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Items of Interest ...

 

Governor DeSantis Signs Emotional Support Animal Bill Into Law
 

Community associations in Florida contending with fraudulent emotional support animal (ESA) requests may get some relief. Governor DeSantis signed SB 1084 into law on June 23, 2020.  The new law prohibits discrimination from housing providers to someone requiring an ESA, but also prohibits health care practitioners from providing information regarding a person’s need for an emotional support animal without having personal knowledge of the person’s need for the animal.

The law, which becomes effective on July 1, 2020, requires a patient to establish the need for an ESA by delivering to the housing provider supporting information from a licensed healthcare practitioner who has provided in-person care or services to the patient on at least one occasion for the need for each animal. 

Housing providers may establish a routine method for receiving and processing ESA requests. However, they cannot require the use of any specific forms, deny a request solely because the resident did not follow their methods, or request information that discloses the diagnosis or severity of the resident’s disability.

The law also makes the individual requiring the ESA liable for any damages done to the premises by the ESA. Finally, a person who falsifies information or written documentation as having a disability requiring the need for an ESA commits a misdemeanor of the second degree, punishable by law.

Our firm’s attorneys write regularly in this blog about timely and important matters for Florida community associations, and we encourage associations directors, members and property managers to enter their email address in the subscription box on the right to automatically receive all our future articles.

June 26, 2020

by Laura Manning-Hudson

The water you waste costs you money.  It’s that simple. 

That leaky toilet you forget to fix, running water when you’re not using it, and the water you don’t recycle show up in our monthly water bill.

Please notify a Board member if you notice a water leak or the toilet in your unit continuously runs as if the tank is still filling long after it was flushed.

 

Fixing a leaky toilet saves HUNDREDS OF GALLONS OF WATER a day, and that saves money. A leaky, running toilet wastes more water than a dripping faucet.

 

Building water bills are our biggest expense.  Remember, each of us is responsible for paying building bills through our monthly maintenance payment.  If building bills increase that can hike up your monthly maintenance dues.

 

A handy tipsheet that was delivered to your door to help get you into the GOOD HABIT of SAVING WATER and keeping our water bills reasonable.  No one wants higher HOA dues, so stop flushing money down your toilet.

 

CONSERVE WATER & SAVE MONEY

  • Take shorter showers; baths use more water.

  • Don’t run water while shaving or brushing teeth.

  • Only run laundry machine and dishwasher with full load.

  • Replace old toilets, shower head and faucets with water-conserving fixtures.

  • Don’t leave faucet running while soaping dishes or rinsing fruits/veggies.

  • Recycle old water by using it on plants instead of throwing it down a drain.

 

Give yourself an applause if you already practice 4 or 5 of these tips every day or encourage neighbors to get hooked on these good habits.

Saving water to lower our bills is everyone’s responsibility and should be taken seriously when you consider the high cost for wasting water.

Are you doing any major work in your condominium?

 

Per Association by-laws, any work by a contractor which is done on or within the common areas, or outside the confines of your unit, MUST be communicated to the Board of Directors and must be approved in writing by the Board of Directors.

 

If any work is done without approval, the resident can be required to endure the cost to return the common area back to its original condition.

 

This includes attachments to the building, cutting into any common wall, roof or any other building element, and access to the common attic or electrical meter room.

 

Request must be submitted in writing along with detailed information on the scope of work, along with copies of the contractor’s license and insurance. Additionally, any major work within a residential unit must also receive Board of Director approval, per Association by-laws.  This includes electrical, plumbing or major structural changes.  

 

Request must be submitted in writing along with copies of contractor’s license and insurance information. These guidelines ensure the protection of common property and other residents who could be effected by inadequate, improper or sloppy workmanship or unlicensed work. Your cooperation and assistance is expected and appreciated

 

Inform the Board of Directors

 

Note that the above information is currently under review ...

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