NEFLCAI.COM
VOL. 5 | ISS. 1
Northeast Florida Chapter Community Associations Institute
THE COMMUNITY CONNECTION
IN THIS ISSUE What Fee Arrangement is Best for Your Community’s Litigation? Sustainable Solutions for the Management of Lakes & Ponds Reserve Studies Make Business Sense Options for Collecting Unpaid HOA Fees Florida Sunshine Law Website Requirement
A Quarterly Newsletter for Homeowner Leaders, Professional Managers and Business Partners
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CONTENTS 11 What Fee Arrangement is Best for Your Community’s Litigation? - Patrick Howell, Esq. 16 Sustainable Solutions for the Management of Lakes & Ponds in Your Community - Shannon Junior 20 Reserve Studies Make Business Sense - Nick Brenneman What Are The Board’s Options When It Comes To Collecting Unpaid HOA 22 Fees? - Lea Stokes 24 Florida Sunshine Law Website Requirement - Nabr Network DEPARTMENTS AND MORE 7 8 8 9 27 32
President's Message Welcome New Members Editorial Calendar Upcoming Events Event Recap Directory
Providing education, networking, resources and advocacy for Community Associations in Northeast Florida and the professionals and volunteers who serve them. We welcome your suggestions and comments. Address them to: The NEFCCAI Community MISSION Connection STATEMENT 4250 A1A S, F-32 St. Augustine, FL 32080 904-907-7234
We also welcome article submissions from our members. For guidelines, please contact Leslie Pragasam at leslie@aquaticsystems.com. Articles may be edited for length and clarity. January 2018 | www.neflcai.com | 3
Control Methods
January 2017 | www.neflcai.com | 9
Come one, come all.
Share the community! On October 1st, CAI changed the dues structure for homeowner leaders as an opportunity to increase the number of knowledgeable board members and volunteers by exposing them to all of the CAI benefits. This change in dues pricing will allow more homeowner leaders to join at a lower price.
Education & Training Industry Research & Data
As a CAI member, you'll have access to members-only benefits on the CAI website, you'll receive Common Ground magazine & e-newsletters, four free webinars per year, member pricing for publications and events, access to the Exchange, and many others!
Advocacy Support & Resources Online Communities & Networking The cost of a Homeowner Leader membership for an individual homeowner leader is $125/year. For a 2 member board, the cost is $230/year. Homeowner leader boards with 3 or more members is $295/year.
Exclusive Catalogues & Press
The best community associations have the best boards - they're educated, knowledgeable, and prepared to lead their communities successfully. For more membership information or to join, please visit our Nationals site.
6 | THE COMMUNITY CONNECTION
D
Before we know it, we will be knee deep in chapter breakfasts, social events, educational events, and so on. These things are not possible without the hard work of our committee members and committee chairs. Our first chapter breakfast on January 18th at Jacksonville Golf and Country Club was a huge success. In February, we will bring you our first educational event with a CEU accredited course provided by Allied Universal Security Services on Active Shooter and Workplace Violence. We are pleased to offer these educational events to our members and if you have any ideas for topics or would like to teach a course, please do not hesitate to contact Patricia Truax Stewart, committee chair, or Karen Foy, the hardest working woman in our chapter and Chapter Executive Director. OFFICERS President - Jimmy Dycus Past President - Ed Ronsman President-Elect - Catie Marks Secretary - Pilar Willis Dixon Treasurer - Patricia Truax Stewart Director - Bob Chamberlain Director - David Robinson Executive Director - Karen Foy COMMITTEE CHAIRS Membership - Patricia Truax Stewart Financial - Bob Chamberlain Gala - Donna Clawson Expo - Cindy Dunlop Social - David Robinson Program/Education - Patricia Truax Stewart The Community Connection Editor - Leslie F. Pragasam
Our marquee educational event every year is the Chapter Expo and this year is no different. Under the leadership of Cindy Dunlop and Ed Ronsman, we are going bigger and badder than any year to date. We have grown year over year and now are proud to be able to do a few more things for our chapter. This year’s Expo will be sure to impress, so please mark your calendar for Thursday May 31st at the Renaissance Hotel at the World Golf Village in St. Augustine. Finally, none of this would be possible without the continued support from our wonderful business partners, who year after year sponsor this great chapter, the chapter breakfasts, and educational events. Most importantly are the people who work so hard on our different committees making this all come together. I’d like to challenge you to get more involved in this up and coming chapter. We need your talents on our different committees and we need your sponsorship at our different events!
president's message
ear Members: Happy 2018! Wow, that doesn’t even sound real! I’m not even sure where 2017 went. I have enjoyed serving on this great board the last two years as President-Elect and am honored and excited about what 2018 has in store for us with me as your President. I would like to welcome our newly elected board members David Robinson of First Coast Mulch, Pilar Willis Dixon of Brown & Brown of Florida and Patricia Truax Stewart of Castle Group. Thank you so much for volunteering your time and efforts to make this a great chapter.
