REVENGE IS SWEET -- BUT DOES IT PAY BILLS? |
An
Opinion By Jan Bergemann Published February 22, 2011
As the old saying goes: REVENGE IS SWEET. According to the National Geographic News now scientists say they know why.
A new brain-imaging study suggests we feel satisfaction when we punish others for bad behavior. In fact, anticipation of this pleasure drives us to crack the whip, according to scientists behind the new research.
All
fine and dandy, but our community associations are actually corporations,
meaning a strict business entity. And -- as we all know -- business is
about MONEY -- raising the big question: Does revenge pay the bills? Does
revenge put money in the associations' coffers to pay all the bills?
This year the Powers To Be are debating the same useless REFORMS again. Haven't they learned anything from last year? S530 is all about giving boards more powers for retaliation and service providers more income. Nothing in the bills filed so far is dealing with the real problem: ADDING MORE MONEY INTO THE ASSOCIATIONS' COFFERS!
The bills are adding provisions to strengthen the powers to go after neighbors behind in their due payments. It's all about restricting their use rights for common areas, cut off their TV and Internet services, file more liens and revoke their voting rights. It all sounds like great ideas, but fail to achieve the most important goal: Put more money in the coffers.
Let's say associations have
legally the power to do all this as proposed -- and more. What is the advantage? Associations will not get one more dime in their coffers.
The legal and management fees will go up. With other words: Nothing gained! Cut off
cable and Internet service? That threat is great for a good laugh considering today's technology. And folks who don't pay dues have bigger problems than going for a swim in the association pool.
Instead
of creating laws to pit neighbors against neighbors, our legislators
should work on enacting bills that deal with the improvement of the whole
situation. There is lots to be done that would really help, but who cares
in Tallahassee as long as the industry can rake in more bucks? So far the
attempts for REFORMS in the bills are plainly pathetic. If nothing better
than proposed so far will be enacted in the upcoming legislative session
Florida's community associations will suffer even more for another year --
actually not the associations will suffer, but the owners living in these
associations who are still carrying the burden of paying the bills. |