Tomorrow I will leave Portofino South for the summer. I regret that I will be signing off till next fall. I am sorry to leave and not reporting on the big projects that are going to happen. I cross my fingers.
I leave you with the sight out of my window. Have a good safe summer.
Board Meeting of April 18, 2017
All board members attended but L.B and PK
This meeting was to count the proxies on whether the condo owners accepted the new docs and rules or not.
Frank (by himself) counted the proxies.
There were 27 people that attended the meeting. Many more than usual.
There were 94 yeas’ and 6 no’s
So the docs were passed.
Amendments are possible in the future.
Insurance for the Building
We will remain with American Coastal as it is an admitted Florida Insurer and if a catastrophe happens each apt is insured up to $100,000.
Another company was visited but it was a surplus line carrier and did not have the guarantees that Am Coastal has.
This was per Frank.
I recently had a plumbing problem and used the recommended sheet of vendors by the building. C.M. Plumbing came and did the plumbing job. He was paid immediately.
Several weeks later The same leak started again. I called him and left a message. I then called 4 more times and two emails and he never called back or showed up.
If we had an open bulletin board I would put this information on the board but alas the board is locked by the board or the manager.
I would not recommend this plumber. He also is not on Angie’s List, Home Advisor or Yelp.
If you’re facing a water damage issue in your apartment, who ends up paying will depend on where the water is coming from, and in some cases, who caused the leak, says Steven Wagner, a co-op and condo attorney with Wagner Berkow LLP and a longtime board member of his own 420-unit Manhattan co-op. It will also depend on whether your building is a co-op or a condo.
“In a condo, if there’s no real proof that the leak was caused by someone else’s negligence, everything in the ‘unit’ is the responsibility of its owner, and everything outside is a ‘common element’ for which the board of managers is responsible,” says Wagner Berkow partner Ian Brandt.
“It’s a lot more cut and dried, if you’ll excuse the pun, than it is in co-ops,” adds Wagner. However, what is technically defined as your condo unit can get a little tricky. “You have to look at the Declaration of Condominium to see what is considered the unit and what is considered a common element of the building,” says Wagner. “In condos, sometimes they define a unit as being midway through a wall or the exterior. And if the unit owner owns it, it’s their responsibility.”
In a co-op, things are more complicated, but it’s also more likely that the building will be responsible for shouldering the bulk of the costs, both inside and outside the apartments. Besides checking the proprietary lease to determine who owns the area where the leak took place [i.e. whether it’s your apartment or a common area], housing laws such as the Warranty of Habitability, the Housing Maintenance Code and the Multiple Dwelling Law will come into play here, too, and often make the landlord—in this case, the co-operative—responsible for repairs.
The third thing to consider is whether the leak was caused by negligence, whether on the part of one of your neighbors, the board, or a contractor working in the building. “If somebody is negligent and damages someone else’s apartment, or if the co-op or condo is negligent, then that party is the one who is ultimately responsible,” says Wagner.
(Though keep in mind that if the damage is a specific person’s fault, that doesn’t mean that a co-op can shirk its duties and wait for the individual to pony up and make the repairs. “Third party fault is never an excuse for a co-op not to fulfill its contractual or statutory repair obligations,” says Brandt, “But the co-op can sue the cuplable party. It would be a huge mistake for the corporation to say, ‘We’re not doing this because it’s someone else’s fault.'”)
Regardless of responsibility, though, Wagner recommends, in both co-ops and condos, addressing the problem immediately with your insurance company, rather than waiting for someone else to step in. “It’s always a good idea to try to resolve the physical issues, because otherwise things will fester, you could develop mold or other conditions,” says Wagner. “Take care of it. Don’t wait for all of the lawsuits to start and for the insurance companies to resolve the issues. They don’t necessarily move as quickly.”
For this reason, it’s a good idea to have homeowners’ insurance that covers “betterments and improvements,” to guarantee that any upgrades you’ve personally made to the apartment (painting, furniture, new appliances, etc.) will be covered in the event of damage, as the building won’t always be responsible for those.
“If you’re adequately insured, the best thing to do is to go to your own insurance company, and have them adjust your claim,” says Wagner. “And let the insurance company be the one who goes after the other parties. They can bring a lawsuit in your name. Very often what will happen is they will simply tender a claim to the responsible party’s insurance, and work out the arrangement directly with the other insurance company.”