If you have any questions on how to become more involved or would like additional information on sponsorship opportunities, please do not hesitate to contact myself or Karen. Enjoy this “award winning” newsletter! Respectfully, Jimmy Dycus President
January 2018 | www.neflcai.com | 7
Welcome New Members NEFL-CAI proudly welcomes the following members who joined the chapter in July, August, and September!
chapter news
Business Partners Jeffrey King - North Florida Emulsions Tracy Fleming - SOLitude Lake Management Beau Barnett - VerdeGo LLC
Thank you to all of our members who have rejoined or renewed their membership with the NE Florida Chapter! Thank you for your continued support!
THE COMMUNITY CONNECTION EDITORIAL CALENDAR
Month
Article/Submissions Due
Ads Due
April 2018 July 2018 October 2018 January 2019
March 1, 2018 June 1, 2018 September 1, 2018 December 1, 2018
March 19, 2018 June 18, 2018 September 18, 2018 December 18, 2018
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For more information on NEFL-CAI meetings or upcoming events, email Karen Foy at info@neflcai.com or visit www.neflcai.com
February 15, 2018
Education Event Ocean Village Club 4250 A1A South St. Augustine, FL 32080 Non-Member $10 $10 $35
Allied Universal will present an Active Shooter/Domestic Violence course (CEUs will be available) Register today for lunch, networking, and this informative program.
events
Member H/O Leader FREE CAM FREE Business Partner $20
11:30 AM - 1:30 PM Program begins at noon
February 23, 2018
Social Event Jacksonville Golf & Country Club
Don't miss this unprecedented event! If you live in, work for, or provide services to a Florida community association, you'll leave the Forum more informed, more engaged, and better able to contribute to a successful community! Attend your choice of four education sessions & meet up to 60 exhibitors showcasing the latest products and services for Florida community associations.
March 15, 2018
Chapter Meeting Jacksonville Golf & Country Club 10367 Midtown Pkwy, Jacksonville, FL 32246
Meet the 2018 Board of Directors as the results of the election are announced. Meet the committee chairs and learn how you can become more active with the chapter. Check out the website for more info & to RSVP.
May 31, 2018
Chapter Expo Renaissance Hotel World Golf Village 500 S Legacy Trail St. Augustine, FL 32092 9 AM - 5 PM
IThis is our 6th Annual Education & Expo Day. The theme is "Be a Superhero for Your Community." CEU credits, board member certifications, lunch, prizes, networking, happy hour all for free if you're a CAM or Homeowner Leader! January 2018 | www.neflcai.com | 9
Control Methods
January 2017 | www.neflcai.com | 9
By Patrick Howell, Esq., of Becker & Poliakoff
What Fee Arrangement is Best for Your Community’s Litigation? After the turnover of a community, many associations face the prospect of litigation with the developer of the community or the contractor and subcontractors that constructed the condominium building or HOA common areas. Such litigation may be a construction defect lawsuit or a dispute over missing reserve funds. These lawsuits can sometimes be hastily filed because prior boards have “kicked the can down the road” and failed to timely examine these issues, creating concerns about the statute of limitations and/or statute of repose for the association’s claims. But taking a few moments to ask the association’s law firm pointed questions can alleviate a lot of problems later on and save an association significant amounts of money. There are three main types of fee arrangements offered by community association law firms: straight hourly, contingency, and modified contingency. Depending on your community’s needs, each can have significant pros and cons that you should be familiar with. Straight hourly is the most traditional fee arrangement. Under this arrangement the association is billed, and the attorney is paid, as the attorney incurs time on the case. This arrangement works best for smaller disputes involving litigation that will not be very “high dollar,” either in the amount of attorney work involved or the amount of the anticipated settlement or judgment. For instance, if a community has a reserve funding claim against the developer for $400,000, it is anticipated that a law firm may
bill the association $50,000 collecting that money for the association. That leaves $350,000 for the association and isn’t too bad of a return on its investment. But if that same community had gone with a contingency fee arrangement whereby the attorney would receive the typical take of 40% of the recovery, suddenly the association’s law firm just got paid $160,000 to do $50,000 worth of work, and the association is left with only $240,000 for its reserves. That’s a pretty bad deal for the association and a brand new Bentley for the association’s lawyer. As hinted to above, a contingency fee arrangement is a fee arrangement whereby the association’s law firm takes a percentage of the settlement or judgment amount at the end of the case. The pros for this fee arrangement are that the association does not pay fees up front and the attorney has some “skin” in the game along with the association. The negative is that there is a payday for the attorney at the end of the case, sometimes in the millions of dollars. The more that is paid at the end to the association’s attorney, the less that is left over for use by the association to correct real problems. This can really cause strife during a mediation because suddenly the attorney is bickering with his or her client over whether to accept a settlement offer or not. Suddenly a “good” offer isn’t so good because the attorney is taking 40% of the amount being offered. For this reason, a contingency fee arrangement works best for cases with a very Fee Continued on page 13 January 2018 | www.neflcai.com | 11
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Fee Continued from page 11 high dollar claim amount in the millions of dollars. The bigger the settlement the easier it is to split it up. A contingency fee arrangement is also the only fee arrangement that will work for association’s that are very strapped for cash and simply do not have the money to spend on expensive litigation. For a large construction defect case against multiple parties, the fees can run in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, and a contingency fee arrangement allows an association to pay at the end of the case instead of “as you go.” Pro tip: carefully look over the fee arrangement and make sure that the association has the ability to negotiate the fees charged by experts hired by the association’s law firm. These costs are also paid by the association at the end of the case, can be many hundreds of thousands of dollars, and will be deducted from the association’s recovery as per the Florida Bar rules. The third and final arrangement is the modified
