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RICHARD WHITE

Title: Columnist - Real Estate
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Recent Work

Richard White: What can be done to get leaking water heater problems resolved? Published 10/23/2011 at 4 a.m.
Q. A hot water heater leaked into other units. The water heater is located in the center of the unit in a closet. The water traveled down plumbing inside the condominium walls to other units causing mold and drywall damage ...
Richard White: Where can I find information on directors receiving kickbacks? Published 01/01/2011 at 6 a.m.
Where can I find information on directors receiving kickbacks?
Richard White: Neighbor’s clunker may be violating county codes Published 11/06/2010 at 6 a.m.
Neighbor’s clunker may be violating county codes
Richard White: Can condo and master association start foreclosure action? Published 10/30/2010 at 6 a.m.
Can condo and master association start foreclosure action?
Richard White: Rewriting documents can be very costly Published 10/23/2010 at 6 a.m.
Rewriting documents can be very costly
Richard White: State website or telephone call will provide copy of statutes Published 10/16/2010 at 6 a.m.
State website or telephone call will provide copy of statutes
Richard White: It is very time consuming and expensive to change documents Published 10/09/2010 at 6 a.m.
It is very time consuming and expensive to change documents
Richard White: There are different methods to determine replacement value Published 09/11/2010 at 6 a.m.
There are different methods to determine replacement value
Richard White: Reserves needed for home values and resale Published 05/29/2010 at 6 a.m.
Reserves needed for home values and resale.
Richard White: Rental program for storage area is recommended Published 05/24/2010 at 8:53 a.m.
Rental program for storage area is recommended.
Duties of association are found in documents Published 01/02/2010 at 6 a.m.
Duties of association are found in documents
Richard White: Short sale has nothing to do with delinquent amounts Published 10/17/2009 at 6 a.m.
Short sale has nothing to do with delinquent amounts
Richard White: Overpayment of special assessment is payable to new owner Published 08/15/2009 at 5 a.m.
Richard White: Send a certified letter to request financial records Published 11/02/2008 at 1 a.m.
Q. Our management company has ignored several homeowner requests to review the financials for our HOA. Phone calls are transferred to an answering machine.
Richard White: New developer responsible for compliance of existing documents Published 07/27/2008 at midnight
Q. I am the community representative on my condominium’s board. Our community is a 300-unit condominium complex that has 72 unsold units.
Richard White: Owner responsible for notification of address change, late fee payment Published 07/20/2008 at midnight
Q. My question is this. I may have forgotten to give my management company my forwarding address when I moved in 2005. Their invoice was apparently forwarded in 2006 as the dues were paid.
Richard White: Parliamentarian not crucial for running a good meeting Published 07/30/2006 at 12:01 a.m.
Q. Is a parliamentarian appropriate for a condominium board or would a governance committee be more appropriate? A. Many association documents require that meetings be held in accordance to Roberts Rules, parliamentary procedures.
Richard White: Board has responsibility to keep insurance up to date Published 07/23/2006 at 12:01 a.m.
Q. As the units and properties in a condominium association become worth more and will cost more to repair or restore, who’s responsible to keep the insurance value up to date? From the stories I hear, a major repair could ...
Richard White: Minutes of a meeting need not be verbatim Published 07/16/2006 at 12:01 a.m.
Q. Two directors and I are concerned about the verbatim recording of our minutes. The seven-member board operates under Robert’s Rules of Order. The secretary insists that every word spoken at board meetings must be recorded in the minutes. The ...
Richard White: Try conversation with unruly neighbor Published 07/09/2006 at 12:01 a.m.
Q. I live in a homeowner association. Recently, my neighbor decided he does not like us. They try to stop the kids from the neighborhood playing in our yard since the children talk and are loud when they play. He ...
Richard White: Board can approve surveillance installation Published 07/02/2006 at 12:01 a.m.
Q. Can the board of directors of a condominium vote for, and approve, the installation of a surveillance camera system that includes several cameras, conduit and wiring within the common areas of the complex? Alternatively, does the installation of a ...
