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COMMON SENSE!
By
Jan Bergemann
Published July 26, 2019
Well, I know that common sense is not really fashionable any
more nowadays. But for maintaining the property and paying for
it COMMON SENSE should still be used.
Everybody knows that property, especially the buildings, have to
be maintained. It’s just a matter of time when maintenance and
repairs are needed. When it’s done in a timely manner the cost
is normally reasonable. It’s an old rule of thumb: The
longer you wait the more expensive it gets.
And a little reminder for folks who like to be frugal with
spending money: A well-maintained property is easier to sell
than a run-down place. That's where property values come into
play!
And regarding the cost of maintenance and repairs: Remember the
paragraphs regarding reserve funds in the Florida statutes?
Every part of the property has an estimated life-span. That’s
why a reserve-study should be done before funding any reserves.
A reserve-study determines the years the association has to
collect the necessary funds for repair or replacement.
Reserve funds protect families and their homes. I still remember
the times in 2003/2004 when we fought with the Florida
legislature -- and the property owners-- to establish reserve
funds.
Many, especially elderly owners, were dead-set against reserve
funds. And then came WILMA – and many families
lost their homes, not because of the hurricane damage, but
because they couldn’t pay the special assessments to pay for the
repairs. I can still hear the arguments from many owners: Isn’t
that why the association has insurance? Remember the word:
DEDUCTIBLE?
It’s not really about OVERSPENDING or
UNDERSPENDING – it’s all just about COMMON SENSE!
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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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