contingency fee arrangement. Under the modified contingency fee arrangement, the percentage taken by the association’s law firm at the end of the case is lower than usual – perhaps only 20% or 30%. In return, the law firm bills the association at a much lower hourly rate than it would normally. This fee arrangement is great for medium to large size cases, and especially cases where prevailing party attorneys’ fees are at issue, such as reserve funding cases brought under the Orange County Gated Communities Ordinance, because the association’s law firm can recover a contingency risk multiplier from the developer should the association prevail in the case. As you can see, there is no “one size fits all” when it comes to a fee arrangement for your association’s litigation. Your association law firm will be happy to answer any questions you may have and should be able to offer any of the fee arrangements mentioned in this article.
April 2017 | www.neflcai.com | 11
We The Community
Register by April 4th and save $50
CAI ANNUAL CONFERENCE & EXPOSITION May 9-12, 2018 | Washington, D.C.
Bringing people together worldwide, one community at a time. To celebrate the people who live and serve in the millions of homeowners associations, condominiums, and cooperatives, worldwide, CAI proudly presents “We the Community” at the 2018 CAI Annual Conference and Exposition, May 9–12, 2018, in Washington, D.C. Community associations increasingly are being called on to play a significant role in the way we live, learn, work, and play. We believe the community as a whole—with its unique mix of cultural identities, socioeconomic backgrounds, religious beliefs, and more—represents the truly physical and cultural reality of today’s world. Realizing and understanding the influence of today’s community association leaders, community managers, and business partners will help us all seize new opportunities while navigating the challenges of change. We invite you to join your fellow community association leaders as we discover together how education, technology, and innovation is reshaping community associations today and tomorrow. Continuing its tradition as the premier conference for sharing ideas and showcasing cutting-edge information services for community associations, the 2018 CAI Annual Conference and Exposition is a must-attend event. January 2018 | www.neflcai.com | 15
By Shannon Junior with SOLitude Lake Management
Sustainable Solutions for the Management of Lakes & Ponds in Your Community As lakes and ponds age, they are continually impacted by sedimentation and nutrient enrichment. Eventually, sediment and nutrient overload can lead to poor water quality and increased algae and nuisance aquatic vegetation blooms. It is extremely important to establish maintenance programs for community lakes and ponds which also function as stormwater management facilities. A key feature of these programs is the ongoing management of invasive vegetation and algal blooms. The repetitive application of pesticides as the primary strategy for vegetation control is not environmentally sustainable, and the management focus is shifting toward non-chemical methods. In addition, due to tightened regulations and general public wariness regarding the use of algaecides and herbicides, it is becoming increasingly important to find alternatives for our nuisance aquatic vegetation treatment programs. INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT PLAN Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a comprehensive approach to pest management that includes many non-chemical strategies before or along with the use of pesticides. The implementation of a long-term, proactive IPM Plan for algae and aquatic weed management helps to reduce the quantity of chemical products used, while still providing for a healthy and aesthetically pleasing waterbody. 16 | THE COMMUNITY CONNECTION
PREVENTION STRATEGIES Preventing the introduction of sediment and nutrients into the water, in the first place, can provide long-term benefits for water quality. Many times, it can be achieved by very simple and inexpensive cultural practices. Establishing healthy communities of shoreline aquatic vegetation or allowing natural grasses to grow around the edges of a lake or pond will provide a filter for runoff, thus minimizing the sediment and nutrients entering into the pond. In addition, the vegetation will serve to stabilize the shoreline and prevent erosion and the introduction of more sediment into the water. A buffer of grasses surrounding a lake or pond also makes a waterbody less attractive to Canada geese because they will not walk through vegetation over their heads. Since their bodily waste is an additional source of nutrients to a waterbody, preventing the presence of geese around the pond has its own benefits. Buffers should be trimmed at least once per year and should be selectively managed throughout the growing season, removing any woody vegetation or nonnative, invasive plants. RESTORATION STRATEGIES Other IPM strategies are geared towards reme Solutions Continued on page 18
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Solutions Continued from page 16 dying the impacts that have already occurred, and focus on the root causes of the problems rather than just the symptoms. For a lake or pond with severe algae issues, strategies that improve water quality can make a big difference in the overall health and appearance of the waterbody. Nutrient mitigation is a widely used practice that directly targets and inactivates the phosphorus in the water and bottom sediments of a waterbody. This technique can literally reverse the aging process and associated effects of nutrient loading. Phoslock and alum are the two most commonly used products for this purpose. Product selection and program development would be based on site specific conditions and the general budget for the project. Another commonly recommended IPM strategy for water quality restoration is the installation of an aeration or circulation system. Aeration improves the health of a waterbody by adding oxygen to the system. The circulating action converts phosphorus to forms that are not usable by algae as food. It also creates conditions that favor the growth of healthy green phytoplankton rather than the potentially toxic cyanobacteria species. The end result is a healthier pond with fewer harmful algae blooms, and a reduction in the need for chemical treatments. CONCLUSION While there are numerous Integrated Pest Management strategies that can be applied as part of a long-term plan, it is important to consider all of the site-specific characteristics of your lake or pond in order to develop a successful and environmentally sustainable program. By implementing a comprehensive maintenance approach that employs a variety of water quality improvement strategies, the long-term result will be a more balanced waterbody that requires fewer applications of herbicides and algaecides to maintain it in a healthy and aesthetically pleasing state.