Richard White: Games and toys cause stir at association Published 06/25/2006 at midnight
Q. Our HOA is attempting to update our CC&Rs (documents). One section in part reads, no basketball backboards and any other fixed games and play structures shall be erected. The committee is contemplating removing the word fixed. My thought is ...
Richard White: Plywood not best option for storm protection Published 06/18/2006 at midnight
Q. We live in a small condominium association. I cannot find anything in our documents or the rules that we are not allowed to use plywood on our windows during a hurricane. We have put them up in the past ...
Richard White: Associations must register with state each year Published 06/11/2006 at 12:04 a.m.
Q. I live in a town home association of fewer than 50 units. Our documents are on file at the county courthouse. We just had some work done on our retention ponds and stormwater system. The water management district said ...
Richard White: Registered agent is an important post Published 06/04/2006 at midnight
Q. Can you tell me what a register agent is for and what his duty is? Our register agent resigned and would not give us any information what his duties were. We are a new board of directors and need ...
Richard White: Owner may be out of luck with satellite dish Published 05/28/2006 at midnight
Q. I have a condominium and reside there part time. We have cable TV through the association but would like to have satellite, which the association does not allow. I thought there was a law stating that an apartment or ...
Richard White: Speakerphone can be used by absent board member Published 05/21/2006 at midnight
Q. A board member cannot make the meeting, but they have asked that another board member vote for them. I advised that this cannot be done. The only way possible is to have a speakerphone and have the missing member ...
Richard White: Certain reports must be filed each year Published 05/14/2006 at midnight
Q. According to the state Web site, our condominium has an inactive status. Both the compliance for the state DBPR and the registered agent have expressed concern about this. What would be the legal ramifications for this? A. Each year ...
Richard White: Radon gas situation must be addressed Published 05/07/2006 at midnight
Q. We currently have a situation where one of our ground floor condominiums has been listed for sale. The seller rarely opened the doors or windows because of previous health problems. The buyer had a property inspection that indicated the ...
Richard White: Gated security is a strong selling point Published 04/30/2006 at midnight
Q. Do you have any statistics that show whether mandatory private country club membership in a gated community is a positive or negative for the community, especially as regards to resale? A. My answer is supported mostly on my experience ...
Richard White: Individual owners must insure personal property Published 04/23/2006 at midnight
Q. In Chapter 718.111.11.3b, it indicates items which an association can exclude from insurance coverage. It continues in 3c to state that all real or personal property located within the boundaries of the unit owner’s unit which is excluded from ...
Richard White: Internet has all the ‘confidential’ details of your home sale Published 04/16/2006 at midnight
Q. When I bought my home, the association asked for a copy of the sales contract and the purchase information. I did not want to provide the details of the sale because I thought it was personal business. Is it ...
Richard White: Members must write for permission to speak at meeting Published 04/09/2006 at midnight
Q. I live in a small homeowner association. Each month, a footnote is placed at the bottom of our meeting notice that says, “Members wishing to speak on any agenda item must file a written notice prior to the meeting.” ...
Richard White: Do-it-yourselfer still must pay assessment Published 04/02/2006 at midnight
Q. During Hurricane Wilma, our community suffered a lot of damage with trees down and to roofs and the fence around the property. I waited to see the repairs the association would make regarding the fence on our property that ...
Richard White: Is move from concrete to glass a material change? Published 03/26/2006 at midnight
Q. I live in a condominium on the ocean beach, and our balcony has been damaged by concrete railing breakage. The total cost for this will be around $1 million for the entire building. The board is considering glass railings ...
Richard White: Community looks into possibility of self-insurance Published 03/19/2006 at midnight
Q. We have a community of more than 1,000 homes; many of them are older than 20 years. We are limited in obtaining insurance. Does Florida allow the association to form an insurance pool and become self-insured? Our experience ratio ...
Richard White: No one wants to serve as board president Published 03/12/2006 at midnight
Q. Our association is able to seat a new board; however, no one on that board which will be seated at our annual meeting next month is willing to serve as president. I have been president for the past two ...