Several bills involving condos have been filed for this Florida legislative session.
After the Surfside condo collapse, laws changed requiring inspections and mandating reserve funds, but many condo owners and homeowners are now facing increased fees.
"Now all of a sudden it's like hey we have a special assessment, but it's not just to comply with the 30-year, it's also to fund our reserves. Well, where did our reserve money go?” said Arlen, a Kendall condominium owner.
Watch NBC6 free wherever you are
WATCH HEREAfter questioning her condo board, Arlen said she was met with pushback and harassment at Kenland Walk Condominiums. Among other issues, she said she's had cracks in her concrete balcony for more than two and a half years and there's been no resolution.
“If they haven't taken care of my issue, then what are they doing with our reserve money?" said Arlen.
Get local news you need to know to start your day with NBC 6's News Headlines newsletter.
SIGN UP
Arlen is one of many condo owners keeping a close eye on this legislative session in Tallahassee.
House Bill 913 sponsored by Rep. Vicki Lopez seeks to protect condo owners and clarify association accountability. The bill would block Citizens Property Insurance from insuring condos if the association hasn't complied with inspection requirements.
"The structural integrity and reserve studies that were due last year have not been done, less than 30% of some of the condos across the state has not complied,” said Lopez.
Local
HB983 is targeting corruption in HOAs. It would create a Condominium and Homeowners’ Association Economic Crime, Fraud, and Corruption Investigation pilot program in Miami-Dade County.
“The issue that we’re seeing now is that lack of enforcement so this year we’re going to tackle it head on. I’m going to give more authority to our new sheriff’s office,” said Rep. Juan Carlos Porras.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Thursday he'd like new legislation to provide relief for homeowners and condo owners.
“Especially these seniors on fixed income to all of the sudden be hit. They don't have 50 or 100 thousand dollars to just write a check to a condo board. They didn't budget for that. So let's do this is in a way that we are mindful of safety, but I think the safety is just the transparency more than anything," DeSantis said.
