Below is a text version of the Post article about illegal construction/activities in Century Village: (https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/news/local/westpb/2023/10/14/are-new-investors-ruining-the-vibe-at-west-palm-beach-century-village/71079592007/) 

 Animosity at Century Village: Are investors and illegal contractor work ruining the vibe? 

Absentee landlords have been buying condos and all too often, they are using unlicensed contractors to do work without permits. 

Mike Diamond Palm Beach Post WEST PALM BEACH — 

This is not your grandfather’s Century Village. The mini-city of more than 7,000 condos and 10,000 people still has its fair share of retirees who take advantage of the multimillion-dollar clubhouse, swim in its pools, participate in its many clubs and enjoy the top-flight entertainment offered throughout the year in its theater.  

But long-time residents and management say investors have changed the demographics, ruining the camaraderie and the close-knit bonds that used to exist among residents. That camaraderie has been replaced by infighting and contentious disputes between year-round residents and absentee owners who have swooped in to buy as many condos as they can. 

 

Some owners are also using unlicensed contractors to do unpermitted work that has been so shoddy that load-bearing walls have been removed, making units unsafe to live in. Six units are currently "red-tagged," meaning that Palm Beach County building officials say no one can reside in them. Each time, a contractor removed a load-bearing wall. There were three other incidents where damage occurred, but it was not serious enough to warrant a red tag. 

 More Century Village units are being used as rentals Many investors bought condos at or about the time COVID struck. A one-bedroom unit could be had for as little as $20,000. Now many of them sell for more than $100,000 and two-bedrooms for $200,000. An ever-increasing number of renters are living in those units. One renter, upset over having to show his driver’s license to a security guard as he entered the complex, has been charged with a felony for separating the gate arm. The incident was caught on video. 

 Built in 1968, the complex lies just west of West Palm Beach in an unincorporated area of the county. The West Palm Beach Century Village was the first of four to be built in Broward and Palm Beach counties. Century Village management and board members declined to comment on the issues, but they reported on them in detail in monthly newsletters that are posted online for anyone to read. 

 Century Village to new owners, renters: You have to play by the rules 

Stew Richland, a vice president of United Community Organizations, the umbrella group that oversees the different condo building associations, wrote: “An ever-increasing number of people buying units have brought with them an attitude that they will and can do anything they want.” Richland added investors are purchasing enough units in some buildings to take control and then adopt policies that favor investors, noting: “This has led to a growing animosity by many residents toward this group.”  

In 2015, the community fought off an effort by an investor to dissolve the Sheffield O association. He had bought many of the units there. H. Irwin Levy, the founder of Century Village, entered the fray, bought out the investor and has since sold all the units the investor owned. Levy recently died at age 97. 

 

The illegal commercial activity includes: A commercial real-estate office. Makeshift car washes have been set up in parking lots. Junk cars are left in the parking lots, causing oil leaks that need to be cleaned. A grocery store, complete with a cash register and commercial shelving. Liquor was also being sold. Code enforcement cited the owner, and management ordered that it close. The incidents were all reported in the monthly newsletter published by the community. A makeshift grocery store operating out of a one-bedroom condo at Century Village in West Palm Beach. The owner was cited by code enforcement and ordered by management to shut down. 

“Our condominium units are intended for people to live in, not to be used for profitable enterprises,” said Don Foster, the director of UCO, in the newsletter. Belinda Flores, a resident of Century Village, complained to The Palm Beach Post about the incidents. “Once investors got a whiff of how cheap they could buy, they swept in like vultures after their prey. They discovered they could resell for up four times what they bought them for. Rentals are so prolific now they are changing the original idea of Century Village being a retirement community.” Flores said the investor-controlled board in her building allowed an owner recently to convert two units into one. The owner serves on the board, she noted. Another investor has bought a unit and plans to to turn it into a recovery center for people who have had surgery, according to Flores. 

Owners using unlicensed workers becoming problem at Century Village Flores lives in Stratford H. She claims unlicensed workers tunneled into the building’s foundation, compromising the building’s integrity. Two units sustained cracks in their walls and ceilings because of the work, she said. 

The Post reported in May 2022 about an incident at one of the Norwich buildings. An owner has become homeless, according to county officials, when the owner of a unit directly below his removed a load-bearing wall in 2021, causing his second floor to become unsafe as the floor sank several inches. 

Doug Wise, director of the county building division, said the problem of homeowners using unlicensed workers has been on the rise throughout the county but has been a special problem at Century Village near West Palm Beach. People need to understand that there is a real price to pay for trying to cut corners this way, he said.

"Far too often we hear horror stories like this coming out of Century Village," said County Mayor Greg Weiss. "These are preventable tragedies, and all you have to do is use common sense. Doing construction work without permits is a violation of the building code and can result in stiff penalties." Weiss said homeowners should only use certified contractors. Information is available by using the website, Myfloridalicense.com or by calling (850) 487-1395. One can also call the Palm Beach County Contractors Certification Division at 561-233-5530. 

 Richard Handelsman