Could Florida condo owners get relief anytime soon?

The costs associated with living in a condo in Florida have skyrocketed in recent years, prompting Gov. Ron DeSantis to hold a roundtable discussion in South Florida.

By: Scott Sutton , Joel Lopez

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — The costs associated with living in a condo in Florida have skyrocketed in recent years, prompting Gov. Ron DeSantis to hold a roundtable discussion this week in South Florida.

This is an issue that WPTV has been closely following amid the state's coverage collapse. WPTV's Matt Sczesny reported in July that condo owners are getting a double whammy of insurance hikes — first with policies for condo associations and then individual policies for their units.

On Monday, DeSantis met with condo owners and association leaders in Miami Lakes to discuss solutions to keep condominium buildings safe and to hear concerns about the cost and implementation of new legislation.

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Following the Surfside condo collapse in 2021 that killed 98 people, Florida lawmakers passed legislation that mandated inspections of aging condos that are at least 30 years old.

"I understand the anxiety that condo owners are now facing because of increased fees and impending deadlines," DeSantis said.

The extra inspections and safety measures have resulted in surging HOA and insurance costs for residents, some telling WPTV they have decided to sell their homes instead of fitting the bill.

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SPECIAL SESSION TO ADDRESS CONDO CRISIS?

The governor hinted Monday he may call for a special session to address the issue.

"We want residents in Florida to have a safe but affordable place to live," DeSantis said. "We do need to do something this year. I don't think this is something that you can just put off until next March or April. I think there are a lot of looming deadlines, and we got to have a plan ... to keep people in their units if that's what they want to do."

Under the new Florida law, condos that reach 30 years of age before July 1, 2022, must have a so-called "milestone inspection" completed by Dec. 31, 2024.

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One solution discussed at Monday's roundtable was to delay that end-of-year deadline or offer zero-interest loans to either condo associations or owners.

DeSantis said he supports legislation that improves condo safety and insists on the proper management of association funds.

Earlier this year, DeSantis signed House Bill 1021, which intends to enhance accountability for condo board members, improve transparency for residents and strengthen enforcement mechanisms for those found to be out of compliance with safety standards.

State Rep. Mike Caruso speaks with WPTV reporter Joel Lopez about solutions to surging condo costs for Florida residents.

"WE DON'T WANT A SURFSIDE SITUATION"

WPTV reporter Joel Lopez spoke to state Rep. Mike Caruso, R-Delray Beach, about the crushing costs affecting thousands of Florida residents.

Caruso said he's written a letter to the governor's office in support of a special session to brainstorm ways to help condo owners

"I'm concerned that we could end up with hundreds of thousands of senior citizens that are on fixed income as part of our homeless population," Caruso said.

He's proposing to take full assessments that are due in just a few months and extend them and their fees over the next 8-10 years.

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"The problem is that we've taken an 80-year problem and tried to fix it in a year and a half," Caruso said.

He also suggests prioritizing taller and older buildings.

"We don't want a Surfside situation," Caruso said, 'but not every building is a Surfside situation."

According to St. Lucie County officials, there are 76 structures in unincorporated St. Lucie County. Of those, 69 are due to have Phase 1 Milestone inspections by the end of the year. However, they have only received 23 Phase 1 Milestone reports so far.

WPTV reached out to both Martin and Palm Beach counties for similar numbers.

As of Friday, here are Palm Beach County's numbers according to the Planning, Zoning & Building department:

515 condos built in 1992 and prior (Due Dec. 31, 2024):
195 reports approved
85 reports in process (waiting licensed review, returned for info, denied)
236 Not submitted

We have not heard back from Martin County.
"What we've done is we've thrown a mass blanket over all condominiums and said, 'You've got to take care of these issues,'" Caruso said. "When you throw rising property taxes on top of it, it makes things worse."

Caruso also wrote a letter to Palm Beach County commissioners, and he said Commissioner Michael Barnett returned his call and said he's working on the issue.

Lopez looked into Barnett's plans on the matter, and he provided this statement to WPTV:

"The residents of District 3 and Palm Beach County need relief right now. I'm grateful that the Board of Count Commissioners unanimously voiced it's concerns and demanded the legislature convene a special legislative session. Thankfully Governor DeSantis heard our call and has asked the Legislature to provide condo owners relief immediately before the end of the year. District 3 has taken the lead on this issue and we will keep fighting for our over 4,000 residents potentially affected by this law."

Below is a letter Caruso sent to residents petitioning for a special session:

Matt Sczesny is determined every day to help you find solutions in Florida's coverage collapse. If you have a question or comment on homeowners insurance, you can reach out to him any time.