We all know it, but here in Florida our legislators are plainly unwilling to admit it: The COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION SYSTEM is a total failure. Everybody with even a little common sense has to admit that this system totally fails the homeowners. Especially the bad economy and the total collapse of the real estate market were the final proof needed to show that this system caused nothing but havoc in our housing market. The many ruins, empty homes that can never be used again, roads leading to nowhere -- built by now bankrupt developers -- are a sign that the failure is even worse than anticipated.
Now we are facing the foreclosure disaster, but in a short while Florida will have to add another problem to the long list of disasters that are plaguing our state: The many empty homes and condos all over Florida that are in disrepair caused by mold, vandalism and deliberate destruction. Who will pay for all these ruins that will turn into health hazards for the neighborhood? Air photographs from more or less abandoned communities already are painting a horrible picture. All Courtesy of the Homeowners' Association System!
This system pits neighbors against neighbors. It makes homeowners pay for services for the neighbors who stopped paying. It forces owners to pay for the maintenance of properties that are collateral of banks and/or mortgage companies, the same entities that caused the whole financial misery by their irresponsible lending practices. Is that a system we want to continue?