Article
Courtesy of the Venicegondolier.com
By
Tommy McIntyre
Saturday, August 21, 2004
Hurricane
Charley has brought out the worst in condominium associations and the people
who run them, according to local realtors.
Given
broad powers by the Florida legislature, the condo associations, with some
exceptions, are running roughshod over displaced storm victims and relief
workers, the realtors said.
"They
are refusing to bend the rules and restrictions in time of dire need,"
Eric Wild, broker for the Palm Realty Group, said. "The legislature ought
to make it automatic that in disaster situations, condo bylaws are
waived."
In
wanting the legislature to waive condo rules in disasters, Wild has support
from the Venice Area Board of Realtors.
"I
can't imagine the legislature not agreeing to emergency rule changes,"
VABR Executive Vice President Marlene S. Merkle said. "I think it's
horrible that such unreasonable 'rules' get in the way of helping these poor
unfortunate souls. Human decency demands that someone just bend (or break) the
rules. This attitude is disgusting."
We
card under 55
According
to Wild, the Harbor Isles Condominium Association recently refused to allow
three insurance adjusters from Texas to stay on the premises.
Wild
said the adjusters were refused because of condominium age restrictions and
because they drive trucks.
HICA
by-laws state there is a minimum 55-year age requirement to live in the
complex.
The
rules also state that trucks are not allowed to be parked on the streets.
The
other side
HICA
attorney Kevin Wells said Wild's version of what happened at the HICA is
simply not true.
"The
only reason those people were asked to leave is because the realtor did not
contact the home owner," he said. "The association is already
accommodating over 60 people and some of those are children, so they are
already bending the age restrictions."
Wild
said he could not respond to Wells's statement.
Another
complaint involved the Mission Lakes development on Capri Isles Boulevard.
"They
will not bend the rules on pets or pick-up trucks," the complainant said.
Mission
Lakes representatives did not return phone calls.
One
realtor said, "These are the kind of people that if they were the
victims, they would be running all over town screaming 'Somebody help me.'
"
Landlord:
'Don't lay that guilt trip on me'
Lauren
Meadows, of ERA Preferred Properties, said she has had all kinds of problems
with local condominium associations not bending their restrictions in an
emergency.
"I
just fired one of my landlords at Gulf Horizons who said he wasn't going to
let his place be used as a dormitory," Meadows said.
She
reminded the landlord that this was an emergency, that the relief workers
coming down to help homeless victims needed temporary shelter.
He
said, "Don't lay that guilt trip on me," according to Meadows.
'What's
their problem?'
Meadows
also said one man walked into her office and said he needed space for 200
relief workers. She said many are retired insurance adjusters from other
states.
"They
are nice people who drive nice vehicles but they have ladders on top, that's
what they do for a living," Meadows said. "I had to tell him that
even though I had the space I couldn't put them in it because the associations
wouldn't drop the restrictions on age and trucks."
Several
other realtors called the Venice Gondolier Sun with similar
stories.
"What's
their problem?" another realtor said referring to the condo associations.
Meadows
applauded those few condo and homeowner associations that said they would bend
the restrictions.
The
last straw
Finally,
a sheriff's deputy who lives in North Port went to stay with her parents
during the storm.
Her
parents live in a the deed-restricted condominium complex Jacaranda West in
Venice.
The
police officer was told she could not park her marked patrol car in the lot
because of the condo restrictions regarding vehicles.
Jacaranda
West could not be reached for comment by press time.
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