You should also put your building’s management on notice about the damages, and give them access to your apartment as requested. “You have to tell the co-op board and say, ‘Please come back and look, send your adjusters and insurers,'” says Brandt. “If the co-op doesn’t know and isn’t given access, they have no liability.”
“The best scenario is that the co-op’s insurer and the shareholder’s insurer work out an apportionment of the loss,” adds Brandt.
April 4th Meeting:
The meeting was about rescinding a motion and put another motion on the table. A lot of procedure language. ML put a new motion of the exact prices of the redo of the hallways, ceilings, lights and the ceilings above the elevators. Thus, they then could vote on an assessment.
Some members want a small assessment for only this project, some want a larger assessment to include the parking lot and the cooling tower. They discussed a single assessment or many assessments. Some wanted to wait two weeks when we have an estimate for the parking lot where there is a great deal of confusion about the estimated total cost of this project.
Some members are more realistic about doing the hallways first as we have no money and a large loan. No financial planning has been discussed or a payment schedule for these assessments. We need to prioritize projects for their importance. there was a motion to table the hallways but it did not pass.
This board with its new president does not come to the meeting with a clear agenda or a strategy. There were also few condo owners in the audience and the majority never speak up or raise a question. THESE ARE VERY IMPORTANT ISSUES FOR EVERYBODY THAT LIVES IN THE BUILDING SHOULD BE PARTICIPATING.
Condo Docs revised:
I received the new copy but cannot see the changes. They were not bolded or underlined.
I still have questions and comments on the original and the new version. They are below. (they are mine and not be construed that others should feel they way I do )
A5- 7 pages are not in the new packet
B1- 19 pages are missing
p.D2-point 2.9- we should add a visible list of committees- not in this definition
p.D4-point 2.25- they should add internet
p.D9- point 7.2-problem with language “ without regard to whether”
p.D12- point 8- you renewed the card room without the vote from the association which this point specifies
page D14 point g iii-add old carpeting with worn out padding
p.D19 (g) retain records of all alterations and contractors that do them for a period of 2 years-these records are not maintained now.
On assessments- condo owners are not protected by the board from issuing any assessments that the majority of condo owners do not want or approve.
p.D24- point 13- Insurance-not strong enough management should know who has or does not have insurance.***
p.D26 point 13.4 (b) I – why it would be determined by the association -I think it should read the insurance company not the association.
p.D30 point 15.5- discretion of the board – no we need an outside opinion
p.D30 point 15.5 (a) think the order should be mortgage company, then condo owner, then association
p.D32 point 16.1- currently we have a group of Filipinos domestic help that works on the island and we have young men in 1007 that are not related . Do they go when these rules go into effect?
p.D33 2nd paragraph- at the end records should be kept for a minimum of 1 year of guests-retention of records is legally correct-retention of records
(f) not patrolled
And finally, the parking Exhibit A does not follow the original condo docs which I have a copy of.
I do not know who revised it but it was never discussed in a board metting nor was there a committee appointed.
I also want to know if an absent vote is a no vote?
Doug Spain spoke and finally gave us a thorough outline and description of what the lights will be like and the ceiling tiles.
Of course there was much discussion between the board and the audience as this adds a great deal of money to the already huge money that they want to spend on the parking lots and cooling tower.
Usually i go into the specifics of the discussion but this time I will not as it is a very complicated matter because of the future assessment which can not to put into effect without firm bids on all projects.
The work in the halls is not firm,the parking lot only has one bid and the cooling tower is in January. And the assessment is inevitable but how much and when?
The final version of the new docs is ready to be picked up and reviewed by condo owners . They have to give us 14 days before we vote on them. Of course, the changes and/or additions are not bolded or italicized so they are difficult to read again. I have my notes on the items I thought were important to me and will try to see if those are changed. April 18th is the date for the vote on the condo docs.
