Surfside Condo Collapse

The Florida Senate passed a bill on Wednesday that would revamp laws that have helped drive up costs for condominium residents, sending the measure to the House.

Legislation passed after a 2021 deadly building collapse aimed to improve the safety of condominiums in Florida. But the increased inspections, studies, and changes to funding reserves have left people grappling with higher fees.

A key Senate committee gave initial approval to a measure that would build on laws requiring safety inspections of older condominium buildings and adequate financial reserves for repairs.

Condo associations must comply with state laws passed after the 2021 deadly building collapse. Lawmakers say any new proposals out of Tallahassee won’t involve direct financial assistance.

Surfside is discussing tightening regulations to better protect buildings from potential damage from nearby construction in response to a University of Miami study.

DAMAC International said that it planned to build The Delmore on the site where the Champlain Towers South partially collapsed in Surfside in June 2021. Construction has already started and the project is expected to be finished in 2029.

The Florida Senate Regulated Industries Committee heard from a panel of experts, including a Tampa-based engineer, on how the recent condo laws are impacting the industry.

Florida condominium owners are looking at higher costs from condo associations in the new year. That's a consequence of a Florida condo safety law passed by state lawmakers in 2022.

Conform reform laws passed after the tragic collapse of the Champlain Towers South condo building in Surfside, Florida in 2021 require structural examinations, and for associations to build their reserve funds for maintenance and repairs. Experts discussed the topic on The Florida Roundup.

Florida House Speaker Daniel Perez, a Cuban American lawyer, outlines plans for fiscal belt tightening and condominium issues in the upcoming 2025 regular session. “We talk about being fiscally responsible. But are we?"

Since the collapse, the state has enacted reforms to make condo buildings safer. But Rep. Vicki Lopez said people looking to buy a condo should probably hold off for a while.

Monday marks the third anniversary of the collapse of the Champlain Towers condo building in Surfside that killed 98 people. WLRN speaks to a local engineer who had warned the condo association about structural weaknesses and to victims' relatives who are still awaiting answers.