Condo and homeowner associations turning over records to House committee -- South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com: "nder threat of subpoena, condo and homeowner associations that for years refused to let owners examine their records are turning documents over to a state House committee.
The new House Select Committee on Condominium & Homeowner Association Governance wants to examine the records to help determine if 'horror stories' about boards are true and what, if any, new laws are needed to prevent abuses.
'It's amazing how people are starting to surrender their documents and give up information we need for the committee,' Chairman Julio Robaina, R- Miami, said Friday. 'Were getting information that they have refused to give owners for years.'"
-------------
Julio Robaina strikes again! Good work, I say. The refusal of associations and management companies to make records available to association members is a huge problem.
3 comments:
Hopefully, the amazing dedication and work of Representative Robaina and ALL those in homeowner advocacy in Florida, will set a precedent for the rest of the country. This is not the job of only a selected few, but the job of every elected official in the USA! The very sad fact is that the horror stories this committee will examine are true! Ask any victim to this national disgrace, and the truth is typically worse than the victim(s) actually report.
Couple the abuse with, "no where to go," (no legitimate government agency to take responsibility and protect the homeowner.)
Congratulations, Representative Robaina, and all those, in Florida, who have worked so hard for so long.
Evan --
The stories ARE truly gut wrenching... and after hearing them firsthand -- in Miami, on February 9th -- it would appear that some of the problems that homeowners are having ALSO include some VERY large managment companies -- and some VERY high profile law firms.
YOU know who they are... THEY know who they are -- and the legislators also know who they are. Soon EVERYONE will :-)
The SAME lawyers' names kept popping up (especially when I questioned the owners privately). The sad part was that the homeowners were reluctant to utter the names of the law firms... even when audience members asked them too.
When the truth DOES finally come out -- and it will -- you may hear that the records that are finally turned over to owners are often "not responsive." It is somewhat doubtful that the House Select Committee will be treated any differently than the owners -- I sure haven't heard too many respectful comments about legislators -- and I have attended CAI's Law Seminars -- every year --for the last ten years.
What we do know is that Julio Robaina, and his fellow State Representatives, deserve huge thanks for giving up their weekends with their families -- (to attend these ALL day meetings) -- which were recently held in Miami and Orlando -- and are now headed to Tampa and Tallahassee.
Hopefully, other states will follow Florida's lead, in the VERY near future!
Here in Illinois, we have been trying -- FOR TEN YEARS -- to get the Oak Run Property Owners Association (a "large scale" member of CAI -- along with their CAI member lawyer, John Robertson -- and their CAI PCAM trained Manager, Mike Davison) to simply turn over the membership list -- as the state statute REQUIRES.
Our written requests -- made by Wayne Hyatt and Evan McKenzie -- have also been refused (because they were not duplicated and submitted onto a "specific" form which was created by the HOA lawyer.
Apparently, they (CAI) do not teach their professionally trained managers -- (or their lawyer members) how to use a handy-dandy stapler?
Our State's Attorney EVEN filed four criminal complaints -- related to the violations of the state statute to allow inspection of the membership list -- and to provide a copy as requested...
No luck for his office either. Why? One of the Judges who heard the first case ALSO had formerly represented the Defendant Association (as THEIR lawyer). You can figure it out...
The other cases were heard by a Judge, who along with his family members, owned the property that was originally sold to the Developer, in order to create this HOA "community" in Dahinda, IL. (pronounced Duh!-- Hinda??)
Go figure? Maybe we ALL need to turn to our legislators -- because if this sort of thing is happening in Florida and Illinois -- it is probably happening everywhere.
Some of us are ALSO being sued for asking for HOA records... (This IS happening in Florida as I write.)
Personally, here in Illinois, since May 1998, I have been defending a case, filed against me, by the HOA -- at the suggestion of the lawyer... No end in sight!
Again -- it CAN happen to anyone...
Except maybe for CAI's Tom Skiba's Mother, if she asks for documents? Time will tell...
Send your "kudos" to Julio in Florida -- even if you don't live there -- you may have friends or family who does someday!
Monica J. Sadler
(Defendant/Counter-Plaintiff)
Monica,
Kudos, to you too! You obviously KNOW what is happening to the victims. Your suit, since 1998? Interesting year in this horror! The victims need to talk!
Post a Comment