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By Nick Brenneman with Reserve Advisors
Reserve Studies Make Business Sense Over the years, homeowners have volunteered to serve on their Homeowner Association’s board because they had expertise and skills from their professional careers that were applicable to the association. Examples include attorneys, accountants, and engineers. Boards are made up of people with these skills, as well as other property owners who are simply concerned about protecting their most important investment their home. This approach generally worked well in the early years of the association industry. Today, however, community associations are being managed more like a business with the help of outside attorneys, engineers, and accountants who specialize in community association property. Now more than ever, associations are using the services of independent engineering firms that specialize in 30-year reserve studies. A professional reserve study determines accurate, supportable annual reserve contributions necessary for the repair or replacement of common property as it wears out over the development's life.
While regulations vary for homeowner’s associations (FS 720) and cooperatives (FS 719), there is a strong trend toward more legislation rather than less. One may wonder what his "fiduciary duties" are under these statutes. As director of a community association, your actions (or inactions) have an impact on your and the members' financial well-being, now and in the future. Successful boards know that sound financial and business decisions for the future cannot be made without a reliable snapshot of where the organization is now, as well as where it is planning to go.
Boards and management companies alike look to firms specializing in reserve studies for an independent, accurate projection of future capital repair costs and realistic useful life information. The reserve study provider will determine the current financial status of the association and a future funding plan, usually for the next 30 years. Some reserve studies even contain valuable information about the condition of the property and scope of replacement projects to further educate the board on the nuts and bolts of their association. The reserve study becomes the blueprint that the current and future boards will rely on with complete confidence. Regardless of the board members individual Professional reserve studies are designed to eliminate experience, education or background, a professional special assessments by ensuring that sufficient funds reserve study will prepare the board to better fulfill are available when property components need to be retheir fiduciary responsibility. paired or replaced. Elimination of special assessments offers peace of mind to owners and reduces claims of financial mismanagement. Most homeowners view their home as a financial investment. Therefore, associations are increasingly emulating business management because of the fiduciary nature and responsibility of association boards. Florida Statute 718 requires reserves for roof replacement, building painting, pavement resurfacing and, "any other item for which the deferred maintenance expense or replacement cost exceeds $10,000." {FS 718.112(2)(f)} 20 | THE COMMUNITY CONNECTION 16 | THE COMMUNITY CONNECTION
January 2017 | www.neflcai.com | 13
By Lea Stokes – Vice President of NE Region of Vesta Properties
What Are The Board’s Options When It Comes To Collecting Unpaid HOA Fees? A challenge that many HOA communities in Florida encounter is how to deal with delinquent HOA fees. Unfortunately, when homeowners don’t pay their fees, the rest of the neighbors suffer by paying higher fees, receiving special assessments, and less spending on community events. Even if HOA board members are dealing with just a few homeowners that are delinquent on fees, the association’s budget can take a significant hit. If too many homeowners in the community stop paying their HOA fees (particularly in condominium associations), lenders may be unwilling to offer new mortgages or refinance existing loans for properties in the community. As you can imagine, this would have a negative impact on property values. So what are the options for HOA board members when it comes to collecting unpaid HOA fees? There’s really only one answer: the HOA board must get tough.
