TALHASSEE – A major Senate committee on Tuesday initially approved measures to build on legislation requiring a safety inspection of the appropriate financial reserves for the safety inspection of old apartment buildings and repairs.
The bill (SB 1742) aims to “provide a smoother and more flexible financial pathway for condominium owners without compromising safety.”
The law was enacted in response to the collapse of the South Mansion building on Surfside, which killed 98 people in 2021.
The Act was originally passed in 2022 and tweaked in 2023, and requires “milestone inspections” and “milestone inspections” for old buildings and “structural integrity reserves” to determine how much money should be reserved for future major repairs.
Milestone inspections are due to be completed by December 31 for certain older buildings with three or more stories. Some condo associations have hit owners with large ratings at the race to comply with deadlines. The rating is added to the homeowner’s regular association fees.
Bradley said her bill is intended to address issues raised by condo owners. But Bradley, who helped pass recent laws, says companies running condominium boards and assessments often include unstructured items such as beautification projects in reports that do not affect the safety of their buildings.
The bill requires state regulators to design forms for use in inspections that outline specific items required by law. It also leads to the setup of a statewide database of buildings covered by inspection requirements, and requires the University of Florida to report the buildings.
The bill, in part, allows the association to suspend and cut reserve funds for up to two years after the milestone report. It also sets up a process that allows condo boards to invest funds set aside for future repairs.
“Each of these options ensures that the milestone is complete and the building is safe, while providing the flexibility to fund owner and buyer reserves and maintain transparency,” Bradley said of the bill.
In addition to costs associated with the law passed after the collapse of Surfside, the Condominium Association has also been hit hard in recent years with higher property insurance costs.
Legislative leaders argue that while many condominium buildings require significant upgrades, the association had insufficient reserves to cover repairs.
Senate proposals vary by House edition. As an example, some of the House Bill (HB 931) prohibits a state civic property insurance company from issuing or renewing condo or condo association coverage if the association does not comply with testing requirements.
“We have a variety of visions right now. That doesn’t mean we can’t find duplicates. But for now, the Senate bill is really exploring all the mechanisms that can be implemented without compromising safety,” Bradley told reporters after Tuesday’s meeting.
Bradley said she attends condo meetings statewide. There, the report states that structural integrity studies are incorrect or that “owners do not understand that there are things that should not be done.”
“That has to be addressed,” she said.
The senator also balked part of the House bill on banning citizen compensation.
“I don’t know how to get there, and that’s not something I want to accept,” she said.
