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Article
Courtesy of WLRN Public Media
By Dara Kam
Published April 1, 2025
TALLAHASSEE — A key Senate committee on Tuesday gave
initial approval to a measure that would build on laws requiring safety
inspections of older condominium buildings and adequate financial reserves
for repairs.
The bill (SB 1742) is aimed at “providing condo owners a smoother, more
flexible financial path forward without compromising safety,” Senate
Regulated Industries Chairwoman Jennifer Bradley, R-Fleming Island, said
before her committee unanimously approved the measure.
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The laws were enacted
in response to the 2021 collapse of the Champlain Towers
South condominium building in Surfside that killed 98
people.
The laws, initially passed in 2022 and tweaked in 2023,
require “milestone inspections” of older buildings and
“structural integrity reserve” studies to determine how much
money should be set aside for future major repairs.
Milestone inspections were supposed to be completed by Dec.
31 for certain older buildings that are three stories or
higher. Some condo associations hit owners with large
assessments in the race to comply with the deadline.
Assessments are in addition to homeowners’ regular
association fees.
Bradley has said her bill is aimed at addressing issues
brought up by condo owners hit with significant increases in
assessments. But Bradley, who was instrumental in passing
the recent laws, also has said condo boards and companies
that are performing the evaluations often include
non-structural items — such as beautification projects — on
the reports that don’t affect building safety. |
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Workers make repairs to the facade of the Parker
Tower Condo in Hallandale Beach
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The bill would require state regulators to design a form
to be used for inspections that outlines specific items mandated by the
laws. It also would lead to setting up a statewide database of buildings
that are subject to the inspection requirements and would require the
University of Florida to create a report of the buildings.
The bill, in part, would allow associations to pause and reduce reserve
funding for up to two years after milestone reports. It also would set up a
process that would allow condo boards to invest funds set aside for future
repairs.
“Each of these options ensures that milestones are completed, buildings are
safe, while providing more flexibility to fund reserves and maintain
transparency for owners and buyers,” Bradley said of the bill.
In addition to costs related to the laws passed after the Surfside collapse,
condo associations also have been hit in recent years with higher
property-insurance costs.
Legislative leaders have argued that many condo buildings are in need of
critical upgrades but that associations had inadequate reserves to cover
repairs.
The Senate proposal varies from a House version. As an example, part of the
House bill (HB 931) would prohibit the state’s Citizens Property Insurance
Corp. from issuing or renewing coverage for condos or condo associations if
the associations do not comply with the inspection requirements.
“There’s sort of different visions right now. That doesn’t mean we can’t
find overlap. But right now, the Senate bill is really exploring all the
mechanisms that we could implement that would not compromise safety,”
Bradley told reporters after Tuesday’s meeting.
Bradley said she’s attended condo meetings throughout the state where the
structural integrity studies are incorrect or “the owners don’t understand
things are included that shouldn’t be” in the reports.
“That has to be addressed,” she said.
The senator also balked at the part of the House bill about prohibiting
Citizens coverage.
“I don’t know how to get there. That’s not something I think I’d want to
embrace,” she said.
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