Florida drags feet for decades on fire safety for condos

Article Courtesy of The Sun Sentinel By Steve Bousquet Published May 21, 2019 Man discovered fire hundreds of thousands of years ago. And for almost that long, or so it seems, politicians and taxpayers in Florida have been arguing about …

After six years of stalemate, property insurance reform heads to Governor

Article Courtesy of The Sun Sentinel By Ron Hurtibise Published April 28, 2019 A bill aimed at stemming costly lawsuits between repair contractors and property insurers has finally passed both the Florida House and Senate after six years of stalemate and …

Lawsuits by condo associations against neighboring developers, builders are new norm

Article Courtesy of  The Miami Herald By Lindsey Thurswell Lehr and Susan C. Odess Published April 16, 2019   Every South Florida construction boom brings with it a rise in defect claims by condominium associations against their buildings’ developers, builders …

Proposal to eliminate condo arbitration program moving through Legislature

Article Courtesy of The Tallahassee Democrat By Jeffrey Schweers Published April 11, 2019 A proposal (SB 1362) moving through the Legislature would eliminate an inexpensive statewide condo mediation program in favor of dramatically more costly private mediation and court jurisdiction …

She used a fake name to bilk $50,000 from condo association, cops say. Then she vanished.

Article Courtesy of  The Miami Herald By Carli Teproff Published April 9, 2019   She said her name was Tracy Pierson and she lived in apartment 11A. Pierson became the treasurer of Crystal Court Manor’s Home Owners Association in February …

So, You’ve Been Appointed Trustee of a Trust? Here Are 9 Do’s and 1 Don’t

By Susan P. Bakalar, Esq. and Raymond A. Piccin, Esq. Whether it’s an honor or a burden (or both), you have been appointed trustee of a trust. What responsibilities have been thrust upon you? How can you successfully carry them …

Florida neighborhood besieged by thousands of poisonous toads ‘covering every square inch’

Article Courtesy of  The Washington Post By Eli Rosenberg     Published March 29, 2019 Thousands of poisonous toads have flooded a South Florida neighborhood, raising fears about the dangers they pose to pets and children, according to local reports.   The …

South Floridians harbor suspicions that support dogs are mostly pets

Article Courtesy of  The Sun Sentinel By Fred Grimm Published March 22, 2019   Life in South Florida engenders a certain skepticism. Perhaps, it comes from watching too many young women park Italian sports cars in handicap spaces, hang placards …

You say you have an ’emotional support’ animal? This bill says, ‘Not so fast.’

The bill is aiming at people who claim ‘emotional support’ pets to get out of paying pet deposits or into buildings that ban animals. Article Courtesy of The Tampa Bay Times By Lawrence Mower Published March 14, 2019 “Emotional support” …