The Value of Acting Quickly The sooner you address delinquent HOA fees, the better off your community will be. Make homeowners aware of how soon the HOA will take action if fees are not collected to create a sense of urgency for submitting dues on time. For example, the board could communicate that the HOA will only wait 60 days for delinquent fees before placing a lien against the title of a property. Additionally, HOA board members should implement the following policies for dealing with delinquent HOA fees: 22 | THE COMMUNITY CONNECTION
Consult an attorney - As a best practice, your HOA should select an attorney to advise your community on how to legally deal with overdue HOA fees. If necessary, the attorney could prepare a letter to demand payment, but keep in mind that these documents can run between $200 and $500 per home. Suing a homeowner could cost upwards of $2,000. To keep costs under control, your attorney should also be able to recommend a collection agency that is experienced in assisting with HOA collections. Prohibit use of community amenities - If a homeowner is delinquent on HOA dues, he or she should be restricted from using community amenities such as the pool and/or tennis courts until the fees are collected. Prohibiting use of community amenities is an effective motivator to get residents to pay dues. Ask renters to pay fees if property owner refuses - As a best practice, have tenants sign a lease agreement that says they will pay HOA fees if the property owner doesn’t. Having this agreement in place will provide your HOA community with a backup source for payment. Offer a payment plan for property owners in financial distress - If a property owner is cooperative in wanting to make good on delinquent debt, offer to break down the HOA fees over a 12 month period. It’s in the community’s best interest for HOA board members to take prompt action when dealing with unpaid HOA fees. Use the tactics outlined above to collect overdue HOA fees and come to an agreement that will work well for the property owner and HOA community.
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Provided by Nabr Network
Boost Efficiency & Owner Satisfaction with the New Website Requirement Here’s a checklist of features that will make the most On June 26, 2017, Florida Governor Rick Scott of your required condo websites: signed a bill into law that requires condominium associations with 150 units or more to have a webSecurity is paramount. Security is on everyone’s site where digital copies of official records are mind these days. Your website must offer securstored. ity measures to protect member data. Mobile optimization is a must. Today’s websites The new law – HB 1237 – known at the Sunshine must work with whatever device they are viewed on. A great website looks and functions Law or Florida’s Condominium Act, will be effective on July 1, 2017. The provision requiring webequally well on desktop and mobile. The website sites will be effective on July 1, 2018. This means gets bonus points if it offers a mobile app. When Associations have until July 1, 2018 to ensure that checking for mobile website capabilities, look at their new or existing websites are compliant with text size, ease of menu navigation and general the new law. visual design. If you can’t read it, can’t navigate through it, and/or can’t see the entire width of It is important to note that the law requires that the page, you know your site isn’t mobilefriendly. these websites contain specific features to meet the Easy automated updates are a requirement. All legally required criteria. Documents such as Declarations, Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws and all the condo websites your staff works with need to Amendments must be available on the website. have an easy-to-use content management sys-Meeting notices and agendas must be posted no tem. It’s inefficient for community managers to later than 14 days before Association meetings (i). spend time struggling to update an outdated But, why stop there? Capitalize on this opportunity website. Instead, make sure all sites are userto advance Association communication and implefriendly and offer full support and training. ment time-saving automation and accessibility Document management tools are critical. The features. new Sunshine Law requires that documents be published and easily accessible. Your site needs a “The Sunshine Law is all about transparency and clear place to post legally required documents. accountability,” said James Garner, Nabr Network Messaging features are of increasing necessity. vice president. “Associations can use this as Mobile apps have conditioned us to expect information to come to us. Residents think the springboard to improve communications with same way about condo information – they don’t their residents – as many associations and management companies have already done. Rather want to have to look for it – they want it in the than settling on a site that meets the bare minimum palm of their hand. Look for push-technology standards, these associations saw this as an opporthat can send notifications to homeowners tunity to select a web platform that improves busiacross different channels such as mobile app, ness operations and fosters community engagetext messaging and email. ment.” Website Continued on page 26 24 | THE COMMUNITY CONNECTION
January 2018 | www.neflcai.com | 25
Website Continued from page 24 Websites should provide self-service opportunities. Condo business is not always conducted during office hours. Not surprisingly, homeowners think about their condo when they are at home on evenings and weekends. They want to make reservations, fill out forms and check their account balance instantly, instead of waiting for the management office to reopen. Meet this need by offering self-service features on the condo website. This allows residents to help themselves—anytime, anywhere. The site’s layout should make sense. The menu structure and document organization should be logical so that residents can easily find the information they need. Ensuring that important association information, individual account details and your company’s payment portal are easily accessible will save your team time and save you money. Websites need compelling visuals. Do the websites feature large, vibrant photos of the community? Imagery is an important part of web design. Showcasing photos of the community will help residents connect with the website on an emotional level and will help foster a sense of community pride. How about the background color – is it dark or distracting? Instead, opt for lighter colors that will allow the site’s images to stand out. Going beyond the minimum legal requirements will have maximum payoff for your team’s efficiency and owner satisfaction. (i) Goin, Y. (2017, May 4) Summary of HB 1237, Relating to Condominiums [web log post] Retrieved October 24, 2017, from http://www.floridacondohoalawblog.com
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WHY ADVERTISE WITH NEFL-CAI? Advertising in NEFL-CAI’s quarterly publication, The Community Connection, is your best way to effectively target customers. This is a unique opportunity to highlight your business and increase your organization's visibility. The Community Connection offers several options to fit any budget. You can find more information here or contact Leslie Pragasam, Newsletter Editor, at leslie.pragasam@aquaticsystems.com.
