NORTH MIAMI BEACH, Fla.—The city’s closure of the 156-unit Crestview Towers Condominium on July 2 displaced dozens of families overnight. Three weeks later, they remain in a housing limbo made worse by financial struggles and complicated medical conditions. Ligia Mora is staying at a Motel 6 near Miami International Airport while caring for her two…
Year: 2021
Could my condo building collapse like the one in Florida? Expert says problems can be found faster in Canada
When Jack Driscoll saw the video of the collapsed condo building in Surfside, Fla., his first thought was: “That’s horrendous.” Then he started wondering: Could that happen to his home? Driscoll lives on the second floor of a 12-storey building on the Dartmouth side of Halifax Harbour. He can lean over his balcony railing and…
Surfside inspectors visited Champlain Towers South dozens of times. Now its collapse is spurring calls for reform
In the wake of last month’s deadly building collapse, inspectors from around South Florida have fanned out to review other high-rises for damage in an attempt to avert another tragedy. But Champlain Towers South had been visited regularly by officials in the years before it fell. Inspectors from the town of Surfside conducted permit-related inspections…
Florida condo collapse spurs many citiesto action — but some worry residents will resist
Three years ago, Florida lawyer Eric Glazer offered a dire warning: The state’s condo buildings faced an “absolutely avoidable” crisis stemming from years of willfully neglected maintenance combined with lax government oversight. Writing on his blog “Condo Craze and HOAs”, Glazer warned that building after building lacked the savings to fund increasingly common repairs. He…
Condos’ reserve funds, delayed repairs under new scrutiny since Surfside tragedy
The deadly collapse of Champlain Towers South in Surfside has brought a little-noticed loophole in Florida law to the attention of lawyers, condo management companies, Realtors, insurance companies and consumer advocates. Called the “kick the can down the road” provision by one attorney, Section 718.112 of the Florida Condominium Act allows condominium associations to waive…
Florida has collected millions for condoowner education. Lawmakers divertedthe money instead.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The state of Florida collected $13.7 million in fees in 2020 from condominium owners associations, vacation timeshares and mobile home parks. But instead of using that money for its intended purpose — including training condo associations about things like maintenance — the Florida legislature swept $5 million of it into the state’s…
A 2020 report found Surfside condo lacked funds for necessary repairs. One expert called it a 'wake-up call'
An independent budget review warned the Champlain Towers South condo association that its financial reserves were critically underfunded in the face of urgently needed structural repairs a little over a year before the building collapsed, a document obtained by CNN shows. The condo association only had 6.9% of the recommended level of money to complete…
A 2020 report found Surfside condo lacked funds for necessary repairs. One expert called it a 'wake-up call'
An independent budget review warned the Champlain Towers South condo association that its financial reserves were critically underfunded in the face of urgently needed structural repairs a little over a year before the building collapsed, a document obtained by CNN shows. The condo association only had 6.9% of the recommended level of money to complete…
After Florida Building Collapse, Task Force to Consider Changes to Condo Laws
Explosives were set off Sunday night to bring down the rest of Champlain Towers South in Surfside, Fla. The controlled demolition provides more room for search-and-rescue crews to look for survivors as Tropical Storm Elsa heads toward Florida. Photo: Lynne Sladky/AP SURFSIDE, Fla.—A task force has been created to investigate Florida’s laws surrounding condominiums and…