This blog has been superseded by the new blog https://unitedcivic.org/
Tuesday, February 20, 2024
Tuesday, February 13, 2024
Iguanas
IS there any plan in place or being contemplated to address the ever growing iguana population here at CV WPB? it seems the populationis exploding before our eyes from what I read, they can cause extensive damage by their burrowing into shorelines.
Wednesday, December 27, 2023
Monday, December 25, 2023
Sunday, December 24, 2023
I would like to invite you to visit the Board Synergy Club. We formed in July with the vision that "Every board has a well-informed and capable board." One of our accomplishments in 2023 was the creation of a website for Century Village residents. The website can be viewed by clicking on this link: Board Synergy Club Webite.
Our next meeting is January 4th at 1:30pm in Cardroom B in the Clubhouse. We typically meet every Thursday @ 1:30 in the clubhouse.
One of our priorities for 2024 is implementing a voluntary Board Accreditation Process. We have found an experienced accreditation board that is excited to help us implement a Board Accreditation program here. We will work with parties with a vested interest in Century Village to develop Community Standards for all associations in Century Village. Below describes how this has been implemented in a very similar community to ours.
The primary objectives of these standards are to ensure that the Associations:
- act in accordance with their governing documents and with state and federal laws.
- demonstrate sufficient financial resources to their Owners, to potential buyers, and to the community at large in order to maintain their property and to administer their operations in a responsibly economic manner that benefits the community as a whole Condominium Associations are encouraged to apply for Accreditation to confirm that they meet the community standards.
Accreditation Process
- Condominium Associations, with approval from their Boards, apply to go through the accreditation process.
- The Accreditation Committee then meets with the Association Board to review required documentation.
- Associations that do not meet the standards will be offered mentoring and assistance to remedy deficiencies in Order to achieve excellence.
- Associations that are accredited will receive a plaque and a certificate and recognition throughout the community via The Reporter, real estate agencies, etc.
Advantages of Accreditation:
- Demonstrates that the Associations operate in the best interests of their Owners
- Allows Owners and potential Buyers to know that the Associations maintain sufficient financial resources and that they operate in accordance with state and federal law.
- Creates a more valuable community and potentially raises property values.
- Gives Associations the privilege to advertise and affirm their strive for excellence.
- Creates documentation that serves as a guideline for Presidents of all Associations to realize what they should achieve and to know that they are in compliance with the standards when they have been accredited.
Wednesday, December 20, 2023
Monday, December 18, 2023
Sunday, December 17, 2023
Friday, December 15, 2023
Hot water heater replacemenr
WOuld like to hear from a CV WPB resident who replaced their hot water heater and had a favorable experience with the installer. IF there is such a thing LOL if so, company name and total cost would be very helpful.
Monday, December 11, 2023
West Palm's Century Village entities settle $7 million suit alleging murder could have been prevented
WEST PALM BEACH
West Palm's Century Village entities settle $7 million suit alleging murder could have been prevented
Security at Century Village had pictures of a man that was believed to pose a threat to a unit owner. Yet he was allowed to enter the community, allegedly stabbing the girlfriend to death.
In addition, United Civic Organization (UCO), an umbrella organization of the more than 300 condo associations at Century Village, agreed to pay another $1 million to settle the civil case filed in Palm Beach County Circuit Court after Jenie Barbato, 63, was found stabbed to death in her condominium in September 2020.
While details of the settlement have not been disclosed in court records, The Palm Beach Post has obtained a copy of an email from the UCO insurer, AssuredPartners, to the UCO treasurer, Ed Grossman, discussing the details. In settling the case, the security company — Platinum Security Group — did not acknowledge guilt for the incident.
“Cases like this can play badly in front of sympathetic juries so they are often settled,” said Phillip Masi of AssuredPartners in explaining why the defendants agreed to settle the case. Phone calls placed to Masi were not returned, and Grossman declined to comment. Efforts to obtain comment from attorneys involved in the civil suit were unsuccessful.
According to Masi’s email, UCO’s insurance policy will cover its $1 million payment.
Robert Murray, 58, has been charged with first-degree murder and armed burglary in the death of Barbato, who police say was stabbed 11 times. Murray's criminal trial is scheduled for May 31, 2024.
In September 2021, Melisa Grace, the daughter of Barbato, filed a lawsuit on behalf of her mother's estate accusing Platinum Security Group, UCO, Seacrest Services (a management company) and W.P.R.F., a company that oversees recreational amenities, of negligence.
