In the wake of the collapse in Surfside, it’s easy to paint all condo associations as greedy and all management companies as lackadaisical, but that’s not always true. In fact, when owners, associations, and management companies work together, tragedies can be avoided. Take it from River Run South resident, Bruce Aquila, who called the local news station to highlight just that. You can watch the full story here by clicking the link: Miami River condo owners paying nearly $1 mil to fix concrete erosion
When Allied Property Group was hired in November 2019, Mr. Sotelo and other Board members expressed their concerns over the condition of a plaza that connects the two towers and covers part of their parking garage. Together, the Board of Directors and Allied contacted an engineer and began the process of making the necessary repairs to those areas. Despite the cost of $1 million, the Board felt it had to take care of these structural issues.
“Everybody knew there was something wrong and we fixed it right away,” said Mr. Aquila Those renovations were underway well before today’s heightened worry about building safety. They’re far from complete, but once they are, the owners at River Run South will sleep soundly knowing their 150 unit development is secure.
At Allied, we know the importance of addressing concerns brought to us by our boards, and we proactively investigate and present issues to our boards urge them to act on these issues swiftly as well. We take all inquiries seriously, especially ones relating to safety. While our property manager Martha Jiron may have thought “This particular condo is young, so to speak,” she saw the areas of concern and knew we had to take immediate action. “The norm really is to wait for the 40-year re-certification to get all the inspections done and get engineers involved, but we took immediate action.”
That immediate action includes shoring up the support beams throughout the garage. Replacing and reinforcing missing concrete, and making sure any exposed rebar, which is generally lodged deep within the concrete to keep it strong, is encased and not subject to deterioration from the salt air of the nearby Miami River. Sotelo believes, “It’s never too late. Ya gotta take action before things happen. There’s a lot of things that can be prevented.”
How is the Relationship Between Your Association and Your Management Company?
If recent events have left you questioning the relationship between your board and your property management company, reach out to us. We believe in listening to our board members and being proactive. You should expect nothing less from your management company.
