The Florida Legislature came so close to passing meaningful new rules to help prevent another deadly condo collapse. The move failed at the last moment, but the problem has not gone away. Thousands of aging condo towers still need inspecting, and many condo associations don’t have the money to pay for repairs. There’s been talk of calling a special legislature session to address the issue. That’s a good idea. Lawmakers shouldn’t wait another whole year to solve what they came so close to fixing already.
The push for reforms came after 98 people died in the partial collapse of the Champlain Towers South in Surfside in June. The tragedy exposed dangerous gaps in how condominiums in Florida are managed and maintained. A major problem: Only two Florida counties — Miami-Dade and Broward — required that condos be inspected and recertified as safe, and that was only after a building turned 40. Another challenge: Condo associations that neglect maintenance or postpone major repairs. Condo owners at Champlain Towers South faced more than $15 million in assessments after the tower underwent its recent 40-year inspection.
State leaders vowed to find out what caused the collapse and to enact safeguards during the recently ended annual legislative session. The state House proposed recertifying condos that were three stories or taller every 30 years, or were 25 years old and within 3 miles of the coast. The shorter timetable for coastal condos addressed the corrosive effect of sea water. The Senate bill called for a slightly different timetable, requiring a “milestone” inspection for coastal condos every 20 years, and recertification thereafter every seven years. Either the House or Senate inspection schedules would have helped protect tens of thousands of condo residents.
