MIAMI LAKES, FLA. (WSVN) - Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is urging the state Legislature to address growing condominium concerns from owners, who say, skyrocketing assessment costs are pricing many out of their homes.
DeSantis appeared at an event in Miami Lakes where he said state lawmakers did not wait until the final results of a federal investigation into the deadly collapse of the Champlain Tower Condominium in Surfside in 2021 to take action to keep condo owners safe and they should do so this time again.
The governor said owners are sending complaints to Tallahassee about expensive special assessment fees and the potential that some of them could lose their property.
The assessment fees are an issue Florida condo owners are feeling right in their bank accounts.
7’s Help Me Howard with Patrick Fraser has been hearing the desperate pleas for help and has covered some stories about it.
“They want a special assessment. They want $8,158 dollars from each unit,” said Vicki LaRue.
“My father is over 80 years old. You should not be dealing with this at this stage of his life,” said Ginnis Arcos.
Condominium associations across the state have a deadline of January 1, 2025 to have engineers perform safety inspections and have reserves for repairs.
The condo safety law was passed after the condo collapse in 2021 which killed 98 people.
“Is there a way you could potentially provide some low interest loans, perhaps to get these things done so you don’t have crushing assessments?” said DeSantis.
DeSantis could call the Legislature into a special session but hasn’t taken that step yet. In his South Florida stop on Monday, he asked for feedback from condo owners on an issue that could have a massive impact in a state with an estimated 1.5 million condos, with more than a third of them in South Florida.
DeSantis said he wanted to balance safety with affordability and had a message for state legislators.
“I would urge all the members of the Legislature to be talking to your constituents. We need to be developing these ideas now so that these things can be implemented in time to prevent people from being forced out of their homes,” said DeSantis.
DeSantis said the Legislature should get to work on this issue now and not wait until next year to keep people in their condos if they want to stay.
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