Article
and Video Courtesy of CBS4, Miami
By
David Sutta
Published
April 24, 2010
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Watch
VIDEO
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DORAL
(CBS4) For years, Oscar Garcia has struggled to keep his
Doral Condo Association at Doral Gardens II alive. With more than half the
community in foreclosure or delinquent in dues, he's had to get creative.
"It would
nice to get the sprinklers going," he admitted to CBS4's
David Sutta. "Sometimes it's difficult to
pay the water bill or even the insurance is very
expensive."
But relief could be on the way for him and other
struggling condo owners throughout South Florida. A new
condo law possibly coming out of Tallahassee is packed
with new rules that will impact associations, tenants and
landlords, like barring owners from using their pool if
they don't pay their association dues. |
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Two
bills in Tallahassee would allow condo associations several new
possibilities:
"When
an owner is 90 days past due on their maintenance
obligations, then the tenant will be demanded to pay the
rent to the association," Association Law Group
attorney Ben Soloman explained. "And if they don't
pay the association will have an eviction right against
the tenant."
Solomon said that these changes could clean up a condo's
finances. "Legislation like this will finally start
addressing these problems and it's going to take that to
get associations revived and back on their feet
again." |
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After
years of failed attempts, it remains to be seen if the measure will pass.
"I'll
tell you what the word on the street is that we got a good
chance this year," Wendy Murray told Sutta. Murray is
part of the Community Advocacy Network, a group of
associations pushing for this to pass.
"We came together and we went out in force in
different counties. We talked to commissioners. Got city
and county resolutions," Murray said.
They then took the resolutions to the Governor, who has
given them his support.
Oscar Garcia is hopeful. "I'm excited for the condo
association because there are a lot of good honest |
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hard
working homeowners who live here that deserve the full level of services
that they pay for."
Before the associations can collect, the House still needs to vote and the
Governor would have to sign off on it. If that all happens, the law will
go into effect this summer.
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