Senate President Kathleen Passidomo on Friday ruled out a special legislative session to address problems facing condominium associations and owners, including soaring costs.
In a memorandum to senators, Passidomo said condominium laws can be addressed during committee meetings after the November elections and during the 2025 regular session. She pointed to what she described as “misconceptions and inaccuracies” about condominium laws passed after the 2021 collapse of the Champlain Towers South building in Surfside that killed 98 people.
“In my view, no law is perfect. Sometimes issues arise during implementation, and there is often room for improvement,” Passidomo wrote in the memo. “However, the legislative process best serves Floridians when there is analysis, collaboration, and input from all stakeholders. I believe the upcoming committee weeks and regular session following our post-election reorganization provide the best opportunity for this type of dialogue.”
Last month, Gov. Ron DeSantis said it was up to the Legislature to address significant increases in assessments that residents face on top of homeowners association fees.
“If the Legislature has ideas about how to make this more sensible for people, I’m totally open to all that,” DeSantis told reporters while in Aventura on July 25.
Passidomo’s stance mirrored a statement from incoming Senate President Ben Albritton, R-Wauchula, that committee weeks and the regular session, which starts March 4, would be the time to address the issues. Albritton will succeed Passidomo as president after the November elections.
Passidomo, a Naples Republican who is a real-estate lawyer, wrote in the memo that the lesson from Surfside was that “too many of our condo buildings are in need of critical life and safety upgrades and associations have inadequate reserve funds to cover those costs.”
She said she understands the financial constraints of seniors, young families and other people who can’t afford increased association fees and assessments, as well as the “anger and frustration” of condo owners who believe they’ve been misled and their resources mismanaged. But she said the priority is public safety.
“The problem is, as with all lifestyles, condominium living comes at a price,” Passidomo wrote. “Costs associated with ongoing maintenance and repairs are supposed to be shared among owners, in addition to setting aside significant savings for long-term structural needs over time.”
Lawmakers during a 2022 special session passed a measure aimed at requiring condominium associations to have adequate financial reserves to pay for needed repairs to buildings. Also, the bill set requirements for inspections of condominium buildings that are three stories or higher.
Any “substantial structural deterioration” found by engineers or architects would require more-detailed inspections. Association boards were also required to have “structural integrity reserve” studies to determine how much money should be set aside.
The law was tweaked in 2023, and the Legislature this year passed a measure that targeted wrongdoing by members of association boards.
