After a condominium building in Surfside collapsed in 2021, killing 98 people, state lawmakers hurried to unanimously pass protections to prevent it from happening again.
Although the reforms had good intentions, they left many condominium owners dealing with higher fees and assessments, and boards scrambling to get enough money to fill reserves.
What was meant to enhance safety instead increased already-tense relationships between owners and board members, who are usually owners themselves.
Before the Surfside reforms, it was common for condo boards to have limited funds in their savings accounts. The priority was on keeping costs low over anticipating future repairs. In addition, boards were not required to disclose much information, which made it difficult for owners to access financial records or board meeting minutes.
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These issues contributed to a breakdown of trust in communities, like at Environ Towers in Lauderhill.
Environ Towers has four buildings. Two of them are part of Towers I. Outside one of the eight-story buildings, construction crews use jackhammers to replace worn-out stucco marked by black and red spray-painted boxes.
Inside, three owners meet in a downstairs conference room with fresh fruit and notes. The constant drilling outside leaks into the room, which has a small kitchen, multicolored chairs and sea-green tables.
Ted Bever is one of the owners at the meeting. He bought his condo in Environ a month before the Surfside collapse and said he started watching the board in action.
“I just went along with the program to start with," he said. "But then when I started seeing them work, then I started having some questions about what was actually transpiring.”
The 40-year inspection finds issues
Two years ago, the board started doing its 40-year inspection. It’s a requirement for South Florida condo associations to look into a building's structural and electrical systems when it reaches a milestone age. That age varies across the state.
Board president Michael McNeil said the engineering company found Environ needed to get its electrical and elevators up to code. The inspection also discovered rusted tension cables and rebar throughout the buildings, which are essential for structural integrity.
McNeil lives in Ottawa, Ontario, half the year. He took over as board president in March, inheriting the inspection results and more.
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“I certainly don't want to be hard on the board that was before us because they were doing what they thought was right," McNeil said.
"However, there were some transparency issues in the sense that people were unaware of what was going on for most of the time and the kind of work that was necessary to be done.”
In his new role, McNeil said he wanted to make sure documents were easily accessible and to provide owners with as much information as possible.
He also started a monthly newsletter, called Towers Talk, providing a complete overview of the condo’s business. But McNeil found his efforts at more transparency weren’t enough to overcome the years of mistrust built up among owners.
“No matter how many issues of Towers Talk we put out, no matter how many letters I put out as a blast email to all of the owners, they just don't understand," he said. "They would rather believe what they hear from their neighbor, who may be a disruptor.”
Frustrated owners voice concerns
For owner Virginia Jackson, the previous board’s lack of transparency was a significant issue, and it led to deep distrust of the current board’s actions.
She requested an audit of the condo’s finances.
“We're paying the HOA, and we're paying our assessments, and we find we collected money for the reserves," she said. "Where's all the money? Either you're stealing it, mismanaging it or misplacing it. We need to know where it is.”
Also, the condominium recently changed management companies. Jackson was initially happy, but then she found out the new company had acquired the old one.
Emails between her and the board eventually got nasty.
Jackson and owner Pamela Rose are concerned about losing their homes. Rose said the previous board president made poor decisions when managing the repairs, like hiring contractors to fix one building's roof at a time instead of bundling them together. She and the former president did not get along.
Rose initially thought when McNeil stepped in, things would change. But when the new board took over, she was also unhappy with its decisions, like switching management companies.
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Rose said the new management company was having difficulty doing reports and finding payments until they had Environ owners help balance the budget.
"I think with the mess we are in right now, you need people with experience to find where the problem is," Rose said.
What's in store for owners
It has gotten more expensive to own a condo at Environ. Maintenance fees and insurance have increased over the past few years. Owners faced special assessments this year for reconstructing the towers, including post-tension cables, rebar, stucco and the cement block behind the stucco.
The construction is required to pass the 40-year certification. Each owner was charged about $8,000, split into two payments: one in April and one in June.
But McNeil said this coming year, he expects some fees to go down because the board has found ways to cut the budget by about $350,000. However, that could be offset by the new law's requirement to have a secondary reserve.
Relationships between boards and condo owners in Florida have long been contentious. A new condo reform law took effect last month, aiming to improve transparency and requiring more training for board members.
"Now it’s mandatory that you must take a course and understand what you’re doing,” condo law attorney Julio Robaina said.
Robaina also served in the state Legislature and as mayor of Hialeah. He said he’s been writing laws to enhance transparency and accountability within condo associations since 2002, but there was little enforcement until now.
“People had a heck of a time getting access to records. They’ve made it really strong," he said. "They’re now putting instead of a slap and a fine, now you’re talking a misdemeanor and felony convictions for not turning over documents.”
Robaina urges condo owners to participate in their associations to understand their fees and assessments.
He said condo owners should always put document requests in writing and send them by certified mail.
Want to join the conversation or share your story? Email Meghan at bowman4@wusf.org.
If you have any questions about state government or the legislative process, you can ask the Your Florida team by clicking here.
This story was produced by WUSF as part of a statewide journalism initiative funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
