HOA Asks Army Veteran to Remove Puerto Rican Flag at Kissimmee Home

Around the State

Polk County Condo Closed Off for Mold Infestation, Homeowners Say More Repairs are Needed
A Tampa Bay Area woman is now safe after dealing with a mold infested condo for several years. ABC Action News first spoke with Erica Ray in May, who complained that she had water pouring into her home and creating a dangerous and unhealthy environment. Polk County condo owners claim homes are... (more)

HOA Asks Army Veteran to Remove Puerto Rican Flag at Kissimmee Home
A controversy is brewing in Kissimmee between a homeowners association and an Army veteran who says she wants the freedom to fly the flag of her choice at her home. Frances Santiago spent 14 years as an Army medic, including two tours in Iraq. Santiago wants to fly the Puerto Rican flag, but her HOA in the... (more)

Soldier Can’t Rent His Condo
He is serving his country and proud to be a pilot-in-training. His wife wants to join him, but she had to stay behind to try to rent their condo. Then, their association said they couldn’t rent it. Is that legal to do to a service member? It’s why they called Help Me Howard with Patrick Fraser. When couples talk about a picture perfect place for a wedding, a beautiful beach... (more)

An Evening with the Stars: Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ Awards Celebration
Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ is proud to announce the first ever "An Evening with the Stars Awards Celebration" on October 20, 2019 at the UF/IFAS Extension Orange County in Orlando. We want to honor "the best of the best" by recognizing the projects and the people who help create some of the most... (more)

Blog Bits

Citizen Scientists: Using Your Smartphone to Enhance Lake Stewardship
Understanding water as a finite natural resource has defined a century long debate about how to use it, maintain it, preserve it and protect it. Yet, despite these efforts, water quality has continuously declined across the country. Urban development near waterbodies often imparts negative impacts, such... (more)

Should your HOA Hire a Property Manager?
If the board of directors is feeling a bit overwhelmed, then you may start thinking about hiring a property manager. Making the decision to contract a property management company can be difficult. Are they worth it? Are they good? What will they do? We’ve put together an overview of what property managers do, the approximate cost, and the advantages and... (more)

Eco-Friendly Lawn & Garden Tips for Your Community
A healthy lawn is vital for any community. It adds value, curb appeal, and helps create a healthy environment for everyone. Homeowners can assist themselves and their communities in gaining these benefits by looking at how they care for their lawn and gardens. For the most part, eco-friendly maintenance can be easier and less expensive than the more harmful... (more)

Avoiding Selective Rules Enforcement for Condo Associations
One of the most challenging aspects of effectively running and operating a condominium association is the constant turnover in board membership and the inconsistency this creates concerning rules enforcement. Most association board seats are up for reelection every one to two years. When members... (more)

FCAP Resources

Budget Planning and Insurance Bids
The most important task undertaken by an association’s board of directors and property manager is the budget process and determining the use of association dues. Start Understanding Your Balance Sheet—Cash vs. Equity, What’s Available to Spend? The cash balance at a particular date represents what is in the bank, but by itself does not reveal whether the money.... (more)

Florida – The HOA/COA Fraud Capital
Florida is ranked number one in the United States when it comes to fraud, according to the Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book. With 1,002 fraud reports per 100,000 people, Florida had more than double the number of fraud reports in the second-ranked state, Georgia. Florida also has more than 47,000 community associations, which is the most in the country.... (more)

Using Modern Drone Technology to Manage Properties More Efficiently
The problem addressed here is how to detect building envelope problems early before they escalate and become large, expensive problems. Most high-rise condominium structures receive little exterior maintenance between paint cycles. Typically, paint cycles vary between seven to ten years. Over that period... (more)

Should Communities Use Fake Cameras? – The Pros and Cons of Using Dummy Surveillance
When security is the topic of discussion for a community, dummy cameras are often proposed as a possible solution. Dummy, or fake, cameras are designed to look real in hopes that people will not know the difference. They are often seen as a budget-conscious deterrent that is better than having... (more)

Upcoming Events

Condo Construction Defects 101
This course is designed to teach board members and community association managers how to identify construction defects on the property, condo projects and how you can help navigate a construction project. Some of the topics we will cover include: • Identifying Defects that Will be Your Claim • Deadlines for Claims • Warranties • Who is the Claimant?... (more)

Fair Housing Act: Association Compliance with the FHA
Upon the completion of this course, participants will understand the impact the Fair Housing Act has on associations policies involving criminal background screening, the possession of assistance animals, occupancy restrictions, and retaliation liability. Our FHA Class is designed to educate community association managers on the laws impacting association rule... (more)

CondoJobs

Featured Job of the Week
Experienced community association manager for an onsite role for a premier community in Naples. Will be responsible for providing the overall supervision of the community, including inspections and overall maintenance, vendor and contract management and budgeting and invoice processing. Will interact with owners, vendors, board members and committee members.... (more)