Event Recap
Short Term Rentals
October 19, 2017 - Attorneys Alexandra Amador & Michelle Haines with McCabe Law Group provided and in-depth look into short term rentals and how they impact Association life. The take-home message: regulation is dependent upon the Association's documents. Big thanks to new members, The Lake Doctors, for sponsoring this informative event!
January 2018 | www.neflcai.com | 27
CAI-FLA Capitol Visit November 8, 2017 - One of our hard-working LAC delegates, Pilar Willis Dixon of Brown & Brown of Florida, visited the Capitol and met with some of our Representatives. Below are pictures from her visit.
Rep. George Moraitis
Sen. Dennis Baxley
Rep. Paul Renner
Rep. Heather Fitzenhagen
Florida Legislative Alliance - The CAI Florida Legislative Alliance (CAI FLA), a committee of CAI that is the official voice with legislators and regulators in Florida. CAI FLA exists to speak with one voice on legislative and regulatory matters that affect community associations, community association managers and CAI business partners. CAI FLA is made up of a balance of CAI members and appointees from chapters within the state. CAI FLA is a committee of CAI’s national office and is a partner with CAI’s chapters Florida. Goals of the Alliance - The legislation that CAI FLA monitors, supports, or opposes has a direct impact on community associations. During its recent history, CAI FLA has influenced legislation affecting board and committee operations and covenant enforcement. CAI FLA primarily reviews all house bills and senate bills which affect the Florida Condominium Act, the Florida Property Owners Association Act, and the Florida Cooperative Act and when necessary, immediately sends a legislative alert encouraging all CAI members to contact house members and senate members. CAI FLA is proposing legislation that will serve to strengthen the position of community associations in Florida. Here is a link to the legislative tracking report that outlines the current legislation being monitored by CAI FLA. 28 | THE COMMUNITY CONNECTION
Chapter Annual Meeting November 30, 2017 - It was a full house at our Annual Meeting at Maggiano's Town Center. Outgoing President, Ed Ronsman, reviewed the 2017 events, presented plaques to committee chairs thanking them for their hard work, and announced the 2017 member of the year. The award went to none other than one of our LAC delegates & multiple committee member, Pilar Willis Dixon of Brown & Brown of Florida. Jimmy Dycus praised Ed's leadership, presenting him with an appropriate gavel plaque. He then announced the results of our election & presented the new Board of Directors, Pilar Willis Dixon, Patricia Truax Stewart, & David Robinson.
Annual Gala December 2, 2017 - Donna Clawson & her committee planned a "shocking, positively shocking" James Bond themed Gala held at the Parlor Room in St. Augustine. Without the sponsorship of our wonderful business partners, this event would not have been such a success. A special thank you to Presenting Sponsor, Disaster Consulting Services, & other sponsors, Becker & Poliakoff, Angius & Terry, Insurance Solutions of America, and Envera.
January 2018 | www.neflcai.com | 29
Chapter Meeting January 18, 2018 - New President, Jimmy Dycus, introduced the new CAI board of directors to those in attendance. Past President, Ed Ronsman, and Treasurer, Patricia Truax Stewart, shared how to get the most of your membership & encouraged all in attendance to get more involved. Thanks to new member, Beau Barnett with VerdeGo, for sponsoring the event & delicious breakfast.
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Disclaimer - Information listed reflects that provided from the CAI National Office. Any changes or updates to contact information may be made by logging into your account at www.caionline.org or through the National Office.
PREMIER LISTING AEGIS COMMUNITY MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS, INC. DAVID BURMAN AMS PCAM DAVIDB@AEGISCMS.COM AEGISCMS.COM
ALLIANCE ASSOCIATION BANK PAUL KNUTH PKNUTH@ALLIANCEASSOCIATIONBANK.COM ALLIANCEASSOCIATIONBANK.COM
ALLIED UNIVERSAL SECURITY SERVICES JAMES DYCUS JAMES.DYCUS@AUS.COM AUS.COM
ANGIUS & TERRY, LLP MS. LAURIE SHRADER LSHRADER@ANGIUS-TERRY.COM ANGIUS-TERRY.COM
32 | THE COMMUNITY CONNECTION
Directory PREMIER LISTING
AQUATIC SYSTEMS, INC. LESLIE PRAGASAM LESLIE.PRAGASAM@AQUATICSYSTEMS.COM AQUATICSYSTEMS.COM
BB&T ASSOCIATION SERVICES GEORGIA MILLER GGMILLER@BBANDT.COM BBT.COM
BECKER & POLIAKOFF, P.A. MS. ROBYN M. SEVERS, ESQ. RSEVERS@BPLEGAL.COM BPLEGAL.COM
CASTLE GROUP PATRICIA TRUAX STEWART CMCA AMS PCAM PSTEWART@CASTLEGROUP.COM CASTLEGROUP.COM
Disclaimer - Information listed reflects that provided from the CAI National Office. Any changes or updates to contact information may be made by logging into your account at www.caionline.org or through the National Office.
