The Surfside tragedy brought about new condo safety laws with the goal of never repeating that loss. While no one can argue that our condos don’t need to be kept safe and secure, the increase in fees to create reserves, pay for services, and make up for shortfalls will pay a heavy toll on residents, many of whom are on fixed incomes in Miami, a major retirement hub. That is why Miami-Dade County has set up The Condominium Special Assessment Program.
SB 4-D Building Safety & Chapter 17D of the Code of Miami-Dade County
State reforms include the inability to waive reserves, additional inspections at 25 or 30 years, and more. But a potentially more expensive change involves collecting sufficient reserves to fund all repairs needed to maintain the structural integrity of any condo building three stories or higher.
Chapter 17D of the Miami-Dade Code creates a publicly accessible database of registration information. This registry will contain a wealth of information, including, but not limited to:
- Names of all Community Associations
- Business address and legal description of each residence owned, operated, or governed by the community association
- Name and contact info for Property Managers and Emergency Contacts
- List of all officers and directors, with their contact info
- Link to the community association’s website
- Community Association’s governing docs & most recent annual budget
- 10 years' worth of structural status reports
- Certificate of Insurance
- A structural integrity reserve study
How Miami-Dade County is Helping
With 20% of Florida residents being 65+, many of whom live on a fixed income, these sweeping changes and costly collections will be a strain on many condo owners. Miami-Dade County is stepping in to offer assistance.
The Condominium Special Assessment Program has been created to assist condo owners in meeting their special assessment requirements designed to rehab or repair their residences due to building integrity recertification requirements.
More on the program, its requirements, and to apply, can be found here.
