Here’s how to search for your condo’s violations, permits and recertification history
The Surfside building collapse that left 98 people dead has spurred concerns over the safety of other South Florida buildings that are nearing or have surpassed the 40-year mark needed for recertification.
Details uncovered in the days following the collapse showed that Champlain Towers South had signs of structural damage years before it fell.
The investigation into what went wrong at the oceanfront property will take months. The tragedy has spurred a review of the state’s condominium laws and has sent local building departments into overdrive to ensure buildings undergo the recertification process, including some that are long overdue.
In Florida, Miami-Dade and Broward are the only counties that require aging high-rises to get reinspected once they hit 40, and every 10 years after.
To be recertified, a building needs to hire a Florida-registered engineer or architect to examine the building’s structural and electrical condition, and submit a report to the county or city’s building department. Sometimes, the building will need to make repairs before it can get recertified. If buildings fail to make needed repairs, they could lose their occupancy license.
If you own a unit in a condo building, here’s what else you should know:
Can condo owners check on their building’s recertification process?
Yes. Condo owners have the right to contact the building department of their local municipality to learn of any violations and review documents about repairs, major projects and the status of any 40-year review, as the Herald has previously reported.
Some of the information can be found online. Other documents could require a public record request with your municipality.
TIP: Miami-Dade County’s Department of Regulatory and Economic Resources oversees building recertifications for unincorporated areas like Kendall and Westchester. Municipalities including Miami, Miami Beach, Hialeah, Coral Gables and Surfside oversee recertifications within their boundaries.
How to check your building’s recertification history
▪ Miami-Dade County has an online tool that lets people search recertification cases from May 1996 to present that are within the Department of Regulatory and Economic Resources’ jurisdiction.
The tool lets people search cases by address, folio number, property owner and case number. If cases have been referred to the Unsafe Structures Section for enforcement, the system provides a link to that information as well. For any cases, if you want documents, you’ll have to submit a public record request.
▪ For Miami Beach, use the city’s Citizen Self Service portal, found through the city’s website. It lets you search properties for a variety of things, including inspections, permits and plans. Use the advanced search tool to filter permit type by “Building 40yr Recertification.”
▪ The Miami Herald has also created interactive maps showing buildings that have neared or passed the 40-year recertification mark in Miami-Dade’s coastal areas.
TIP: If you’re not sure how old your building is, visit Miami-Dade’s Property Appraiser website or the Broward County Property Appraiser website and type in the property’s address. The results will include what year it was built. Then you’ll just need to do the math to see if it’s hit at least the 40-year mark.
How to check for building violations and permits
The way to check for violations and open permits differs, depending on where you live.
If you’re in the city of Miami, for example, you can use iBuild Miami’s online portal, which is found on the city’s website, to view information including liens, violations and open permits for a property. For unincorporated areas of Miami-Dade County, like Kendall, you’ll want to use the county’s regulation cases online tool to find information on permits, unsafe structures and building code violations.
Other cities, including Coral Gables, Doral, Hialeah, Fort Lauderdale and Hollywood have their own online portals where you can search for permits and other relevant information. If you can’t find what you’re looking for online, contact your municipality’s building department.
This story was originally published August 7, 2021 at 11:20 AM.