PREMIER LISTING COMMUNITY ADVISORS, LLC MR. CHARLIE SHEPPARD, RS CSHEPPARD@COMMUNITYADVISORS.COM
FIDUS ROOFING CONSTRUCTION & PAVERS SHANE KOWALCHIK SHANE@THEFIDUSGROUP.COM
GUNSTER, YOAKLOY & STEWART, P.A. THOMAS JENKS TJENKS@GUNSTER.COM GUNSTER.COM
JACKSON LAW GROUP, LL.M., P.A. EDWARD RONSMAN ESQ. INFO@JACKSONLAWGROUP.COM JACKSONLAWGROUP.COM
Directory PREMIER LISTING
LAKE & WETLAND MR. ADAM GRAYSON ADAM.GRAYSON@LAKEANDWETLAND.COM WWW.LAKEANDWETLAND.COM
MAY MANAGEMENT SERVICES, INC. CATIE MARKS CMARKS@MAYRESORT.COM MAYMGT.COM
METRO PROPERTY SERVICES MR. JOHN MOORE FRONTDESK@METROPROPERTYSERVICES.COM METROPROPERTYSERVICES.COM
PPG PAINTS JAY RICHARDS JAY.RICHARDS@PPG.COM PPGPAINTS.COM
January 2018 | www.neflcai.com | 33
Disclaimer - Information listed reflects that provided from the CAI National Office. Any changes or updates to contact information may be made by logging into your account at www.caionline.org or through the National Office.
PREMIER LISTING
Directory PREMIER LISTING
PUROCLEAN EMERGENCY RESTORATION SERVICES RUSSELL BENES RBENES@PUROCLEAN.COM PUROCLEAN.COM
VALLEY NATIONAL BANK CINDY CRAFT DUNLOP CDUNLOP@VALLEYNATIONALBANK.COM VALLEYFLORIDA.COM
SOLITUDE LAKE MANAGEMENT MS. TRACY FLEMING INFO@SOLITUDELAKE.COM SOLITUDELAKEMANAGEMENT.COM
VERDGO MR. BEAU BARNETT BBARNETT@VERDEGO.COM VERDEGO.COM
BASIC LISTING
BASIC LISTING
Alliance C.A.S. Collections Ms. Chelsea Emons chelsea@alliancecas.com
Association Dues Assurance Corp. Mrs. Lynn Manion lmanion@adac.us.com
Amelia Island Management Mr. Robert Campbell Muir, III nick.lambiase@omnihotels.com
Axiom Resources Mr. Ben Hippeli ben@associationcapital.com
Ansbacher Law Mr. Barry B. Ansbacher bba@ansbacher.net
BCM Services, Inc. Mrs. L. Denise Wallace denisew@bcmservices.net
Arthur J. Gallagher Risk Management Mr. David Dawson david_dawson@ajg.com
Brightview Landscape Services Mr. George Rugen george.rugen@brightview.com
ASAP Towing and Storage Mr. Thomas Wimsatt thomas@towingasap.com 34 | THE COMMUNITY CONNECTION
Brown & Brown of FL Ms. Pilar Willis pwillis@bbjax.com
BASIC LISTING Burg Simpson Eldredge Hersh Jardine PC Ms. Michelle Ybarra mybarra@burgsimpson.com Cache Co LLC Ms. Cynthia Paquet cindy@cacheroofing.com Carr, Riggs & Ingram, LLC Mr. Timothy D. Fulmer tfulmer@cricpa.com CertaPro Painters Mr. Jeff Lee jlee@certapro.com CINC Systems Ms. Vickie Johnson, CMCA, AMS vickie@cincsystems.com
BASIC LISTING
BASIC LISTING
BASIC LISTING
Clark Simson Miller Mr. Jason Miller sales@csmhoa.com
Fidelity Bank Ms. Mary E. Price mary.price@lionbank.com
CMC-Jacksonville Ms. Colleen Michelle Griggs cgriggs@cmcjax.com
First Coast Association Management Kipcon, Inc. Ms. Alice Hubbard Mr. Ed Pazden alice@firstcoastam.com epazden@kipcon.com
Coastal Construction Products Mr. Ron Mans rmans@coastalone.com
First Coast Mulch Mr. David Robinson davidr@firstcoastmulch.com
Krystal Klean Mr. Anthony Lewis Morgan tmorgan@krystalklean.com
Coastal Insurance Underwriters, Inc. Mr. Chuck Bushong COLLECTIONS cbushong@ciuins.com
First Federal Bank of Florida Mr. Mike Mickler micklerm@ffbf.com
Larsen & Associates, P.L. Mr. Mark King www.larsenandassociates.com
Community Solutions Management, LLC Ms. Melodye Pitts mail@communitysm.com
FirstService Residential Ms. Lillian Guerrero lillian.guerrero@fsresidential.com