I have a lot of moisture in my apartment. I have Damp Rid in many of my closets and they fill up rapidly. I decided to hire a company that checks for mold. Integrity Mold Inspection came into my unit and did a complete survey. They did find mold on certain surfaces but they think it has been there for years …before me. I cleaned the surfaces with white vinegar and water and was able to put some of them in sun. They advised me to keep the air conditioning lower and get humidity meters to see if it goes over a certain level. I have someone checking my apt while I am away so she will keep and eye on the moisture spots. Interesting these areas affected were not near my bathrooms or kitchen.
A few nights ago I had a strong smell of someone smoking marijuana some where and it was coming through my vents. Where it was coming from I can’t say. I am surrounded by renters on three sides. The only apt that is owned and lived in is below me. I reported this situation but looking forward to marijuana becoming legal for recreation or medical reasons we really think we should discuss how we handle this. Of course, our building manager just tossed it aside. The two times it happened it was very strong and someone could be allergic to it. Better to address before it becomes a little more pervasive.
Power off in the building last Friday March 31st at around 12:00 pm.
Last Friday the back south gate was open all day and when I came home at 6:00 pm it was still open. The doorman are able to close and lock it. There are lots of robberies of cars in our area this should not happen. We are also going to have lots of workman around the bridge and this should be a very secure portal.
So all know & are aware — there will be soon coming an MD Now Urgent Care Center, opening in El Cid , it will at Pershing & So. Dixie Hwy. for emergencies/needs you have, that are not hospital needed, they also have an office out on Palm Beach Lakes Blvd.Had very good care at the one on Palm beach Lakes Blvd.
1. Happily we heard great news that we are on the docket to have Washington Rd. repaved but even more importantly to also have the very old infrastructure beneath the roadway redone as its been there a very long, long time. & that tired debilitation is what is causing our sink holes & pot holes. Originally the construction was only going to be from Avila Rd. to Royal Palm Rd. but most fortunately, we requested & the City took a good look at it & now it is going to be done from Avila Rd. down to Edgewood Dr. (Prospect & Southland Park) , which is terrific news for all. Starting in April there will be a selection of the design concept approximately 12 months, then 4-6 months to hire a contractor, so construction could start in approximately 18 months from now. I know it seems a bit away, & it will be during the Southern Blvd. Bridge Construction. However, I know how many of you have asked for this to happen so yes, it will not happen tomorrow, & yes there will be some inconveniences for all of us with the major construction, but we have wanted a redo of Washington Rd. for a very long time now as it is certainly needed so we will endure the inconveniences, & I asked the City to keep us up to date so that we all can attend any called meetings.
Here are a few important numbers you should have in case of an immediate need or emergency at your home, at your neighbors house, or on your street: all of these are (561) numbers (except FPL’s # below, & the Sober House Hotline # below, & the poison control #) also, if you do not who to call for a situation , or it is not listed below, dial the WPB City, 24 Hour Hotline # at 822-2222 & they will direct you to the correct WPB City Dept. Please copy this & keep by your home telephone or on your refrigerator so the whole family & nanny have easy access to the #’s, & put the #’s in your cell phone, as things can occur at any time & we are not far away from hurricane season, so we all need to be at the ready for the quickest telephone response time possible. Hope this list helps you & yours & we can add any numbers you think others might need, just let me know, Lila– Police Dept., Non emergency, 822-1900, & of course Dial 911 for emergencies Only.
– Fire Dept.,, 804-4700.
– Garbage/Trash Collection Dept., 822-2075.
– Street Repair Dept., 494-1040.
– Water Dept., 822-1300.
– Public Works After 4pm, 822-2210
– Building Dept., 805-6700.
– Parks Dept., 804-4900.
– Code Enforcement Dept., 822-1465.
– City Library, 868-7700.
– Mayors Office, 822-1400.
– City Commissioners Offices, 822-1390.
– Animal Control, 233-1200.
– Poison Control PBCo., 800-222-1222
– Florida Power & Light Emergency, 800-468-8243.
– Coast Guard, 848-8868, 844-5030.
– Florida Fish & Wildlife, 624-6935, 625-5122.
– SeaTow, 844-8056.
– Sober House Hotline @ the State Attorneys Office, (844) 324-5463.
– PBIA Noise Line, 683-7242(you can leave a message on the answer recording machine , & say where & when the extra noisy airline passing over was heard & seen).
Portofino South 3800 