Members of CCFJ, Inc., LULAC, SEIU and FHCGPB will hand petitions to the legislative aides of Senator Atwater (R-District 25--Broward, Palm Beach County) in both his District Offices in North Palm Beach and Oakland Park.
The rally will start at both locations on Monday, April 12, 2004 at 12 noon!
The battle-cry: CREATE AN OMBUDSMAN'S OFFICE for Condominiums and Homeowners' Associations.
The exact locations:

I will be in Tallahassee on Monday and Tuesday to testify in front of the Senate and House Committees hearing the bills. I will use the petition below and ask for the amendments to the bill as proposed -- see: HB 2984 -- AMENDED VERSION

It is high time that we contradict these "specialized" attorneys who are working with half-truth and scare tactics to get board members to write in opposition to the bill. Phrases like "huge cost to associations" and "bill creating a threat to associations" are just some of them. Just remember, if the Condo bill would be enacted, it would be the first time in many years that the money paid by the condo-owners -- $4 a-year -- would be used for the purpose intended: Protecting condo-owners' rights!

Or a recent column by Joe Adams (CAI-FLA), a Becker & Poliakoff attorney, headlined: "Bill Assumes Many Boards are Corrupt."

Legislators didn't assume that many citizens are bank robbers. But they still enacted laws and created enforcement for the ones that get tempted robbing banks. I'm pretty sure there are more association boards and their attorneys violating the laws than there are bank robbers.

Maybe, if some of these attorneys would be reading the existing laws instead of criticising bill proposals, they wouldn't be facing negative rulings of Federal Courts. Like Becker & Poliakoff for violation of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act -- see:
Federal Court - Miami, FL -- Fuller vs. Becker & Poliakoff.The law firm of Katzman & Korr P.A. is facing a similar class-action lawsuit. Coincidence?

All owners want is accountability, oversight and enforcement.
Is that too much to ask for?

If you can't participate in the rallies, please write e-mails to the committee members, who are hearing these important bills on Monday and Tuesday, April 12 + 13, 2004.

Ask them to vote in favor of the Condo Bill SB 2984 and add the creation of an ombudsman's office to the bill proposal PCB JU 04-13.

You'll find the addresses of the committee members at: http://www.ccfj.net/Committees1.html
 

3345 Kings Rd. S. St. Augustine, Fl. 32086 Phone: (904) 794-0888  E-Mail: [email protected] WebPages: http://www.ccfj.net/

APRIL 2004

Owners living in these associations are left without legal protection  -- Protection we just can't afford ourselves!  Governor Bush created the HOA Task Force to create more harmony!  Without a strong government agency with enforcement power, there will never be harmony in these associations.

Consumers are simply outspent in the courts of law - a place too expensive for many of us to go to!  We don't need more laws without power to enforce these laws!

Please listen to the voice of the people - your constituents - and create an Ombudsman's Office to protect the welfare of families living in these associations.

STOP MISERY BY ASSOCIATIONS by creating the long over-due OMBUDSMAN'S OFFICE!

Protect the many families who are financially not able to protect themselves.

Respectfully Submitted, 
Cyber Citizens For Justice, Inc.

IN ALLIANCE WITH:
League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC)
Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 11
Concerned Homeowners in Partnership (CHIP)
Property Owners Association in the Villages (POA)
Fair Housing Center of the Greater Palm Beaches (FHCGPB)
Consumer Advocacy Network (CAN)
Property Rights Florida (PRF)