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Law & Legislation
What's Up on the Docket
With millions of Floridians affected by laws pertaining to condominiums, co-ops
and HOAs, the upcoming state legislative session will include discussion of
bills that touch a large percentage of the state’s population and may well bring relief to that segment of the populace.
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Knowledge is Power
While essential to the successful operation of all cooperatives or condominiums,
governing documents are often only glossed over by otherwise well-intentioned
board members, residents and property managers leading to potential pitfalls.
As a result, it is often suggested by counsel that boards revisit, and in some
cases relearn, the various components of this all-important and varied
documents.
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Community Association Advocates Victorious
Pressured by community association advocates throughout the Sunshine State, the
Florida Legislature backed off a proposed bill (HB 5005) that would have
eliminated licensing for community association managers and deregulated the
industries overseeing condominiums, HOAs, mobile homes, timeshares and
cooperatives.
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Laws Versus Rules
Differences and disputes happen. We’re only human, and that’s why laws and rules are in place. But, the federalist system of government we use in this country is far from the most efficient system. Layers and layers of laws, statutes, and regulations fall on associations. Read More
Writing the Rules
Nothing stays the same forever. As community standards, attitudes and
populations shift and evolve, rules and regulations that once made sense or
that reflected the views and standards of their day can become antiquated,
irrelevant, or just plain silly. Those changes often necessitate the amendment
of existing ones—or the drafting of new ones—to fit the new paradigm.
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RIP Fannie & Freddie?
One of the biggest issues in the real estate industry over the past year has
been the speculation that government-sponsored mortgage programs Fannie Mae and
Freddie Mac will be ending. For the past 70 years, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac
have helped countless Americans secure long-term, fixed-rate mortgages, by
purchasing them from lenders and securitizing them, all with the unofficial
guarantee of the federal government backing them up.
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Not Just a Pretty Face
Descriptions of “vintage,” “refurbished” and “pre-owned” can persuade the decision toward some purchases—cars, computers, that perfect James Dean-era leather jacket—but for South Florida homebuyers, the allure of shiny and new is often too hard
to ignore. Moving into a brand-new building or even a gut rehab certainly has
its benefits, but there are also plenty of downsides to buying new units. Smart
buyers brush up on these potential pitfalls before finding themselves in a
money pit. And if it’s too late for that, then there are certain courses of action that can help
recoup some losses.
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Florida's 2011 Legislative Roundup
One of the most apt descriptions of politics theorizes that it’s really all about who gets what, when, and how. With the 2010 elections having
delivered Republicans supermajorities—veto proof power—in both of Florida’s Legislative chambers, along with new Republican Governor Rick Scott, the 2011
legislative session was seen by some watchers as the first of many
opportunities for Florida’s uber-empowered legislative and executive branches to rubber-stamp each other’s ideas.
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