With sponsors saying they are trying to ease financial strains on condominium owners, Florida House and Senate committees on Tuesday approved plans to revamp laws dealing with condo associations.
The House Commerce Committee and the Senate Agriculture, Environment and General Government Appropriations Committee unanimously backed the measures ( HB 913 and SB 1742 ), which include differences that will need to be negotiated before a final version could pass.
The bills would revise laws that stem from the 2021 collapse of the Champlain Towers South condominium building in Surfside that killed 98 people.
The laws, initially passed in 2022 and tweaked in 2023, included requiring “milestone inspections” of older buildings and “structural integrity reserve” studies to determine how much money should be set aside for future major repairs. But as condo associations have tried to meet the requirements, residents have said they face steep financial assessments to cover the costs.
The bills, for example, would allow condo-association boards to obtain lines of credit.
Senate sponsor Jennifer Bradley, R-Fleming Island, said residents have suffered almost a “double hit” because of needing to make repairs after the milestone inspections, while also needing to build reserves.
Sen. Nick DiCeglie, R-Indian Rocks Beach, said he has hundreds of condo associations in his Pinellas County district. “They need relief,” DiCeglie said. “They’ve been having a very difficult time, financially especially.”
The House bill, sponsored by Rep. Vicki Lopez, R-Miami, is positioned to go to the full House. The Senate version needs to clear the Rules Committee before it could go to the full Senate.
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