Serial 'Super Glue Vandal' is Targeting HOA Board Members after Proposed Fee Hike

Around the State

Serial 'Super Glue Vandal' is Targeting HOA Board Members after Proposed Fee Hike
A serial vandal is terrorizing a Clearwater condominium. The criminal is pouring super glue on door locks this Thanksgiving holiday. The victims are convinced they were targeted because they all share one common element. Now, Clearwater Police is investigating. Four families woke up on... (more)

Jacksonville HOA Manager Arrested on Charges of Grand Theft
J&L Management of North Florida is a state-licensed agency that manages a number of homeowners associations, but the president, James Long, has been the target of complaints from previous HOA board members. Richard Eldridge was on the Cambridge Estates HOA Board when J&L... (more)

Hillsborough Man Pleads Guilty in $5 Million Condo Conversion Scam
A Hillsborough County mortgage broker and a South Florida developer each face up to 5 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiring to lie to banks that lost a total of $5 million on loans they made at the Preserve of Temple Terrace. Starting in 2006, just as the collapse of the subprime mortgage... (more)

Blog Bits

Why Parking Lot Drainage Systems are Important
Parking lot drainage systems play a key role in the longevity of your parking lot while also saving you money in repair costs. Standing water is a safety hazard for your customers that can also damage the surface of your parking lot. Choosing to reach out to a company that specializes in parking lot drainage systems is essential to minimize long-term damage.... (more)

A Bright Future for Community Association Management: An Interview with CAI President Cat Carmichael
More than 70 million residents live in community associations today, according to research by the Community Association Institute. And since 61% of all new construction built for sale is in community associations, that number is only expected to grow — and along with it, the demand for qualified,... (more)

5 Ways Community Association Managers Can Thrive in a New Year
Now is the perfect time to align your team to prepare for what’s ahead. You may have aggressive goals in the new year to acquire new associations, expand your team, increase profitability, or all of the above. No matter the goal, you’ve also got the added challenge of staying competitive and, hopefully,... (more)

Expense of Repair to Retaining Wall Passed to Unit Owner
We have a retaining wall that was installed by old management, bypassing all zoning laws, w/o drainage now it has reached my deck support. The state got involved, and the city claims no knowledge, now we are on the hook for cost, legal rep retainer, and maintenance. Is there some way we can get this done w/o absorbing the whole cost?... (more)

FCAP Resources

How Reading the Application for Homeowner’s Insurance Could Save You Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars
Imagine finding your dream home, going through the lengthy process of securing financing, jumping through all the hurdles of paperwork requests and re-requests, and finally securing a homeowner’s insurance policy. Now you’ve moved in, and everything seems to be settled until you have a... (more)

A Rodent Problem
Q: I own a condominium in Sarasota, Florida, that has had a rodent problem since January 2019. The association’s attempts to abate and exterminate have been intermittent and ineffective. On October 5th, a dead rat was removed from the space above my unit, bringing the total to 43. Traps have not caught any more, yet there are nightly sounds of rodent activity in the... (more)

“Excuses, Excuses”
An excuse has been defined as “the skin of a reason stuffed with a lie.” In the process of preparing more than 45,000 reserve studies for associations across the country since 1986, there are three board member sentiments we hear most frequently expressed: “We can’t afford the reserve funding plan,” “Our residents will never go for this,” and “We’ll worry about that... (more)

Get Ready for the Storm: Roof Maintenance Planning Can Help You Weather the Worst
One of the factors that makes Florida so appealing is its weather. The warmth and sunshine are great inducements to anyone purchasing real estate in our lovely state. There is another aspect of weather we must consider when developing or guarding our real estate investments, which is the inevitable storms... (more)

Upcoming Events

HOA/Condo/CO-OP Board Member Certification
Our Board Member course is tailored specifically to certify hoa, condo and co-op board members. Your participation will satisfy the statutory requirement so that you are eligible to serve on your condominium association board. More importantly, it will provide the tools and information you need to perform your job well and to avoid any potential liability associated with your new... (more)

2019 Condo Board Certification Course for Hollywood, Aventura & Sunny Isles
Campbell Property Management, Eisinger Law and Platinum Group Security are sponsoring a free, DBPR approved condo board certification course. Attorney Alessandra Stivelman from Eisinger Law will be guiding us through the course. The course is a board member’s guide to the statutes and rules... (more)

CondoJobs

Featured Job of the Week
Professional manager for an oceanfront condominium in Palm Beach, immediate opening. Must have a minimum of 5 years of community association management experience. Prefer oceanfront experience. Will be responsible for the management of all aspects of the condominium. Must be familiar with the budget process and have skills in overall maintenance and... (more)