An
aggravated client of mine comes to me this week, complaining
that numerous owners have installed washers and dryers over the
years without permission from the association, and that as a
result,
We
have written a lot about the board members whose middle names
seem to be either Adolph or Joseph – aka Condo Commandos! They
can surely do a lot of damage to the community – financially
and...
Effective
leaders are essential to the successful management of every
Association. As an industry, we continuously hear complaints
from homeowners that the CAMS make all the decisions for the
Association. Speaking from experience, when an Association...
The
common complaint about a Board member is that of the typical
"condo commando" who is more or less a drill sergeant,
and who tries to run the place like an army barracks...
Over
the years I have seen many so-called libel/slander lawsuits
filed against condo owners and HOA owners who dared to openly
oppose the board president and/or some board members...
After 30+ years of Property Management
experience, I have learned that you should never believe what you hear, but
rely on what you can actually see.The
grapevine seems to be amassing with speculation,
The
first thing a Board member must do, before learning all the
laws, reading your docs and memorizing the rules is to
immediately grow a thicker skin.Often times, Board members hear residents say...
You
can’t turn on your TV without being reminded that 2012 is a
presidential election year. Instead of watching real news you
get bombarded with campaign ads telling you what a total moron
the other candidate really is. Most campaign ads seem to be
aimed at an...
I
love this week’s topic!I
don’t believe that most Homeowners in an Association have a
true grasp of just how important their elections are.Like Eric, our firm has bared witness to many
atrocities...
I
know what you're thinking after reading the title of the blog
today.Has Eric lost
it?Is this a
serious question?Obviously,
much more important to me is the election of the President of
the
United ...
Everybody
who ever dealt with community associations knows about the wars
over record requests. It seems there is a conflict of interest:
Owners want to know what’s going on in their community, while
many board members and managers...
This
week’s topic is one that, as a professional, makes my blood
boil. I have made it clear how I feel about those CAM’s who
put the almighty dollar before professionalism and good customer...
To
simplify, I like to say that any document that could be, might
be or appears to be an official record of the association
probably is.To
further simplify, every unit owner in both a condo and an HOA
can see all the official records with ...
The
“attack” against the CAMs by the Florida BAR is nothing new.
Even the Florida Supreme Court dealt with this issue once. The
big debate is over three little letters: UPL (Unlicensed ...
Let
me get this straight!So
a group of Florida Attorneys otherwise known as “THE BAR”, sent a letter to another group of Attorneys, also
known as “ THE BAR’S
STANDING COMMITTEE” asking them to “reduce the
responsibilities” of a licensed CAM,...
Eric Glazer graduated from the University of
Miami School of Law in 1992 after receiving a B.A. from
NYU. He is currently entering his 20th year as a
Florida
lawyer practicing
community association law and is the owner of
Glazer and Associates, P.A. an eight attorney law firm in
Orlando
and
Hollywood
For the past two years Eric has been the host of Condo Craze and
HOAs, a weekly one hour radio show on 850 WFTL.
He is the first attorney in the State of Florida
that designed a course that certifies condominium residents as
eligible to serve on a condominium Board of Directors and has
now certified more than 2,500 Floridians. He is certified as a
Circuit Court Mediator by The Florida Supreme Court and has
mediated dozens of disputes between associations and unit
owners. Finally, he recently argued the Cohn v. Grand
Condominium case before The Florida Supreme Court, which is
perhaps the single most important association law case decided
by the court in a decade.
Darlys
Walker, Founder and CEO of Condominium Concepts
Management, Inc. (CCM), is recognized for her straight
talk, subject matter expertise, and valued insights
regarding real
state
management, leasing, and HOAs. Her company serves a diverse
portfolio of properties, from 16-units up to 600 as well as
large mixed-use developments.
From its beginnings in 2000, CCM has become a well-respected
asset manager and now works with over 100 associations with
16,000 units served by over 300 employees. Darlys and her team
deliver resources and responsiveness through six regional
offices - in
Orlando, Miami, Jacksonville, Charleston,
Nashville
and Atlanta.
Darlys Walker is best known for her passion and precision,
understanding that the only difference that matters in today's
demanding marketplace is service delivery ... doing what is
promised and what is right. She knows that every community
serves two masters ... the property owner/developer and the
resident/homeowner. "If we are not equally responsive to
both, we are not doing our job," she states.
Her clients say it best: "Darlys really knows her
stuff" ... "at the top of her profession and it shows
in the caliber of her clients" ... "delivers quality
resources that match up well with needs and expectations that
are really rigorous."
She is a licensed Real Estate Broker in four states, holds an
Associate's Degree in Marketing and has earned the Accredited
Real Estate Manager designation from the Georgia Institute of
Real Estate Management. Also she is one of few certified as a
Lead-Based Paint Abatement & Removal Trainer in Georgia.
Darlys Walker and her team have been selected to manage the
condominium conversion process and day-to-day operations for
many of the Southeast's most high-profile condominium
communities including luxury high-rises, mid-rises and
garden-style homes. Most recently she has been recognized as an
expert in 're-versions' of communities from condominiums to
leased homes, as well as repositioning projects. A visionary and
a tireless perfectionist, Darlys demonstrates hands-on
leadership, working individually with each client and staff
associate to achieve defined business outcomes and satisfaction.
For more information about Darlys Walker and Condominium
Concepts Management, Inc. please visit www.condominiumconcepts.com.
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:
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
!
