CanFL - Community Advocacy Network

Home

Print Page

Printable Brochure

Disclaimer

Contacts

CAN ALERT: Finally Some Good News: DBPR Reduces Condo, Coop and Timeshare Fees

Dear  SB 1820 passed out of the full Senate yesterday (37-0) with an amendment offered by Senator Alexander which provides as follows: "For the 2008-2009 fiscal year, the department shall reduce the annual fee paid by each condominium association as required by this paragraph to $2 for each residential unit." "For the 2008-2009 fiscal year, the department shall reduce the annual fee paid by each cooperative association as required by this paragraph to $2 for each residential unit." "For the 2008-2009 fiscal year, the department shall reduce the annual fee paid by each managing entity of a timeshare plan as required in this section to 50 cents for each 7 days of annual use." The provisions will have to survive the conference committee negotiations to ultimately become effective. In terms of not-so-good news: SB 1130 (the Gun Bill) has been sent to the Governor for his approval. This bill poses so many problems especially for communities with valet car service whereby invitees who bring guns on to the association premises no longer have direct control over their vehicles. It is truly unbelievable that the NRA could push through a bill like this and no one is putting on the brakes. I have been informed that this bill would have become law last year but for the Virginia Tech shootings. A reporter who had spoken with an NRA spokesman called me yesterday and advised that the NRA feels that this bill is necessary to protect employees and invitees in private communities. That logic is shortsighted at best. How can an employee protect himself or herself with a gun locked in their trunk in the association's parking lot? Unless he or she performs their job functions while standing at or near their vehicle, I'm guessing the gun would be fairly useless if the employee was confronted by an irate owner and threatened. A more typical scenario might be an employee who is terminated getting angrier by the minute as they depart the association premises for the last time and then realizing that they have a gun in their car. Actually, the bill doesn't even require that guns be locked in the motor vehicles and the term motor vehicle includes motorcycles and mopeds so conceivably an employee or invitee could leave a weapon attached somehow to those types of vehicles. The bottom line is if you find this bill to be an appalling potential breach in association security, the only way to stop it at this point is to urge your residents to bombard the Governor’s offices with emails to VETO SB 1130. You can email Gov. Crist at: <a href="mailto:http://Charlie.Crist@MyFlorida.com">Charlie Christ</a> In addition, SB 1378 (the Flag Bill) will be voted upon soon by the entire House and Senate membership. This bill would require homeowners' associations to approve flagpoles up to 20 feet in height on each individual lot. While it is unlikely that every homeowner would request one, even a small percentage of owners living in large HOA communities requesting 20' poles might have the effect of your private residential communities looking like military bases! Again, a little more thought given to the application of the bill would have been helpful. Does a wall-mount flag or 6 foot flagpole make the owner any less patriotic? If you want to have any chance of derailing SB 1378, please have your members email every member of the Florida House and Florida Senate to vote NO on the bill when it comes up for a full vote. They can use the Capitol Connection email tool at www.canfl.com to do just that in a matter of seconds or simply click on this link: %HS% There are only a few weeks left in the Session. If you have not yet sent an email to your Legislators weighing in on these matters, please do so. Once the session wraps up, we will send out a Legislative Summary to all CAN members advising you of which bills passed. Best Regards, Donna D. Berger, Esq. Executive Director of the Community Advocacy Network (CAN) Telephone: 954.315.0372 Facsimile: 954.315.0373 Web: www.canfl.com Email: dberger@canfl.com

For more information, please contact Donna Berger at (954) 315-0372 or via email at dberger@canfl.com