As Some Get A Reprieve From A $60K FL Condo Special Assessment, Others Are Hit With One For $224K

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Many Floridians who are also condo owners are well aware that after the Champlain Towers condos collapsed in Surfside, Florida in 2021, inspection, repair, and recertification requirements became more stringent. As a result, some of Florida's condo associations must now charge special assessments to raise the funds necessary to meet these new requirements.

Unfortunately, some necessary inspections and subsequent repairs are incredibly expensive and must be shared among condo owners. I've written about condo owners at The Cricket Club and Palm Bay Yacht Club being asked to pay over $100,000 each for upcoming expenses and repairs.

And while I've found another assessment that can top that amount - at over $200,000, I also found some condo owners who have gotten a reprieve from an assessment of $60,000.

Mediterranean Village In Aventura - An Assessment For $224,000: Howard Konetz and Sheila Konetz have lived in their two-bedroom condo in Mediterranean Village for 10 years.

Their monthly maintenance bill went from $1,500 to $3,000, but even worse, they got hit with a special assessment for approximately $224,000 due to several upcoming restoration projects in their community.

The Konetz's were turned down for a reverse mortgage because of condo rules, so now they have their unit for sale. Howard Konetz told Local 10:

“I don’t know how we are going to live or where we are going to live. We can’t afford it and we are going to go broke - especially with the special assessment that has been levied on us.”

In contrast, Mike Segal, the president of Mediterranean Village’s Building 1, told the station that the special assessment was necessary, explaining:

“We wouldn’t be doing it if we didn’t have to. It’s not like we are stealing people’s money.”

A Reprieve of $60,000 At Villas Of Carillon: In a victory of sorts, residents of the Villas of Carillon in Feather Sound were able to get a reprieve for a proposed special assessment of around $60,000.

After residents got letters about the assessment, many showed up at a meeting where the board was set to vote on it. However, before the board could take a vote, some residents alleged that Robert's Rules of Order weren't being followed.

Surprisingly, the board allowed a motion to postpone the vote (which was carried.) There is no information about when another vote might take place in the future.

Some residents don't see the need for a quick vote. Margaret Kras told 10 Tampa Bay:

“Who is in a rush? First of all, [we need] more research - more research and [to know] where the numbers came from.”