r/Condo

I’m a Florida condo owner and I’ve started looking into the issues so many of us are facing after going through some pretty terribly things in my community. I would like to hear what other owners have experienced.

I’m interested in hearing about your experiences—financial hardships, special assessments, association or management issues, maintenance concerns, lack of transparency, or challenges faced as an owner. If you’ve served on a condo board, I’d also love to hear about your experience from that perspective.

What have been the most difficult issues you’ve encountered as a Florida condo owner, and what led to them?

Please share your experience in the comments or feel free to DM me if you’d rather share privately.

Here is a brief summary of what our community is going through currently if you'd like to talk and relate:

Large and repeated special assessments

Lack of financial transparency

Difficulty accessing official records

Contractor selection and bidding practices not followed

Unclear project scopes and expenditures/missing

Association debt and loans

Inadequate reserve planning

Deferred maintenance (who isn't going through this though?)

Water intrusion and drainage problems

Contractor oversight concerns

Governance and voting issues

Management company accountability

Rental and investor ownership concerns

Financing and resale difficulties

Most of these have been reported to the DBPR and has since moved up to an attorney and awaiting review, but it seems when one issue pops up we have another. I know this is not just our community.

i’m looking to offload my alexandria 1bd1ba with a mortgage to a 501c3 - not liking the current sellers market and wouldn’t mind getting deduction i could spread over the next couple years

would prefer local options but really trying to learn from others who have gone through the process. search results seemed too generic

tia

There have been some threads regarding BB!Q grills in condos and townhouses

The case is a California case but I would imagine it is relevant to condos and townhouses in most locations.

Most municipalities have regulations in which BBQ grills that have flames are prohibited if they are closer than 10 feet from the structure which generally prevents people from having them on their balcony or even on a patio in a typical townhouse configuration.

There have sometimes been comments from people who think this is over reaching by the HOA

Here is an article indicating that a condo was burned level - 51 units because one of the residents had a propane grill on their patio which caught fire - yes he was probably an idiot but fire laws and HOA Rules exist to prevent idiots from creating havoc at the expense of other residents.

This is from an email sent by the law firm which our condo uses - Adams Stirling which also has a really useful website which contains information on all manner of HOA governance.

>PROPANE BBQ  BURNS DOWN CONDO COMPLEX

>On Sunday, August 2, a propane barbecue on a first-floor patio sparked a 6-alarm fire that destroyed a 51-unit condo complex, injured firefighters, and displaced more than 150 people. Residents were not allowed into what remained of the building for fear of a total building collapse.

>A resident was using a propane barbecue and allegedly left it unattended. He was later arrested by the police. This should be a wake-up call for condominium associations throughout California.  

>Statistics. For the years 2020 to 2024, the National Fire Protection Association reported that fires caused by grills, hibachis, and barbecues averaged 12,141 annually. The fires caused 15 deaths, 171 injuries, and $241 million in property damage, with gas grills involved in 76% of the fires.

>Fire Codes. California Fire Codes prohibit open-flame cooking devices on combustible balconies and within 10 feet of combustible surfaces at residential buildings with more than 2 dwelling units. In addition, propane containers with a capacity greater than 1 pound cannot be transported through enclosed common-area stairs, hallways, or elevators. They must be transported into the unit through an exterior stairway.

>Insurance. I asked insurance specialist Michael Berg, a VP with Labarre Oksnee, about the fire. An owner's personal condo insurance (HO-6) likely covers accidental cooking-fire damage to their unit, but coverage may be denied if the barbecue violated fire codes or the association's rules. The association's master insurance policy may also be compromised if it allowed owners to have open-flame barbecues on their balconies in violation of fire codes or failed to enforce rules prohibiting them. Prohibiting open-flame cooking equipment on balconies would likely be a condition for renewing an association's insurance policy.

>Rules & Regulations. Boards of directors should amend their rules to prohibit open-flame devices on all balconies and either prohibit or strictly regulate them on ground-floor decks. This will protect the HOA in the event of a fire and in response to questions from the carrier regarding loss control practices. Once adopted, boards must enforce the restriction. Lack of enforcement could become a liability in the event of a fire. If a resident with a barbecue grill on his balcony starts a fire that spreads to neighboring units, the neighbors will likely sue the association for negligence and breach of fiduciary duties for failing to enforce its rules.

>Litigation. I recently testified as an expert in a case where an association sued an owner to compel him to remove an unapproved brick barbecue on his patio that was built against the wall of the building with a bootlegged natural gas line and unsafe electrical wiring. The association prevailed, and the owner was ordered to remove it.

>Recommendation: When an owner creates a safety hazard and refuses to correct it, boards should be willing to go to the mat to protect the membership.

If you were considering buying a condo and then found out the had one legal dispute with an owner, and one dispute regarding the construction of the building itself that may or may not be covered by insurance....would you run from this purchase?

Yes?

Legal docs provide little details because they aren't allowed, and the insurance coverage examination is ongoing...

