IT ALL DEPENDS ON THE DIVISION!

By Jan Bergemann

Published July 26, 2024

 

Looking at the new Condo Laws (FS 718) it seems that the Florida legislators was sick and tired of hearing complaints from their constituents about the failure of the Division of Florida Condominiums, Timeshares, and Mobile Homes to deal with complaints from owners. The normal excuses of the Division employees: “We have no jurisdiction” – or: “Our investigation couldn’t find any wrongdoing”.

 

No miracle, because they plainly failed to read the documents attached as proof or to contact the witnesses named in the complaint.

 

HB 1021 added lots of provisions to FS 718.501, giving the Division a lot more jurisdiction over a myriad of issues – and gave them $7.1M to hire more staff. The law is effective since July 1, 2024. And the money is budgeted and ready to go!

 

But so far there is very little action that can be seen. Since Spencer Hennings resigned as Condo Ombudsman on March 31, 2023 the position is still vacant. The office operates with just regular employees – no licensed attorney on the helm as required by law.

 

The Division of Florida Condominiums, Timeshares, and Mobile Homes has still no Division Chief after the former Chief Chevonne Christian was removed.

 

Is anything happening to fulfill the requirements of the Legislature – or do we deal again with: BUSINESS AS USUAL?


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Jan Bergemann

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:

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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