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I HEAR YOU!
By
Eric Glazer, Esq.
Published January 23, 2023
The other day I was complaining to my Rabbi
about something by text. I received an e-mail back that said:
“I HEAR YOU.” I can’t tell you how much better I felt. Two
days later I wrote an e-mail to the customer service department
of a big company. The next day I received an e-mail that
basically said I hear you and here is a simple way to solve your
problem with our company. I actually thought that I would never
hear back from the company. Certainly not in less than 24
hours. In both scenarios, simply an acknowledgement of my
issues made me feel better.
So how does this tie in with condominium and
HOA law? Unit owners often times feel that the Board is not
listening to them. That’s why both the Florida Condominium Act
and The Florida Homeowner Association Act require that each unit
owner be allowed to speak at all Board meetings. Sometimes that
owner says some very intelligent things. Sometimes that owner
says some very silly things and the Board winds up verbally
fighting with that owner. That’s a big mistake. That unit
owner simply wants to be heard, crazy or not. He or she simply
wants to address the people in charge and explain why they are
against current policy and explain why their idea is better.
My recommendation to Boards is always to let
that person speak – don’t fight. Fighting only causes that unit
owner and their cohorts to remain enemies against the Board and
gives them further ammunition when accusing the board of
misdeeds.
In a condominium, if you are 150 units or
more, you must post the official records on a website. There is
no such law for HOAs. Why? Why should it be harder for owners
in an HOA to obtain records? Why are laws that require Boards
to answer, suddenly repealed?
All I can say is………when I was told “I Hear
you” I felt great……somebody understands. When a company got
back to me quickly, I felt fantastic. That’s all it
takes…….acknowledgement. I hope members of Board of Directors
get the hint today and come up with their own new New Year’s
Resolution.
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About
HOA & Condo Blog
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Eric Glazer graduated
from the University of Miami School of Law in 1992 after
receiving a B.A. from NYU. He has practiced community
association law for three decades and is the owner of
Glazer and Sachs, P.A. a five attorney law firm with
offices in Fort Lauderdale and Orlando.
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Eric is Board Certified by The Florida Bar in
Condominium and Planned Development Law.
Since 2009, Eric has been the host of Condo Craze
and HOAs, a weekly one hour radio show that airs at 11:00 a.m.
each Sunday on 850 WFTL.
See:
www.condocrazeandhoas.com.
Eric is the first attorney in the State of
Florida that designed a course that certifies condominium and
HOA residents as eligible to serve on a Board of Directors and
has now certified more than 20,000 Floridians all across the
state. He is certified as a Circuit Court Mediator by The
Florida Supreme Court and has mediated dozens of disputes
between associations and unit owners. Eric also devotes
significant time to advancing legislation in the best interest
of Florida community association members.
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