Kendall condo complex that hasn't ‘raised dues in like 15 years' can't pay water bill: Management

A note taped to the bulletin board in the hallway of a Kendall condominium complex alerted residents that water will be shut off because payment has not been received.

According to condo owner Hilda Conley, it wouldn’t be the first time.

“We came home three or four weeks ago, and the water had been shut off since 2 p.m.,” Conley told NBC6 on Tuesday.

Conley owns one of the 12 units at 13280 Southwest 88th Lane inside the Calusa Club Village development, where there’s a mix of owners and renters.

Each individual condo building within the development has its own Board of Directors who are in charge of hiring a property management company.

Most of those in Building B are elderly or have special needs.

Conley and other owners pay their monthly dues to the association that is responsible for paying the water bill. 

“That’s why I called you guys. I go, ‘We cannot be without water,'” Conley said.

The Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department said in a statement that "the association has a history of payments being returned for insufficient funds," and after "multiple attempts to notify the customer including letters to the association and hanging door hangers at the property," an association member requested a payment extension on July 26.

WASD "staff said it could apply an extension to the account, but a partial payment would have to be made toward the outstanding balance of $3,993.57. To date, no payment has been received."

YCL Property Management said it’s been managing Building B, part of the Calusa Club Village, for the past four years.

According to a woman who identified herself over the phone as Yesenia Llombart, the CEO of YCL Property Management, the condo is at a point where it will need to have a special assessment to pay the bills.

“They haven’t raised their dues in like 15 years, so now they’re behind everyone," Llombart said. "They make barely enough to pay their insurance on a monthly basis... They don’t have enough to pay [the water bill], and the water no longer wants to take installments."

According to the department, June 24 was the last time the association made a partial payment toward the water bill. WASD said it has "a history of working with the Calusa Club Village as there is a second building that has an outstanding balance and has requested and received six account extensions since July 2023."

For now, WASD said it "has temporarily protected the account from water service disconnection, so the association can work toward getting current with the water bill on behalf of their residents... We look forward to discussing options with the community’s association, so the best interests of the residents are met."

NBC6 has been reporting on the rising costs for aging condos. 

Since the deadly 2021 Surfside collapse, lawmakers in Tallahassee have passed a series of reforms aimed at making buildings safer, but the requirements may lead some associations to impose significant special assessments.

For Conley, the issues at Building B go beyond the water bill. She said she’s watched her building fall into disrepair over the years.

Roof tiles appeared to be broken when NBC6 visited. We also saw a crack on a wall, and Conley’s unit feels musty and humid inside, which she said have been an ongoing issues.

Conley said she feels "frustrated, disillusioned and generally just pissed off."

She fears she could eventually lose her home.

“We want to know exactly what’s going on," she said. "Why are we having so many issues?”

On Tuesday night, YCL Property Management held an emergency meeting, which NBC6 attended. Its purpose was to find new board members, because the only member on the board resigned after we called her asking questions.

According to YCL Property Management, if it cannot find at least three new board members, they’ll have to report the property to the state and the state will take over from there.

According to YCL, that could lead to further delays in needed repairs for the building.