Week in and week out, we are always hearing about the negatives in our Florida community associations. Whether it’s stealing money, taking kick-backs, rigging elections, management companies on the take, crumbling properties or the like, there is always something in the news which makes our Florida community associations often times the brunt of jokes and ridicule.

I’m here to tell you however that all hope is not lost. Yesterday, I completed another very busy season of teaching officers, directors, managers and unit owners all around the state. In the last year or so, I have taught in Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Orlando, Tampa, Bonita Springs, St. Petersburg and other Florida cities. Each and every time, without exception, the class room is packed with bright eyed and bushy tailed students who are the residents of our Florida community associations. From every part of our state, these attendees already know that they don’t have to attend a course to get certified and they can just sign that stupid piece of paper declaring themselves a know it all. They won’t do it though. They have some pride and dignity.

Thousands and thousands of Floridians also care enough to take a few hours out of their lives to learn the law and learn what is required of them in order to not only become better board members and managers, but better members of their communities. Board members leave with an appreciation for all the rights they learn that unit owners have. Unit owners often times leave with a greater understanding of just how hard it is to be a board member. The bottom line is that both groups cared enough to learn something for a few hours, even though they weren’t required to be there. That tells me that people do care about their communities, and more importantly care for their neighbors that live in their communities with them.

So while all is certainly not perfect in community association land, I for one know that there are actually thousands of reasons to be hopeful that we’re moving in the right direction. So on behalf of my entire staff at Glazer And Associates, thank you all for attending our seminars this past year and for caring enough about your community. We’ll take a break for a few months during the summer, and then we’ll be back on the road by September.