As we mark the third anniversary of the Champlain Towers South tragedy in Surfside, Fla., CAI honors the memory of the victims and reiterates its commitment to promoting safety and resilience within community associations. CAI remains dedicated to providing education, resources, and support to community associations to protect the lives, well-being, and investments of all community residents.
When the Champlain Tower South condominium in Surfside, Fla., partially collapsed three years ago this month, Daniel Gonzalez was in bed just an hour away in Boca Raton. His immediate reaction was to commission a structural inspection on their nearly 50-year-old building. Gonzalez advises managers and boards facing the recertification process to be hypervigilant about structural maintenance.
As election season approaches, differences in opinion can escalate into conflicts, testing the harmony in community associations. Attorney Cang N. Le shares the steps that board members and managers can take to mitigate conflict and prioritize safety, while still respecting freedom of speech.
Freddie Mac took a giant step toward transparency last week when it announced sweeping changes to its condominium and housing cooperative financing system. The government-sponsored enterprise that underwrites mortgages is introducing a tool that indicates whether a community is “certified” for financing or “not eligible”—and providing guidance that explains why a community may not be eligible.
California’s “balcony bill,” SB 721, requires balcony inspections within all multifamily residential buildings containing three or more dwelling units no later than Jan. 1, 2025. David Swedelson, founding senior partner at Swedelson Gottlieb firm, provides details to help communities prepare for and transition to these new requirements.
