DeSantis Signs Law: Up To 1.5 Million Florida Condo Owners Could Be Forced to Move

And remember, many progressives try to tell us population increase is not a problem because cities can always "build up" = condos.

 

They assumed the condo association was using their money to make all the necessary maintenance repairs.
The problem was that virtually all of these condo associations had low fees and were barely setting aside any of the money into funds to be able to pay for big expensive projects that could need to be done in the future.

The state requiring these condo associations to collect that money now is difficult for the homeowners, but that may still be preferable to homeowners losing their home when an emergency repair is eventually required - something that is almost inevitable with these aging buildings.

The state probably could have made it easier by giving the condo associations a gradual period of several years within which to be able to collect the necessary reserves. But that still would not have made it much easier for most homeowners than an immediate payment. It's like the difference between being asked to pay 140,000 now versus 140,000 over a period of the next 5 years. (And remember many of these condo owners are retired)

 

I havn't had any progressives tell me that. Most often folks say to me there are too many people. Which is silly, given that most of the planet is still uninhabited. We do pollute a lot because manufacturing companies don't have much incentive not too. But most of the world's resources are locked up behind gates and fences, protected by govts and corporations so humans cant use them. Resource scarcity is a tool to make us think its our own fault that we're poor while elite control freaks hoard everything and pit us against eachother for the scraps

Just in the US we have 640 million acres of govt land that people arent allowed to live on. And every country on the planet has land where people could live but dont ...because its not legal for them to do so. Condos are a bad solution to a problem we've created. Its not that there's too many people, its that they're trying to live too close together.

 

Thats basically what I'm referring to. When you buy a condo, your maintenance is collectivized amongst numerous other people who are not reliable to conduct maintenance. Its entering into a contract of codependence with people who are not dependable. This result is inevitable.

 

Well actually that's not really an issue. Perhaps I am misunderstanding you, but let me explain. If a homeowner doesn't pay the money they are required to pay (and the amount becomes big enough), they will be evicted from the condo. The condo association can perform a sale, and out of the money from that sale the back-owed payments will come.

There is usually always someone willing to buy. It's only a matter if the selling price will come down enough.

 

Do I understand correctly that these buildings were up to code when people bought them, but over time a lack of maintenance has built up a maintenance cost that those people now cant afford?

 

It's not that simple. These are old buildings. What often happens is a problem starts building up and they do not realize it will suddenly require expensive repairs until it gets to a certain point.
This could be big cracks suddenly appearing in the support columns, for example.

Sometimes the thing that unexpectedly needs to be repaired is so expensive that the association does not have the necessary funds saved up.
But another big part of the problem is most of these condo associations in older buildings were setting very little aside to be able to pay for unexpected maintenance problems that could happen in the future.

Predicting future costs is not a simple "yes or no" thing.
The buildings were aging, 50 or 60 years old, so the people in charge of the association should have predicted there was a high probability the building might end up requiring expensive repairs within the next 10 or 20 years, but no one can really predict exactly how much it would cost or when it will happen.

Probably most of the condo owners wanted to pay as little per month as possible. So the leaders of these associations were just carrying out the will of the condo owners.

But let's say there is a huge unexpected expense that comes along. All the homeowners who can't pay the assessment would face eviction. (Then someone new would live there) That is the only way to pay for things. Otherwise the building becomes unsafe for all the condo owners living there. (Or they might even all be evicted, if the government condemns the building due to unsafe conditions, expensive repairs not being made)

 

In Germany (and all other deveolped countries) the town itsself does the work or it will put the contracts out to tender nationwide or even throughout Europe. The home owners also have far more freedoms to adjust their homes to their changing needs. The houses here are constructed with bricks and concrete; if you once bulit a home, you'll intend to never leave it. HOA only exist in the USA.
For the beach/suburbs/downtown/skryscraper places, so-called statutes apply in the municipalities, which are drawn up by the elected municipal councils and regulate such things as all kinds of emissions, businisses allowed (bakeries or cafés are allowed anywhere to strenghen the neighborhoods, but hotels may be banned, or logistic centers, for heavy traffic etc).

 

Sometimes regulations aren't that bad. In the EU each condo association is obliged by law to set aside a certain percentage of the value of the building every year and has to report its efforts each year to all the owners.

 

Inflation is hell. I can't understand why we stand for it. Reduce government spending. Incidentally I don't think how condos are managed is any of government's business.

 

Its not an inflation or government spending problem.

