On June 24, 2021, the Champlain Towers South condominium building in Surfside, Florida, collapsed. Ninety-eight people died.
In the immediate aftermath, survivors, family members of the deceased, local governments, and other persons affected by the tragedy demanded significant condominium law reform. Their collaborative efforts and resulting impact of effectuating stronger legislative protections for condo communities statewide are in remembrance of the 98 lives lost on that tragic day.
Within our firm, many of our own friends and family were personally affected by the devastation and loss. Our firm has tirelessly advocated for condominium law reform, and we have followed and reported on community and legislative updates throughout the year since.
Local governments conducted their own internal investigations, such as the Miami-Dade Grand Jury which examined condominium building safety as a matter of great public importance. The Miami-Dade Grant Jury issued a report with its findings and recommendations, which we review in greater detail here.
The Florida Bar created a task force to determine and propose legislative changes to prevent another tragedy from occurring. Their 179-page advisory report was presented to the Governor prior to the January 2022 legislation session.
Moreover, professional associations of engineers and architects across the state formed a working group to assess environmental and other factors affecting building structural degradation (read more about this here).
The overarching consensus reached between these multiple groups was that an overhaul of Florida’s condominium laws was long overdue. The proposed legislative changes included more frequent inspections of a condominium building’s structural integrity, required reserve amounts and reserve studies, and increased transparency between condominium associations and unit owners.
At the January 2022 legislation session, lawmakers failed to enact any new condominium laws, which was met with great public disappointment. However, at a special legislation session in May 2022, the Florida Legislature unanimously passed a condominium reform bill. The new condo laws address milestone inspections and structural reserve studies, among several other items pertaining to condominium safety, which we discuss more thoroughly here.
Locally, a new ordinance in Miami-Dade County toughened the building recertification process by requiring most buildings to undergo recertification upon reaching 30 years of age.
In the year since the tragic event, many condominium associations have reevaluated their own status concerning the structural integrity of their buildings, whether they have sufficient reserves for repairs, and what can be done to protect the safety of their residents.
Our firm has been inundated with calls from unit owners and condo boards to help them in all matters involving their condominium. If you are concerned about a condominium matter, please do not hesitate to schedule a consultation with our office.
For nearly thirteen years, Mary Ann Ruiz, P.A. has strived to be a valuable resource to the South Florida condominium community, with a specialty in representing condominium unit owners.
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Photo – AP Photo/Gerald Herbert
