Photo: Joe Raedle / Getty Images News / Getty Images
(Miami, FL) - Governor Ron DeSantis in Miami talking about condo reform and what the legislature is proposing as the session winds down. He says lawmakers need to act now to help condo owners afford crippling assessments.
DeSantis is calling on lawmakers to fix legislation passed after the 2021 collapse of the Champlain Towers South condominium building in Surfside that killed 98 people which has had unintended consequences.
"We have seen sudden, high-cost fee assessments that have been imposed on condo owners, many of whom in South Florida, particularly in this community, are senior citizens and living on fixed incomes," DeSantis said.
The laws that DeSantis references were initially passed in 2022 and tweaked in 2023. They require “milestone inspections” of older buildings and “structural integrity reserve” studies to determine how much money should be set aside for future major repairs.
DeSantis praised the senate for advancing a bill SB 368, sponsored by state Sen. Ileana Garcia, R-District 36 in Miami-Dade County, that extends the reserve study requirement for one year and gives flexibility for funding reserves.
Governor DeSantis was joined by the head of the DBPR which regulates condominiums visiting Miami to light a fire under lawmakers to pass legislation to fix the condo crisis.
The session ends on May 2nd.