TALES FROM THE GALT GULAG

Horror stories abound at the condo towers on Galt Ocean Mile

Published by Grayson Walker, Ph.D.

Published December 2007

 

Gulag is an acronym for the former Soviet Union's penal system. Since then, it has come into common use to describe any repressive system. I named my column the “Tales From The Galt Gulag,” because I write about the repression of condominium Owners on the Galt Ocean Mile. The Galt Ocean Mile is the biggest crime scene in Broward County.

  

Gulag Growth

The gulag is growing. The Census Bureau projected that Florida’s population will pass that of New York within a few years, reaching twenty-million people. Forty percent will live in condominiums or homeowner associations. Confounding our growth problems, the real estate market is projected to lose an additional thirty-five percent of its current value over the next two years. There are projections of massive repossessions. The gulag’s problems are growing, and Florida is ignoring us.

  

A Culture Of Sheep

As Max Beerbohm, the English author and satirist, wrote, “You cannot make a man by standing a sheep on its hind legs. But by standing a flock of sheep in that position you can make a crowd of men.” As you know, a Condo Commando is a member of a Condominium Board who uses fear and intimidation to rule. While the phrase has a cute ring to it, such a person is anything but cute. The term is misleading. The Condominium Commando is actually a Fascist Dictator. The Condo Commando is the architect and beneficiary of the culture of sheep.

  

The Condominium Culture Of Sheep

There are two levels of the culture of sheep in the condominium culture. The first is among the owners. They have become submissive, passive people, afraid to raise their voices in dissent. At the most fundamental level, the owners allow the condominium commando to control their condominium association. Second is among the Boards of Directors. Board members submit to a dominant person, the head “condo commando” because they are afraid to exercise their fiduciary. Instead, they meekly obey as if they were small children.

  

The United States was founded by brave people who left Europe to found a new country and escape religious and political repression. Their descendants created our Bill of Rights and Constitution. These fearless people were not afraid to fight for principles. They refused to knuckle-under to the repression of the European monarchs. What has happened to strength of character that created America, that we are willing to accept the evil repression of the condominium commando? How could people who have the brave blood of the American pioneers become a culture of sheep? 

 

How did we become a culture of sheep? Is this some Malthusian solution in which the genes that made us bold and brave have been selected out? Is natural selection working against us, diluting the genes of strength and character, and creating a culture of sheep?

  

The Condominium Owner As Sheep

If you attend a condominium board meeting, you would think this has happened. Here at Southpoint, I have watched in amazement when an owner raised a question about an action by the board. There were three components to the crowd’s reaction. First, they hissed at the questioner, telling her to be quiet. Then they raised their voices over that of the questioner, saying, “let the board do their job.” Finally, the response from the Board was to ignore Owner, saying, “Next question.” Amazingly, the crowd of sheeple allowed this to take place instead of rising as one in objection to this violation of not only the questioner’s rights, but of their rights.

  

The Board As Sheep

Board members fail to realize that the condominium association is a non-profit corporation. The members of the Board have a fiduciary responsibility to the other Owners. Perhaps, most importantly, the board members have equal authority. Most boards elect several officers – president, vice president, treasurer – without realizing that each officer answers to the other board members. A simple majority vote of the board can remove any officer.

 

This is an important point, because some people, including board members, believe that the board president has additional powers. This is due to the title of president. This has nothing to do with the independent executive powers exercised by a head of government, such as the President of the United States. In a corporation, the president of the board has no special powers. Your board president serves at the pleasure of your Board of Directors.

 

One of the tragedies of the failed experiment of the condominium, is the failure of a board of directors to remove a “condo commando” from their midst. 

 

In the history of corporations, there are many instances of the Board firing the President for a variety of reasons.  

 

How To Stop Being Sheep

A Condo Commando is trampling upon your rights. You may be the victim of voting and/or financial fraud. What can you do about it? How can you protect your rights? First, call our Condo Ombudsman, Danille Carroll. Let her know what is going on in your association, and ask for her help. Second, call Representative Julio Robaina. He is the strongest supporter of Owner’s rights in the Legislature. Third, join the Cyber Citizens For Justice. They are the only Florida organization that is working for Owner’s rights. Fourth, join the AARP and let them know you support their Owner’s Bill Of Rights. If you want other ideas, please feel free to contact me.

  

Help for Owners

Attorney Inger Garcia can be reached by telephone at 954-894-9962, at www.IngerGarcia.com, or at [email protected].

 

Jan Bergemann of the Cyber Citizens For Justice can be reached at www.ccfj.net, 386-740-1503 or at [email protected] .

  

Condominium Ombudsman Danille R. Carroll, Esquire can be reached at 954-202-3234 or at [email protected].

 

State Representative Julio Robaina can be reached at 305-442-6868 or by email at [email protected] 


The Southpoint Condominium website can be reached at
http://Southpoint-Condominium.org

     

The AARP’s Bill of Rights for Homeowners is available online at http://assets.aarp.org/rgcenter/consume/2006_15_homeowner.pdf


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

I own an apartment in the Galt Gulag,at the Southpoint condominium, on the Galt Mile in Fort Lauderdale. Many people do not realize how many rights they give up when they buy an apartment in a condominium association.

have taught American Government, Constitutional Law, and Ethics for over twenty-years, but I was not prepared for life in the Galt Gulag. At the June 2005 Board meeting, Board President Marty Glazer called the critics of the Board “insurgents.” I am an insurgent in the Galt Gulag. You can reach me at [email protected] or 954-567-0520.

 


 

TALES FROM THE GALT GULAG -- PART I

TALES FROM THE GALT GULAG -- PART II

TALES FROM THE GALT GULAG -- PART III

TALES FROM THE GALT GULAG -- PART IV

TALES FROM THE GALT GULAG -- PART V

TALES FROM THE GALT GULAG -- PART VI


THE CONDO LAWYER -- INGER GARCIA

THE CONDO LAWYER -- INGER GARCIA II

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