Malarkey Roofing Products Ms. Rachel Garcia rgarcia@malarkeyroofing.com
Fletcher Stein Insurance Agency Ms. Carie Whitcomb cwhitcomb@fletcherstein.com
Martin Home Exteriors Mr. Chris Lentzke chrisl@mhejax.com
Global Solution Partners Mr. Keith Ruehl, RS kruehl@globalsolutionpartners.com
McCabe Law Group, P.A. Mr. Michael John McCabe mccabe@jaxlandlaw.com
Greenway Lawncare Mr. Sasa Popovic contact@greenway-lawncare.com
McCall Services, Inc. Mr. Jerry Hall jhall@mccallservice.com
Herbie Wiles Insurance Mr. Wayne Howell whowell@herbiewiles.com
McGowan Program Administrators Mr. Joel W. Meskin, Esq., CIRMS jmeskin@mcgowanins.com
HomeTeam Pest Defense Mr. Dan Eckman dan.eckman@pestdefense.com
Mutual of Omaha Bank Mr. Keith Collopy keith.collopy@mutualofomahabank.com
Ian H. Graham Insurance Ms. Sylvia Tagle sylvia.tagle@aon.com
Nabr Network Mr. James Garner james.garner@nabrnetwork.com
Jimerson & Cobb, P.A. Mr. Hans Wahl hwahl@jimersoncobb.com
Norman Insurance Advisors, LLC Mr. Andy Norman anorman@normaninsuranceadvisors.com
Custom Tree Surgeons Mr. Scott Washington scottatcts@yahoo.com D. Armstrong Contracting, LLC Mr. Dennis Armstrong dennis@darmstrong.net Driveway Maintenance, Inc. Mr. Kerry Barnes kbarnes@driveway.net Duval Asphalt Ms. Jennifer Garrett jgarrett@duvalasphalt.com Envera Ms. Shar Caballero SCaballero@Enverasystems.com EverBank Ms. Terri Anderson terri.anderson@everbank.com Evergreen Lifestyles Management Mr. Kraig Carmickle kcarmickle@evergreen-lm.com
Kings III Emergency Communications Ms. Candace Harrison charrison@kingsiii.com
January 2018 | www.neflcai.com | 35
BASIC LISTING
BASIC LISTING
BASIC LISTING
North Florida Emulsions Mr. Jeffrey King northflemulsions@bellsouth.net
Rockaway Inc. Mr. Greg Burghardt laurab@rgcjax.com
Sperlonga Data & Analytics Mr. Scott Swanson s.swanson@sperlongadata.com
Owens Corning Ms. Zack Farris zack.farris@owenscorning.com
Sentry Management, Inc. Mr. Gordon Wolfram
Tankel Law Group Mr. Bob Tankel condolawyer@gmail.com
Servpro of Mandarin, the Beaches/ Pacific Premier Bank Ponte Vedra & St. Augustine Ms. Alicia Granados, CMCA, AMS, PCAM Ms. Robin Braddock agranados@ppbi.com robin@servpromandarin.com Popular Association Banking Ms. Molly Hime COLLECTIONS mhime@popular.com
Sherwin-Williams Mr. Linsey Ritch swrep5784@sherwin.com
Property Management Systems, Inc. Mr. Scott William Steffen, CMCA ssteffen@pmsiofflorida.com
Shimp Sign and Design, Inc. Mr. Roy Luster Shimp, Jr. rlshimp@comcast.net
Pursiano Barry Bruce Lavelle, LLP Mr. Jason Bruce, Esq. jbruce@pblbh.com
Southeast Pipe Survey, Inc. Ms. Traci Abel traci@southeastpipe.com
Reserve Advisors Mr. Nick Brenneman nick@reserveadvisors.com
Sovereign & Jacobs Property Management Companies Mrs. Ellen Lumpkin elumpkin@sovereign-jacobs.com
Rizzetta & Company, Inc. Ms. Valerie Bethea
The Lake Doctors, Inc. Mr. Eric Williams eric.williams@lakedoctors.com Union Bank Homeowners Association Services Ms. Amanda Orlando, CMCA amanda.orlando@unionbank.com Vesta Property Services, Inc. Ms. Lea Stokes lstokes@preferredmanagementservic es.net Vote-now.com LLC Mr. James Claiborne jclaiborne@vote-now.com Williams Law Association, P.A. Mr. K.C. Williams III, Esq. kcw@williamspa.com Yellowstone Landscapes Mr. Blaine Peterson bpeterson@austinoutdoor.com
36 | THE COMMUNITY CONNECTION