Letters to the Editor

Condo complaints

I agree with Alberto Ruiz’s Oct. 3 letter, “Condo owners unite.” It urges condo owners to unite for effective representation and recourse to protect our interests.

My own opinion of the Office of the Ombudsman is that it is totally ineffective as it only refers inquiries to the Florida Statutes with no comment on the questions posed by condominium owners.

Inexperienced and often times ignorant volunteer condo owners who become board directors can cause devastating financial harm to the association, as has happened at my condo association. A succession of inexperienced directors with no legal expertise among them often do not even follow the advice of the association attorneys.

They do things their way and get everyone into trouble, resulting in expensive lawsuits and liens against the association for misguided decisions made on matters that require an attorney’s professional counsel. Then they allow inexperienced property managers to interface with irate owners, which results in lawsuits against the association.

I agree with Mr. Ruiz about the need to create a statewide coalition for condo owners to share experiences and, hopefully, bring some pressure to bear on the Department of Business and Professional Regulation or other body to conduct effective and timely investigations into condo owner complaints.

Linda George, Miami

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