The CCFJ Foundation was able to save a JAX family's home from foreclosure. With the help of Orlando attorney Barbara Stage we prevented a Navy couple with seven kids from losing their home. Thanks to the folks who donated the money to make this "rescue" possible.

I always love it when reading in the media that a For-Profit corporation donates a golf club to a city/county. Let's just face the facts: These "donated" golf-clubs were losing money hand over fist and created a serious financial burden to the owners. These golf courses were not donated out of the goodness of the owners' hearts, but to get rid of it and "donate' it to the city or county. This "generous" donation not only stops the owners from bleeding money, but it can as well be used as a great tax-write-off. And they'll always find a reporter who makes this donation looking like an act of generosity. Look at the headline in this case: "It’ll mean more golf for residents." NO, it really doesn't! THere are already more golf courses around than players wanting to tee-off. In reality it means that in the future the regular tax-payer in city/county will have to pay more taxes for a losing proposition. It will just mean that Joe Taxpayer will pay for the entertainment of a few folks who want to play golf on the cheap.

Condos seem to attract lawsuits. There is not a week going by without reports about serious lawsuits dealing with construction defects and.or: Who runs the show. Latest example The Icon Brickell Condo in Miami. It looks like it will turn into another very expensive lawsuit. In my opinion this just proves that the system used to manage apartments in multi-story buildings just doesn't work. I often hear from condo ownersthat they never had to deal with courts or litigation in their professional life. But now, being retired and having moved to Florida, they find themselves in the middle of serious lawsuits. Easy living?

The root of the problem: ROOTS! Since years the fight over trees, planted by developers to fulfill the demand of the counties to be allowed to develop community associations, is going on. Every expert will tell you that it is abosolute nonsense to plant a live oak or a mahogany tree on a 1/3 acre lot. It is just a matter of time when the root system of the quickly growing trees will start to destroy walkways, driveways or even house foundations. and that's when the fights between house owners, neighbors, associations and counties/cities start. Even the Florida legislature has gotten involved in these fights. So far no real solution to end these often expensive fights have been found.
 
This week we are blogging about HOA elections and the fact that the very lax regulations for HOAs (FS 720.306) create many problems and misunderstandings that lead to serious mistakes and have caused lots of expensive litigation. Please read my blog posted yesterday: "HOA ELECTIONS – A NIGHTMARE!"