A new rule in Miami-Dade County requires more transparency from condo associations and HOAs. NBC 6’s Laura Rodriguez reports
Miami-Dade commissioners on Tuesday unanimously passed new rules requiring all condo and homeowner associations to publicly file financial statements and structural reports.
"It's mixed emotion. This new law unless it has a higher authority to implement it, it will be toothless," said Carlos Delgado, homeowner at Lakes of the Meadow.
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By February 2023, all homeowner and condominium associations in the county must upload financial statements and disclose special assessments to make them available to the public, however, NBC 6 found the county won’t review the documents.
"This is the beginning of a mult-faceted approach to try to reign in these condo associations," said Commissioner Rene Garcia.
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Garcia proposed the new rule and says accountability and transparency are key in this first phase, but it won't stop here.
"The second phase will be to get a task force together between the State Attorney's Office and our police department so we can have investigatory powers over these associations, also working with the DBPR," Garcia said.
Last month, hundreds of people who live in the Hammocks say they were blindsided by a massive hike in HOA fees.
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At nearby Lakes of the Meadow, some homeowners say they want to avoid getting to that point.
"Two major renovation projects that supposedly was going to be 150 thousand dollars and it quadrupled to almost half a million dollars, that's what triggered this involvement in most of us," Delgado said.
Homeowners say there haven't been board elections since 1995 and believe members of the board are selectively uploading documents to the homeowner portal.
"This one in particular, that there were questions on, the final cost of the project, is not available on the website," said another homeowner.
NBC 6 sent an email to the Lakes of the Meadow board and also went to the office in person, but we have not received a response.
The homeowners say the next opportunity for an election is March 16, but 30% of the homeowners or a proxy must be present at the meeting for it to happen.
