Cyber Citizens For Justice Speaks Out on Bill H-5005

Dear Florida Homeowners and Condo Owners:

For a change -- some great News: The new version of H5005 to be approved at today's committee meeting -- as posted on the website of the House Committee on Economic Affairs -- shows that all provisions regarding the removal of license requirements for community association managers (CAMs) and all wording regarding dissolving the Division of Florida Condominiums, Timeshares and Mobile Homes and the Condo Ombudsman's Office have been removed.

Thanks to all the many folks who contacted our legislators in opposition of the bill, who helped our legislators see the light at the end of the tunnel and doing the right thing: Stop these ill-advised parts of this bill that would have been detrimental for millions of people living in Florida's community associations.

It was a great teamwork from all organizations and groups that really care for the welfare of our community associations and owners. Thank you all who helped to stop the ill-advised provisions in this bill. And a big Thank you to all legislators who were willing to stand up trying to help Florida's community association members and all honest CAMs.

The debate on this bill helped in another way: It showed who the folks are who always claim that they are so concerned about the welfare of associations/owners, but are favoring bills that do exactly the opposite. How can somebody, who states in an e-mail: "My initial thought is to agree with the deregulation of managers and elimination of arbitration," claim that he is concerned about the welfare of the owners in our community associations?

When will our legislators finally understand that people like Gary Poliakoff and Peter Dunbar are not lobbying for betterment of community association law, but for more billing hours? Nothing else is contained in the totally ill-advised bill S530, pushed by these same folks. They dismantled Senator Ring's owner-friendly bill S1516, took a few provisions to make their horrendous bill look a little better to cover up the many shortcomings and took out the requirements that would have helped associations/owners deal with our economic crisis. Who in his/her right mind can oppose a provision that would require insurance companies to inform all owners if a property insurance policy is cancelled for non-payment? We had two cases recently where the owners lost all their life-savings because boards took it upon themselves to stop paying the premium.

If our legislators, who have seen the concern of many Floridians who helped to defeat the bad provisions in H5005, want to really do something for associations/owners they would KILL S530 and REVIVE S1516 in its original version. When will our legislators finally stop listening to the folks who sure don't have the best interest of millions of Floridians in mind -- people who are only interested in their own profits?

Thanks again to all citizens and legislators who helped with removing ill-advised provisions from H 5005!

NEVER FORGET: UNITED WE STAND, DIVIDED WE FALL!

Warm Regards,

Jan Bergemann, President
Cyber Citizens For Justice, Inc.