What to do if condo management doesn't want to involve the building insurance to restore the kitchen cabinets. But just want to match a cabinet door

I purchased a new construction income eligible deed restricted unit through the city of Boston. Immediately upon purchase I experienced some serious water damage everytime it rained. I would report it to the contractors they would fix the damage but it always persist. Until my market neighbor start experiencing the same problem 2-3yrs later the HOA decides to sue contractors for repairs which they did but they also signed a contract once problem is fixed they cannot pursue any other legal action towards them.
Years later due to construction defect water damage is throughout the building and I’m experiencing water damage in my unit but in a different area. Special condo assessment is frequent and substantially high. Over the course of 3 yrs I dished out over 17k of special assessments which doesn’t include increasing condo fees. Now we recently got an assessment for over $52k per unit (which will be in a HOA loan …you can either pay all upfront or in a span of 10yrs including interest).
The bank wanted to see a certain number in our reserves so they also special assessed every owner for $6000 due in a span of two months. I am a single parent that was income eligible to get this unit but I’m required to somehow dish out this substantial amount of money. The HOA is suing me for the $6000 including attorney fees it is now 10k. They trying to foreclose on me which puts my family at risk for being homeless. I have always paid mortgage and condo fees on time and all the other assessments. This financial burden is impossible to carry and the city of Boston won’t help me in which I wouldn’t be in this predicament if it wasn’t for their affordable program. It was just my luck that I got a shitty new construction unit. The city of Boston affordable housing is not so affordable. They have the rights to repurchase my unit from me but I don’t think they want to. I’m trying to sell it but no income verifiable person would want to buy this burden. I need help, advice for someone that may have experienced this?
I feel scared and alone in this process.

I used to live in a wealthy condo, we sold our apartment very cheap, since then we lost all the wealth we used to own, now when I visit the condo strange people live there, mostly don't speak the native language and seen very strange, someone can explain why?

Hey everyone, anyone here have sold their unit at Pacific - UST Condos in Sampaloc, Manila(Skyloft, Icon, Tower 2, Suites, etc.) or been looking too? How have you gone about it? Parang not helpful yung admin. Any help would be appreciated!

I’ve been struggling with this ever since I moved in. I’m not sure if it’s just a condo thing, but mold keeps appearing on my ceiling. I’ve been wiping it off at least twice a month, but it keeps coming back.

Any tips on how to actually get rid of it permanently? Is there a specific product or treatment that works, or is this something I should have the building admin check?

What are some of the things i should make sure to check?

I am seeking guidance regarding a dispute with the builder of a pre-construction condominium I purchased in Calgary in mid-2022.

Under the purchase agreement, the condo was originally scheduled to close in May 2024, with a firm outside closing date of December 2024. I paid the full 20% deposit, approximately $60,000.

As we approached the original closing period, I repeatedly contacted the builder and my realtor for updates but received very little communication. The December 2024 deadline passed without a closing notice or meaningful communication from the builder. In January 2025, the builder issued an extension stating that closing would occur around April 2025 and no later than June/July 2025. I remained ready and willing to close, but those dates also passed without the closing occurring.

The builder eventually advised that the closing date would be December 22, 2025. Around that time, I was dealing with significant personal circumstances that caused some delays in arranging my financing, and I requested a short extension of 2 to 4 weeks. My mortgage was subsequently approved in a month, and I immediately contacted the builder to proceed with closing.

However, I was then informed that the builder had already initiated termination of my contract and that I would need to pay approximately $7,000 to reinstate the agreement. I borrowed the money and paid the $7,000 because I am committed to completing the purchase. Shortly afterward, the builder demanded an additional approximately $5,000 in interest. I have repeatedly attempted to work with them including requesting a payment arrangement, but they have not been cooperative.

I have already paid approximately $60,000 toward this property, and the builder has held those funds for several years. I remain willing and financially committed to closing, and I currently have mortgage financing approved.

I would like to understand whether the builder's delays and handling of the closing/termination were proper, whether the additional penalties and interest are enforceable, and what options I have to either complete the purchase or protect/recover the approximately $60,000 I have already paid.

I am a condo owner in Alberta and I’m hoping to get advice from others who have experienced similar situations.

I understand that condo living means sharing walls and that some noise is normal. I am not expecting complete silence, but I have been dealing with ongoing noise issues, especially music and low-frequency bass that travels through the building.

A previous downstairs neighbour had repeated noise problems. I contacted management several times, but after a while, my complaints seemed to stop getting much response. During one particularly loud party, I contacted the police non-emergency line, and an officer attended and left a notice. However, when I contacted non-emergency again later, another officer told me that noise issues should be handled through condo management. Management told me that if it happened again, I should contact the police.

Now I am experiencing similar issues again with a new neighbour. I am not sure whether they are an owner or a tenant. There is frequent patio music and indoor music that can be clearly heard in my unit. The difficult part is that it usually does not reach the city’s official dB limits, but because of the thin drywall and poor sound insulation, bass and vibrations travel easily through the building. Sometimes it feels like the sound is coming from inside my own home.

I know I may be sensitive to noise than some people, and I understand that everyone has the right to enjoy their home. I also make an effort to be a considerate neighbour and keep my own noise to a minimum. However, I feel frustrated because management does not seem very proactive, especially with daytime noise issues.

The stress has started affecting my daily life. Even when it is quiet, I find myself worrying about when the noise will start again.

Has anyone dealt with a similar situation in a condo? What steps helped when management was not very responsive?

Thank you for reading. I would be grateful for any advice or experiences you can share.