KNOWLEDGE IS POWER!
By
Jan Bergemann
Published October 7, 2022
The phrase Knowledge
is Power was already created in the 16th
Century by Sir Francis Bacon and it is still valid today.
This goes in the
moment specifically for condo owners. When the Florida
legislature enacted
SB-4D during the special session, lots of provisions
regarding the safety and maintenance of condo buildings were
changed significantly.
I know that many
condo boards and owners are hoping that the legislature will
play the same game as they did with the deadlines for the Sprinkler
System or the Engineered Life Safety System.
That deadline was changed for many years during each legislative
session, but its now set for January 1, 2024.
But just ignoring
the new laws or hoping for a change of the deadlines is
definitely the wrong approach. All condo owners should know what
these new provisions will do to them financially and act
accordingly. Its high time to set money aside to pay for all
these new safety requirements especially in the many condo
hi-rises that voted down Fully Funded Reserves
year for year.
And if you feel that
your personal finances cant afford all these new financial
requirements, get out as long as sales are still possible for a
reasonable price. Otherwise you might end up facing foreclosure
for unpaid dues.
Only the necessary knowledge can help you to make the right
decision. So, get the knowledge by attending one of Erics BOARD
CERTIFICATION SEMINARS see his blog from
Monday, October 3. Even if you have attended one of
these seminars before, go and refresh your knowledge, especially
because of al the changes created by
SB-4D.
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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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