SOME BILLS ARE JUST RIDICULOUS!

By Jan Bergemann

Published February 2, 2017

 

It must be in the Slosberg family: Father Slosberg filed bills only dealing with seat-belt laws – and I guess he was mostly famous for his Corned Beef Sandwiches he had served during his campaigns, more so than for his bill-writing capabilities.

 

His daughter follows in his footsteps and comes up with a bill supposedly protecting seniors against bullying.

 

Since here in Florida many seniors are board members in community associations, the question will be: What if the SENIORS are the BULLIES? (Just kidding!)

 

Here is the kicker: We have here in Florida a well-advertised agency called Department of Elder Affairs (Website: http://elderaffairs.state.fl.us/index.php ) -- supposedly helping seniors against scams, fraud and other “mischief.” The Mission Statement of the Department: “To Help Florida’s Elders remain healthy, safe and independent.”

 

That all sounds fine and dandy, but in all reality the Department will not help Elders who call about scams, fraud and financial mischief in community associations that threaten their health and financial welfare. Obviously, and I heard that from different elders I talked to, the Department considers community associations out of their jurisdiction, even if Elders are defrauded scammed and abused.

 

Maybe some legislators should file a bill that would give this department jurisdiction, enabling them to help Elders abused in community associations. But I guess then the Department would need a lot more staff, because their workload would seriously increase.

 

Just for the record: Neither this bill (HB 123) nor the Senate companion bill (SB 1366) filed by Senator Kevin Rader was heard in committee yet. Both bills will most likely not get any hearing at all. I guess our legislators have more important things to discuss than bills that just look good but do absolutely nothing. I consider it a waste of resources to file such bills!


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Jan Bergemann Jan Bergemann is president of Cyber Citizens For Justice, Florida 's largest state-wide property owners' advocacy group. CCFJ works on legislation to help owners living in community  

associations. He moved to Florida in 1995 - hoping to retire. He moved into a HOA, where the developer cheated the homeowners and used the association dues for his own purposes. End of retirement!

 

CCFJ was born in the year 2000, when some owners met in Tallahassee - finding out that power is only in numbers. Bergemann was a member of Governor Jeb Bush's HOA Task force in 2003/2004.

 

The organization has two websites to inform interested Florida homeowners and condo owners:

News Website: http://www.ccfj.net/.

Educational Website: http://www.ccfjfoundation.net/.

   
We think that only owners can really represent owners, since all service providers surely have a different interest! We are trying to create owner-friendly laws, but the best laws are useless without enforcement. And enforcement is totally lacking in Florida !


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