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Find Blog Articles for Florida’s Condo, HOA and the Management Industry.
If algae and weeds are infesting your water, it could be due to high nutrient levels. You deserve an aquatic paradise, not an eyesore.
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Pompano Beach, Florida – Structural Workshop is pleased to announce their recent expansion into the South Florida market. The new office is located in Pompano Beach, Florida and will be Structural Workshop’s third office.
The Mountain Lakes, New Jersey based firm will bring their extensive experience in conducting building inspections and reports, specifically for commercial, multifamily residential and parking structures to the South Florida market – specifically in Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Pinellas and Collier Counties.
Structural Workshop plans to help building owners and property managers with all facets of structural engineering and assist with the 40 Year Recertification Inspections, which are now a mandatory, state-wide ordinance.
“There is a lot of opportunity in the condo world and beyond for engineering services in Florida,” says President Joe DiPompeo, PE, F.SEI, F.ASCE. “There is an immediate need to help condo associations and commercial buildings keep up with compliance and maintain a safe place for their tenants. We also have some multifamily ground up projects in Florida that we can better serve from a Florida office.”
About Structural Workshop
Structural Workshop is a Structural Engineering and Building Consulting firm founded in 2004. We provide a full range of Structural Engineering and Building Consulting Services for all types and sizes of projects from a single-family home to mid-rise buildings and everything in between. For more information, please visit: www.structuralworkshop.com or contact us at info@structuralworkshop.com
Florida Office
2301 NW 33rd Court, Unit #102
Pompano Beach, FL 33069
(754) 277.4245
Protect your lake by properly planning and budgeting for shoreline restoration and management. There are solutions for every budget, from cost-effective vegetative shoreline buffers to innovative erosion repair systems.
Lakes and ponds are essential for stormwater collection, recreation, beauty, and wildlife refuge. But their benefits have an expiration date. Eventually, due to erosion and other aspects of the natural aging process, your lake can become an eyesore and a liability. Lake shoreline restoration projects are inevitable – and sometimes costly – so it’s imperative to get ahead of expenses by calculating an accurate timeline and budget.
We know you cherish your water resources; after all, they can be assets that enhance the value and desirability of your property. We want to help you preserve them for as long as possible through proper planning and maintenance efforts. This starts with understanding the effects of erosion and budget considerations that impact important decisions.
Erosion is natural due to wind, rain, and wildlife activity, but can be accelerated through cultural impacts like recreation, landscaping, and construction. It can also look different from one waterbody to the next, from receding or unstable banks to sediment deposits along the shoreline. Ignoring these signs can result in damaged assets and possible liability risks.
No matter your budget, every property deserves access to shoreline erosion solutions. Even if the damage is minimal, such as one-inch dropoffs, it’s possible to get ahead of it through cost-effective means or larger investments.
An economical solution for shoreline protection is a vegetative buffer containing native plants with deep root systems. When established around the perimeter, beneficial buffers help hold soil in place and slow the flow of stormwater to prevent deterioration. Buffers are also cost-effective to maintain, requiring only routine trimming and monitoring for the growth of undesirable plants.
Having a residential property manager can make things much easier for both you and your tenants. As a landlord, or someone part of a homeowners’ association or property owners’ association, you’re typically accountable for a lot, but with Seacrest Services, you can take your mind off most of the day-to-day responsibilities.
When you turn to Seacrest Services for residential property management, we can assure you that everything we have our hands on will be completed efficiently and professionally. Some of what we take care of for you includes:
Whether you have another job you need to focus on, or you live in a completely different location than the property, sometimes you just don’t have the time or resources to manage a property on your own. Putting trust in a residential property manager can save you from stressful situations. Here are some other great benefits:
At Seacrest Services, we pride ourselves on our experience and skill in maintaining various types of properties. Each one is unique, and we treat it that way through complete hands-on care. We want all parties to be satisfied with our work, making everyone’s lives a little easier.
If you’re looking for a residential property manager to relieve much of the workload associated with your property, Seacrest Services has professionals who can make it happen. Contact us today to get started.
BuildingLink, the industry’s most trusted property management software, has an exciting new product!
Meet BuildingBoard, the solution that lets you manage annual meetings and elections remotely or in-person.
Save time and money!