According to depositions filed with the court, Platinum Security acknowledged that Murray should not have been allowed to come into Century Village. Grace, concerned that Murray might harm her mother, provided the company with pictures of Murray, requesting that he be turned away. The pictures were posted at the guardhouse.
Grace
said in her deposition that that it took several days before a UCO
administrator returned her calls to discuss her concerns about
Murray, and the risk he posed to the community and her mother. About
a month earlier, Murray punched Barbato in the face, giving her a
black eye, according to her daughter’s deposition He also placed a
knife to her throat.
Grace's civil complaint alleged the defendants failed to:
employ enough security guards
monitor security devices
guard and protect residents from “an unreasonable risk of harm”
implement adequate security policies
and properly train employees
The defendants responded to the lawsuit claiming that Barbato “knew of the existence of the danger” posed by Murray and “voluntarily exposed herself to the danger.”
Barbato's death is the first homicide reported at Century Village in West Palm Beach, according to security officials. The retirement community is home to more than 10,000 people.
posted by Richard Handelsman
Thursday, December 7, 2023
Tuesday, December 5, 2023
Sunday, December 3, 2023
New Stiffer State Mandates for Condo Associations
Florida Bill 154:
New State Requirements/Mandates
Impacting
Century Village's 309 Condo Associations
(Note: Although the bill presently applies to buildings of three+ stories, (a) predictions are that its requirements will be extended to all condo structures; (b) insurance companies want these requirements met)
The Bill
(1) states that all owners of a mixed-ownership building in which portions of the building are subject to the condominium or cooperative form of ownership are responsible for ensuring compliance and must share the costs of the inspection;
(2) orders that a building that reaches 30 years of age before December 31, 2024, to have a milestone inspection before December 31, 2024;
(3) authorizes the local enforcement agencies that are responsible with enforcing the milestone inspection requirements the option to set a 25-year inspection requirement if justified by local environmental conditions
(4) authorizes the local enforcement agency to extend the inspection deadline for a building upon a petition showing good cause that the owner or owners of the building have entered into a contract with an architect or engineer to perform the milestone inspection and it cannot reasonably be completed before the deadline;
(5) permits local enforcement agencies to accept an inspection and report that was completed before July 1, 2022, if the inspection and report substantially comply with the milestone requirements; however, associations must still comply with the unit owner notice requirements, and if a local enforcement agency accepts a previous inspection as a milestone inspection, the deadline for a subsequent 10-year re-inspection is based on the date of a previous inspection;
(6) provides that the inspection services may be conducted by a team of design professionals with an architect or engineer acting as a registered design professional in responsible charge;
(7) states that the condominium or cooperative association is responsible for all costs associated with the inspection attributable to the portions of the building for which it is responsible under the governing documents of the association;
(8) requires associations to give unit owners notice about the inspection deadlines, electronically or by posting on the association’s website, within 14 days after they receive the initial milestone inspection notice from local enforcement agency;
(9) require the milestone inspector to submit a phase two progress report to the local enforcement agency within 180 days of submitting the phase one inspection report; and
(10) clarifies that an association must distribute a copy of the summary of the inspection reports to unit owners within 45 days of its receipt.(11)requires associations to base a budget adopted on or after January 1, 2025, on the findings and recommendations of the association’s most recent SIRS;
(12) requires reserves for the SIRS items for which the association is responsible under the condominium declaration;
(13) clarifies that reserves for replacement costs do not need to be maintained for any item with an estimated remaining useful life of greater than 25 years, but the SIRS study may recommend a deferred maintenance expense amount for such item;
(14) states that the SIRS recommendation must include a reserve funding schedule;
(15) allows associations complete the SIRS simultaneously with the milestone inspection, but the associations must complete the SIRS by December 31, 2026; and
(16) permits associations to satisfy the SIRS requirement with a previous milestone inspection, or an inspection performed for a similar local requirement, if the inspection had been performed within the previous five years. (17) And, finally, effective July 1, 2027, the bill permits condominium owners to use the mediation process in this section for specified disputes related to compliance with the milestone inspection or SIRS requirements.
Richard Handelsman.
Excerpted from https://www.flsenate.gov/Committees/billsummaries/2023/html/3187. Or simply google Florida SB154 for more details)
Sunday, November 26, 2023
Wednesday, November 22, 2023
Monday, November 20, 2023
Sunday, November 19, 2023
Friday, November 17, 2023
Sunday, November 12, 2023
Thursday, November 9, 2023
Tuesday, November 7, 2023
Sunday, November 5, 2023
Saturday, November 4, 2023
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