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SAFETY INSPECTION PROGRAMS ARE TOUGHER IN DADE
AND BROWARD
By
Eric Glazer, Esq.
Published February 6, 2023
If you are reading this blog from Dade or
Broward ---- you are not going to be happy. On Friday, I
received an e-mail from a two-story, 19 unit condo in Broward
County stating that they are being told they need to go through
the inspection process.
We have always believed that the new
mandatory inspection laws only apply to condos that are three
stories or more ---- and this one was only two stories --- so
what gives?
I had the pleasure of speaking with Michael
Guerasio, Chief Code Structural Compliance Officer for Broward
County and what he told me won’t make residents in Dade and
Broward happy. The problem is that Dade and Broward had their
own building safety programs that were in effect before this new
30 year “milestone inspection” program came out. Their programs
started at 40 years however. But their programs did not care
about height, they cared about age and square footage. And Dade
and Broward are keeping their own building safety inspection
programs in place. They are not going with the new “milestone
inspection programs” now required in all of the other counties.
So in Dade County, your building gets
inspected if it is 2,000 square feet, and in Broward County,
your building gets inspected if it is 3,500 square feet. Again,
regardless of height. Where the new “milestone inspection” in
all other counties would only be a structural inspection, the
building safety inspections in Dade and Broward require
structural and electrical recertification. Again, Dade and
Broward’s required inspections are tougher than the other
counties.
Since the new laws require these inspections
to start at 30 years -----In both Dade and Broward, these
building safety inspections now have to now start at 30 years
instead of 40, 25 years if within three miles of the coast, and
every ten years thereafter.
Hopefully, this clears up all the confusion
that Dade and Broward condos have been operating under. And if
you have reached these time periods and have not been inspected
yet, you must be inspected by December 31st, 2024.
The bottom line is that in Dade and Broward,
their old building safety inspection programs remain in place –
but the new state guidelines as to time requirements now apply.
And again height does not matter, square footage does.
Some buildings are exempt. Those are one and
two family dwellings and fee simple townhomes.
If you are in Broward and have any questions
as to whether or not your building is exempt, call
954-765-4500.
If you are in Dade and have any questions as
to whether or not your building is exempt, call 786-315-242.
As if it wasn’t confusing enough. For owners
in Dade and Broward, it now more confusing than ever.
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About
HOA & Condo Blog
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Eric Glazer graduated
from the University of Miami School of Law in 1992 after
receiving a B.A. from NYU. He has practiced community
association law for three decades and is the owner of
Glazer and Sachs, P.A. a five attorney law firm with
offices in Fort Lauderdale and Orlando.
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Eric is Board Certified by The Florida Bar in
Condominium and Planned Development Law.
Since 2009, Eric has been the host of Condo Craze
and HOAs, a weekly one hour radio show that airs at 11:00 a.m.
each Sunday on 850 WFTL.
See:
www.condocrazeandhoas.com.
Eric is the first attorney in the State of
Florida that designed a course that certifies condominium and
HOA residents as eligible to serve on a Board of Directors and
has now certified more than 20,000 Floridians all across the
state. He is certified as a Circuit Court Mediator by The
Florida Supreme Court and has mediated dozens of disputes
between associations and unit owners. Eric also devotes
significant time to advancing legislation in the best interest
of Florida community association members.
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