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BuildingLink has an exciting new product. Meet BuildingBoard, an e-voting and virtual meeting solution to streamline annual sessions for your properties. With this tool, you can: · Invite unit owners to meetings seamlessly via email · Send meeting reminders and add candidates to ballots · Host annual meetings virtually · Achieve quorum at every annual meeting · Automate voting – each unit owner votes via their computer or smartphone (whew, no more manual counting!) Click here to learn more BuildingBoard So, go ahead and kick up your feet! Optimize all of the day-to-day business you already take care of with BuildingLink by trusting us to support your annual meetings too. |
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Ready to make your life easier? |
Richard Worth
Regional Sales Director – Florida
407-529-6063
Our schedule is filling up fast for storm drain cleanings, the rain that occurred yesterday was a preview of what summer will look like for your HOA community. Do not hesitate to act, summer rain is coming!
Contact us to talk to a Stormwater Specialist today!
Contact us at 954-382-9766 or info@allstatemanagement.com
Tags: Lake Management Articles
I can’t tell you how may fights I have been involved in regarding flags other than the U.S. flag flying above someone’s home and the fact that someone put down fake grass or stored a boat, that nobody can see, in their backyard. Well, here’s a new statute that solves both of those problems:
Florida Statute 718.113
If any covenant, restriction, bylaw, rule, or requirement of an association prohibits a homeowner from displaying flags permitted under this paragraph, the homeowner may still display one portable, removable United States flag or official flag of the State of Florida in a respectful manner up to two of the following, and one portable, removable flags official flag, in a respectful manner, not 48 larger than 4 1/2 feet by 6 feet:, which represents
In addition, in an HOA, the homeowner may erect a 20 foot flagpole on any portion of their property and fly the U.S. flag and any of the flags mentioned above.
Florida Statute 720.3045 now states:
Regardless of any covenants, restrictions, bylaws, rules, or requirements of an association, and unless prohibited by general law or local ordinance, an association may not restrict parcel owners or their tenants from installing, displaying, or storing any items on a parcel which are not visible from the parcel’s frontage or an adjacent parcel, including, but not limited to, artificial turf, boats, flags, and recreational vehicles.
I’m getting ready for lots of fights regarding visibility of boats as boat owners will look to save the costs of monthly storage.
Tags: Condo and HOA Law, Management News
We Make your business shine on the web with a creative website! Grow your business with us!
Eric Glazer, attorney at law and co-host Karen Curtis present a forum for Board members and owners to tell their side of the story. The show randomly has guest speakers who are experts on the daily problems associations encounter. All issues that our associations encounter each day are proper topics for discussion.
Coastal areas like South Florida have a unique need for concrete rehabilitation and protection services predominantly related to assessing structural damage.
SRI Consultants, we provide the highest level of expertise in assessing the state of aging structures and are committed to saving clients time and money by determining repair quantities during inspection. With over thirty-five years of experience, and a registered professional engineer in Florida & Virginia, the president and founder of SRI, Mr. Shirish “Raj”pathak, is a NACE Cathodic Protection Specialist. We have specialists in structural engineering, civil engineering, environmental engineering and corrosion engineering at your disposal. The extra effort and attention to detail put forth by our team ensure you receive the highest quality services available to the industry.
We are dedicated to providing the highest level of expertise in assessing the state of aging structures. Our staff is committed to saving clients time and money by determining any repair quantities during inspection.
Creativity + Partnership. Our architectural services include new building design, remodeling, site planning, interior design, and historic renovation. We collaborate with independent architects to ensure the excellence of site plans, building design and finishes.
Technical Expertise. We are experts in our field with certifications from NACE and FL Board of Professional Engineers. Our team offers civil, environmental, structural and corrosion engineering services for single & multi-story structures, condos, hotel and motels, cooling towers and seawalls.
Comprehensive Solutions. Together, we have over 50 years of experience in structural rehab, offering a full range of integrated services including condition assessments, testing, specifications preparation, bid & permit prep and project management.
Precision + Innovation. We use the most advanced tools to identify concrete defects, assess steel corrosion, and locate moisture in structures. We offer remediation services to measurably extend the life of your investments.
