trying to pass a bill creating mandatory education
(seminars) for board members. But guess who is fighting this
bill in Tallahassee? The “so-called” service-providers – like
attorneys, CAMs, developers and the Community Association
Institute – the national lobby organization for all these
service-providers. Their claim: There will not be enough
candidates for the association boards if mandatory education is
enacted. I’m not sure who really believes such nonsense – may be
only our legislators because they so far failed to enact such
bill. Board members and owners seem to love these seminars –
many of them are booked out if you don’t make timely
reservations. Does that sound like folks don’t like to attend
these seminars?
And is it
really too much to ask a board member to spend 3 or 4 hours
educating him/herself? Don’t forget: In competent board members
can ruin the private finances of all association members in a
heartbeat. Board members have a lot of responsibility and bad
decisions can create havoc for the whole community. Shouldn’t
they minimum have a basic knowledge of the statutes and rules
that govern their association.
In the
moment the existing laws allow board members to just sign a
“stupid” affidavit stating that they know it all – and
especially dictatorial board members take advantage of this
“Easy-Way-Out”. They don’t really want to know because they want
to make their own rules. That’s why we are seeing a lot of cases
where statutes and rules are plainly ignored by association
boards.
But in my
opinion these service-providers have a more sinister reason for
opposing mandatory education of board members: GREED!
It’s
simple: Board members who don’t know the laws and rules are much
easier to fleece. They are easily talked into lawsuits and
contracts that make big bucks for these service-providers – to
the detriment of the whole community!
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Jan Bergemann is president of Cyber Citizens For Justice,
Florida
's largest state-wide property owners' advocacy group.
CCFJ works on legislation to help owners living in
community
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associations. He moved to
Florida
in 1995 - hoping to retire. He moved into a HOA, where the
developer cheated the homeowners and used the association dues
for his own purposes. End of retirement!
CCFJ was born in the year 2000, when some owners met in
Tallahassee
- finding out that power is only in numbers. Bergemann was a
member of Governor Jeb Bush's HOA Task force in 2003/2004.
The organization has two websites to inform interested
Florida
homeowners and condo owners:
News Website: http://www.ccfj.net/.
Educational Website: http://www.ccfjfoundation.net/.
We think that only owners can really represent owners, since all
service providers surely have a different interest! We are
trying to create owner-friendly laws, but the best laws are
useless without enforcement. And enforcement is totally lacking
in
Florida
!
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