SB 154 – MAKE SERVICE PROVIDERS RICH!

By Jan Bergemann

Published June 9, 2023

 

Well, if you read through the bill, you’ll find that there are really all kinds of provisions that will make the so-called service-providers rich – and the owners poor. The biggest piece of the cake – the cake being the owners’ money – was given to the members of the Community Association Institute (CAI) -- the national trade-organization for the folks making big bucks from community associations.

 

The “specialized” attorneys, who got pre-suit mediation and definitely more juicy lawsuits caused by the wording of this bill; the developers, who see lots of prior requirements deleted by this bill; the structural engineers tasked with all kinds of reports and not to forget to “reserve analysts” -- persons certified as a reserve specialist or professional reserve analyst by the Community Associations Institute.

 

All that will give the CAI more income so they can pay their lobbyist Travis Moore, who is fighting owner-friendly legislation in Tallahassee, even if he is telling reporters that he is representing owners and community associations. And even our legislators seem to be falling for that lie -- or are they rather representing the industry and not their constituents?

 

We all know that self-regulation of professions doesn’t work – see the Florida Bar. Allowing reserve specialists being certified by the Community Association Institute is just another “joke” in this bill. Don’t our legislators realize that they are being taken for a ride by these lobbyists?

 

Let’s face it: This so-called revision of the CONDO SAFETY BILL (SB-4D) is just a watered down version of the bill, passed in last year’s special session, with changes to some deadlines, keeping in – and adding – more perks for the service providers, but failing to address the important issue of financing all these new requirements? Who will be able to pay for all these new requirements?

 

We already see much increased higher monthly payments and special assessments popping up all over Florida in hi-rise buildings of condo associations – and many families calling these hi-rises their home will not be able to pay these ever increasing monthly fees – or even the huge special assessments they will be facing. That leaves these families with only two options: Quickly sell – or face FORECLOSURE!


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Jan Bergemann

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  

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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