Everything is becoming government business in Florida.

 

Government has no incentive to practice discipline.

 

The incentive is to control. They have no business to enforce discipline or morality.

 

WTF do you think an HOA or condo association is? Its an association run by the HOME OWNERS.

I find it hard to believe there are not covenants running with the land in your jurisdiction. That's all an HOA is: Part of the covenants dictate the formation of an association that has sway over things like common areas for their maintenance and collects dues from each property owner for the funding of same. There is voting, open meetings, etc.

My home is brick. Many homes in the US are brick. Some houses are siding only, those are normally for the poor and often rentals not owned.

Towers near the beach are generally wood and built to be jacked up so the 1st floor is about 2 stories off the ground and the ground floor is a garage.

Yes our towns have the concept of ****ing zoning dude. I know it may shock you as a german to understand yours is not the only culture to come up with the idea. This is a form of that at the state wide level because SHOCKINGLY small town councils are really apt to be 1) corrupt; 2) incompetent; 3) or simply lazy.

 

You would have thought people would have learned to have a fixed I stead of an ARM back in 2008.

 

And all I'm saying is those are all reasons I would not live in a condo. Those seem to me like obvious and inevitable problems with condo living that condo residents should have expected. As far as evicting people, I would prefer if the govt was able to simply issue a very compelling warning to the effect of 'living here is not safe, here's why:...' instead of kicking folks out, but the govt does arguably have some responsibility to prevent people from living in a building that is likely to collapse on them. The govt has much less responsibilty to fix the building for them. Perhaps residents could file a class action lawsuit against whoever was in charge of administering maintenance. Beyond that, I'm not sure what people think needs to be done differently here...

 

There are no HOAs in Germany, but multi-owner-towers or residents or the like are rum by professionals and they have to play by the rules, and one of the rules is to keep savings for replacing a roof or other expensive things. It's not their job to clean the streets, to collect the litter or provide water or energy. That's thew community's duty.
There is also sth like suburbs in Germany, but nobody would get the idea to install a HAO with all their power in a row of one-family-homes. And such suburbs also are kept small and mixed with "social housing areas" and more expensive areas to avoid social segregation.

Would you mind explaining why there isn't a widespread resistance against this f.cking zoning? Aren't the cities not ruled by the people?

 

HOAs don't have the job of cleaning the streets, collecting the litter, or providing water or energy. I say again: What do you imagine an HOA is?
HOAs often hire professional management companies to do the paperwork and day to day work, the elected members just make decisions.
Their job? Its to keep the place in repair etc. The problem here? They weren't doing their ****ing jobs.

Zoning you mean like commercial, residential etc? Why would there be? Things like what's in the OP are caused by local orgs run by local owners deciding to ignore the issue for decades.
Private property owners have the right to direct their own lands to the fullest extent. An HOA is formed when a developer develops the land and impresses the covenant upon the land. That covenant among other things, dictates the creation of the org and how it votes for members etc. When someone buys, the covenant predates their interest.

So long as the covenant isn't unconstitutional or otherwise unenforceable (such as "redlining" which barred selling to ethnic minorities), its the agreed upon rules everyone's land use is subject to in that development. If you don't like HOA's buy in a subdivision without one like I did. No common areas, no need for an HOA. The city has parks and pools and trails, I don't need one built into my neighborhood.

 

That would not work and totally misses the point. The condo association notified all the homeowners that there is a big maintenance issue that should be repaired, but they do not have the money to pay for it.
Oftentimes there is a vote taken in the building whether to raise the funds. It can be a difficult decision, knowing that some of the people living there will not be able to pay and could end up evicted, with their condo sold off to someone else.

 

Then it sounds like some people are living outside their means, and other people who agreed to share maintenance costs with them are unable/unwilling to make up the difference. Thats just a problem inherent to cohabitation. Are you suggesting a particular solution?

 

The best solution is exactly what Florida did. It is pretty much how most states already ha dle situations like this.

 

Not everyone qualifies for a fixed rate.

 

The state simply should bail out all the owners, because it is state's fault as well and because it is act of nature. Legislatures should force developers to set aside money for future repairs, instead of allowing them to build low quality condos.

 

They didn't allow them to build low quality condos. The HOA was always legally responsible for doing maintenance and repairs to keep buildings in code.

 

I don't know why anyone would want to live in what amounts to stacked up apartments anyways.

Certainly not my cup of tea. Apartments or condos.