By Jan Bergemann 
President, Cyber Citizens For Justice, Inc.

Published September 4, 2012

I sometimes feel like a TV station: Repeats, repeats -- and more repeats!
How difficult can it be to understand that the three interest groups in community associations have different interests?

There is no "One-Fits-All" lobbying group -- and the members of the trade organization that claims to be the umbrella group for all interests -- the Community Associations Institute -- have more conflicts of interests than a street dog has fleas.

In spring we saw the attorney-lobbying groups CAN and CALL lobbying against the interests of community associations when they tried to push the strengthening of the so-called SAFE HARBOR PROVISIONS in HOUSE BILL 319, trying to protect banks against justified claims for costs of collection of unpaid dues by community associations. 

But that is nothing compared to the war these specialized attorneys are now waging against the profession of CAMs (Community Association Managers). The specialized association attorneys are behind a petition filed by the Florida Bar Association to reclassify more than 26 activities currently performed by management companies as the Unauthorized Practice of Law (UPL). If these "greedy" attorneys succeed, the profession of CAMs is more or less obsolete. The work CAMs are still "allowed" to do can more or less be done by a low-paid secretary. In short, if these attorneys succeed with their wish-list, the result would have a devastating impact on management companies and greatly increase costs to homeowners in community associations. 

And the CAI-FLA (Florida Legislative Alliance of the Community Associations Institute) even supports this attempt of these power-grabbing attorneys, kicking their 1647 CAM members here in Florida in their teeth -- or even worse. 

In a letter to the Standing Committee on the Unauthorized Practice of Law Of the Florida Bar dated August 20, 2012 William D. White, Chairman of the CAI-FLA, more or less supports the position these attorneys have taken. But the letter also reveals who actually pays for the lobbying efforts of the CAI in Florida. 

Here are the actual numbers of the Florida CAI membership -- according to the CAI:

782 Homeowners/Community Associations Representatives

1647 Community Association Managers

    54 Accountants

    63 Insurance Providers

    24 Reserve Professionals

  560 Other Community Associations Service Providers
           AND ONLY

          105 ATTORNEYS

In other words, 3130 members are paying for the lobbying efforts of 105 attorneys, who have nothing but their own personal financial welfare in mind! 

Please don't take it personally, but how stupid and ill-advised can all the other Florida CAI members be? What does it tell you if the lobbyist for the CAI and CALL -- the lobbying group of Becker & Poliakoff (B&P) -- is the same person? What does it tell you if the attorneys of the law firm of Katzman Garfinkel Berger (CAN) make up a big part of the 105 attorneys listed as CAI members?

We have discussed this at length -- and no matter how you twist and turn it -- it really makes no sense: Why are all these 3130 CAI members  financing the lobbying efforts of 105 attorneys -- who have clearly interests opposing the interests of all the other members?

HOW OFTEN DO I HAVE TO REPEAT IT? ANY INTEREST GROUP SHOULD HAVE ITS OWN LOBBYING GROUP! WE ALL HAVE DIFFERENT INTERESTS -- HOW MORE OBVIOUS CAN IT BE?

DON'T FINANCE YOUR OWN DEMISE!

LOBBY FOR YOUR OWN INTERESTS!

CAI, CALL, CAN – ALL CLAIM TO LOBBY FOR ASSOCIATIONS -- REALLY?