ORLANDO, Fla. – Florida lawmakers will try this year to find some relief for condo residents dealing with the soaring cost of fees to be in compliance with stricter inspection laws.
After the fatal collapse of the Surfside Condo building in 2021, lawmakers passed a bill mandating stringent structural inspections and increased financial reserves for repairs, escalating costs for condo owners.
The State Senate Regulated Industries Committee will hold a discussion on Jan. 14 in Tallahassee on issues affecting condo owners and associations.
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Meanwhile, on Friday in Sunrise, State Sen. Dr. Rosalind Osgood, D-Broward County, announced plans to file a bill to expand exceptions to address financial burdens caused by complying with the law.
“Surfside was an unimaginable tragedy,” said Osgood, “And we all agree that we must do everything in our power to ensure that such events never ever happen again in Florida. However, it is also critically important to recognize that Surfside didn’t happen overnight. It wasn’t an acute, isolated catastrophe. As we implement measures to prevent building collapses and protect lives, our approach must be thoughtful, measured, and commensurate with the scale of issues we are addressing.”
Osgood also wants the requirements to be delineated depending on geography and building height, particularly tailoring requirements for buildings that are smaller than five stories.
For condo residents, however, the concerns are more immediate.
Brett Botsford says his mother left her single-family home and moved into a condo in downtown Orlando three years ago.
“She just wanted to have less maintenance,” Botsford said. “Didn’t want to have a yard and everything. I think that was something that she was looking for. You know, being able to walk to places around downtown Orlando.”
But now she is facing higher fees due to the law.
“It’s tough, though, for people who move in, and then they get hit with these fees that they didn’t necessarily plan for,” he said.
More than 900,000 condos in Florida are over 30 years old, and condos that have any “substantial structural deterioration” require more detailed inspections, which can cost even more money.
Back in November, News 6 reported that over 150 condo associations in Volusia County alone still had not turned in “milestone” inspection reports.
Just a couple of weeks ago, News 6 spoke to people in Volusia County who said their HOA fees rose nearly 200% to more than $900 a month, on top of having to cover nearly $20,000 for special assessments.
The issue, compounded by the insurance market, is forcing some to sell their condos.
While Gov. DeSantis suggested a special session on the issue, lawmakers decided one wasn’t needed, and no extension was granted for the Dec. 31, 2024 deadline on the mandatory inspections.
News 6 Reporter Laverne McGee spoke with State Sen. Randy Fine, R-Brevard County.
“This new law is a solution. For decades, people chose not to pay enough money to make sure their condos could be maintained,“ Fine said. ”And we saw what happened at Surfside. What the legislation we passed does say, is you’ve got to make sure your building’s not going to collapse.
“Now, if you didn’t pay appropriate amounts for 20, 30, 40 years, you may have a problem now. But we either need to tell people you’re going to die, or people need to make sure they have enough money to fix their buildings,” he said.
March 4 marks the beginning of this year’s regular legislative session when the issue will be formally discussed.
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