Florida's condo crisis at its breaking point. Tallahassee lawmakers must act.

[Zorro]

Many who don't want to cede their coastal views or close-in living are having the pile carpeting pulled out from under them.

A quality of life that for so long has been attainable for those of us of moderate income now threatens to slip beyond our reach. Condo living, which for decades has drawn millions of out-of-staters to Florida's warmth and coastal bounty, is increasingly too expensive to sustain, particularly for retirees.

Some are lucky enough to pocket cash from developers who want to replace their aging buildings with luxury towers. But many who don't want to cede their coastal views or close-in living are having the pile carpeting pulled out from under them, as the very architecture that attracted them crumbles in the sun and salt air and they're left holding the bill for extraordinary repairs. Some may be foreclosed, evicted or evacuated and see their buildings condemned.

The Palm Beach Post reported that as of mid-January, nearly one in five condo buildings in Palm Beach County that are covered by the state's new safety-inspection law have failed to submit even initial inspection reports. That's a sure sign of a looming crisis.

The county government finds itself in the difficult position of deciding whether to fine the owners to force compliance with a safety law they're helpless to obey, because it's too hard or expensive. But it's not the county the owners need to fear; it's the state lawmakers who, though they're supposed to protect us in Tallahassee, have failed to act.

https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/opinion/columns/2025/02/05/florida-condo-crisis-demands-lawmaker-solutions-climate-change/78189082007/

Of course the Republican legislature and the governor won't do anything meaningful to address this serious concern; they're too focused on DEI and denying climate change -- so they'll only kick the problem and any realistic approach to address the issue down the road.

[Phoenix61]

1. I read a research paper many years ago that talked

about how sand dunes preserve the coast line. The magic number, if memory serves, was build 700 yards inland of the dune line. In Florida they flattened the dunes and built where they had been. The only long term fix is to put the dunes back which, sadly, I don’t see them doing. Instead we all get to pay for beach renourishment projects the offshoot of which is an increase in riptides that have proved deadly to many swimmers.

[Wifes husband]

2. Dunes

There was a reason that homes at the beach were built behind the dune line in Florida.
My father explained that to me 60 years ago.

The dunes were put there by hurricanes, maybe thousands of years ago. That is why Floridians at one time had better sense than to build there.

Hard to have much sympathy for anyone dumb enough to build in the dunes on a foundation made of sand

[3Hotdogs]

3. Whether or not the state legislature acts, the buildings will continue to decay.

Either way, the condo owners are screwed. The difference - if the legislators act and the problems are corrected, there will still be a building left standing.

If not, who remembers the building collapse a year or so ago?

[mitch96]

4. Why do I get the impression the state does not care. Until it effects the tax base there will just be

the state conducting investigations which involves holding hearings, gathering testimony, requesting documents, and examining potential issues within a government agency or two.
bla bla bla. Then outrage and finger pointing when another condo collapses...
m