We have specialists in structural engineering, civil engineering, environmental engineering and corrosion engineering at your disposal. The extra effort and attention to detail put forth by our team ensure you receive the highest quality services available to the industry.
As you all know by now, Florida condominiums having 150 or more units must have a website that only owners can access and which posts the official records of the association. Here’s a little background as to how the law was passed. When originally drafted, the law was only to apply to condominiums with 500 or more units. That was ridiculous. So, I flew up to Tallahassee and met with the then Speaker of the House and informed him that the law was a fake, inasmuch as less than one percent of all condominiums in the state contained 500 or more units. I suggested 50 units. The compromise was 150.
I never heard one person tell me this was a bad law. In fact, it’s a great law. It’s about transparency. It takes the burden off of managers having to respond to requests for records. It prevents lawsuits or arbitrations, as long as the website is kept up to date.
Just because the law requires condominiums of 150 units or more to have a website does not mean that condominiums of less than 150 units cannot have a website. In fact, in this attorney’s opinion, if your condominium contains 50 units or more, you can and should have a website for the same reason that condominiums with 150 units should.
Think about how large some HOAs are. Many contain well in excess of 500 homes and are sprawling mini cities. You would think that those communities should be required to post their records on an official website as well. But no. HOAs are not required to have a website. There is simply a hands off approach when it comes to HOAS.
Again, just because the law requires condominiums of 150 units or more to have a website does not mean that HOAs cannot have a website. In fact, in this attorney’s opinion, if your HOA contains 50 homes or more, you can and should have a website for the same reason that condominiums with 150 units should.
This is one law the legislature should amend. All communities, both condos, co-ops and HOAs with 50 or more units or homes should be required to have a community association website where the official records and notices of meetings are posted. Bottom line…….it will make the residents less suspicious and happier.
Community associations, whether condominiums, co-ops, or HOAs, are responsible for providing transparency to their owners. One way to achieve this is through a community association website. In Florida, the state recognizes the importance of transparency in community associations and requires condominiums with 150 or more units to have an owners-only website that posts official records. However, this requirement should extend beyond just large condominiums.
Community associations of all sizes should consider having their website to give owners transparency. Even if a community does not meet the state-mandated requirement, having a website is still a good idea.
A website can provide owners with easy access to official records, notices of meetings, and other important information. It can also help reduce the burden on managers to respond to document requests. Additionally, it can prevent lawsuits or arbitrations if the website is kept up-to-date. It’s about more than just meeting legal requirements. It’s about providing owners with a sense of transparency and openness. This can build trust between the board, management, and owners and foster a happier community.
However, it’s important to note that the community association website should be more comprehensive than just the required information. It should also include commonly asked questions, how to apply to the association, how to pay fees, and other relevant information owners may need. This will help to make the website more user-friendly and informative for owners.
In conclusion, having a community association website is essential for transparency, no matter the size of the community. It can build trust and create a more positive living experience for all owners. The state of Florida has recognized the importance of transparency in condominiums, and it is time for all community associations to follow suit by establishing their websites with informative content.
I guess the Florida Legislature thought they did a great job to assure transparency in condominiums when they enacted bills in 2017 and 2018 [FS 718.111(12)(g)], that required condominium associations with more than 150 units to operate a website featuring all so-called “public documents”.
They would have done a great job — the bills were actually well intended – if there would be as well some sort of enforcement.
In the real world we are seeing lots of totally incomplete websites, only showing what board members and CAMs want the owners to see – and otherwise it’s business as usual.
The fights over record requests are keeping arbitrators and courts busy – and the attorneys are still smiling at their bank account statements.
If the legislators thought that they finally found a solution to end litigation about association records they were dead wrong.
Everybody knows that laws without enforcement are pretty useless and all these laws created each year are only laws for the rich, meaning the folks who have enough money to hire attorneys and fight for their rights, given to them by these kinds of laws, in district and appeals courts.
Wouldn’t that mean that all these laws, created year for year adding to the community association statutes, are only LAWS FOR THE RICH?
Every other owner who might dare to mention at a board meeting that the board is violating statutes can still be told by the association attorney: “Sit down and shut up. You don’t have the money to sue the association!”
Read more industry articles on Florida HOA & Condo Blog –
Tags: Board of Directors, Condo and HOA Law, Web Site Design Articles
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