Posted on 07/06/2011 3:37:39 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Condo board tells elderly woman to upgrade condo or get foreclosed on
Sarah Eisenberg has lived through many storms in her 96 years, but the ominous forecast she faces these days comes from the association that runs her condominium.
Eisenberg said that she has been told that if she doesn't pay to upgrade to hurricane windows and doors, the association will foreclose on her Fort Lauderdale unit.
The cost is $6,500, a price tag too expensive for a senior citizen on a fixed income, Eisenberg said. She gets $1,500 per month from her Social Security check.
"They want $2,000 for a door," Eisenberg said. "In the White House there isn’t a door for $2,000."
The cooperative board said Wednesday that the notices Eisenberg has received are legal and comply with the Broward County code. The board president declined to comment further on the issue.
Eisenberg, a retired swimmer and teacher, has lived in the condo unit for 12 years and said she has hurricane shutters that have protected the unit against storms.
But last year, the coop began sending notices to the complex's residents that they needed to start upgrading. Letters recently sent to Eisenberg said she was nine months late on the renovations to her condo.
Some of the letters come off as threatening, she said.
One sent in April from the coop director said, "It is our hope you immediately enter into a contract as required, so that you may be spared the legal process that will ensue."
The coop took it a step further last month and notified Eisenberg they might place a lien against her property and "if necessary foreclose the lien, the letter said.
"They said that they sent me a notice that I am in violation. I pay my maintenance and I have never been in default," Eisenberg said. "My home is my life."
A good point. But it’s well known that Florida is about the only State where a house is not part of bankruptcy proceedings, and the “legislative intent” is that it is extremely hard to take someone’s house within local and State law. Federal law, of course, which is very pro-home seizure, for a whole litany of reasons, still applies.
There is no such reality whatsoever..Unless you have substantive proof of your allegation then it's best you just leave this subject and lady alone........
The chances of a major hurricane hitting Fort Lauderdale prior to her passing away is rather low.
Just wait her out.
The condo association has a valid reason to order hurricane windows. Windows blown out in Hurricanes have the effect of increasing the forces on the building's lateral bracing system over those buildings that retain intact windows. It's possible they could lose the building or at least sustain a lot of internal damage because of blown out windows.
On the chances, statistics are made by past events. One just never knows when that 1/100 chance event will strike.
The chances of a major hurricane hitting Fort Lauderdale prior to her passing away is rather low.
Just wait her out.
The condo association has a valid reason to order hurricane windows. Windows blown out in Hurricanes have the effect of increasing the forces on the building's lateral bracing system over those buildings that retain intact windows. It's possible they could lose the building or at least sustain a lot of internal damage because of blown out windows.
On the chances, statistics are made by past events. One just never knows when that 1/100 chance event will strike.
She's collecting Social Security which means she didn't participate in a public school teachers union. Reads to me she was in the private school system.
She's collecting Social Security which means she didn't participate in a public school teachers union. Reads to me she was in the private school system.
She's collecting Social Security which means she didn't participate in a public school teachers union. Reads to me she was in the private school system.
I got an idea, maybe you should assume she taught in a Christian school for handicapped orphans and gave half of her merger salary to missionaries in the Sudan, and campaigned for Ronald Reagan...twice! Geez, the only thing you should have assumed is that she is a female and over 95! Give the old woman a break. Regardless of her politics she doesn’t need this stress.
The chances of a major hurricane hitting her town in the next 10 years is around 10%. The chance of her being dead in 10 years is around 99.998%.
Whatever happened to neighbors, friends, churches and even the homeowners assoc. holding a fund raiser or two to help this poor women pay for this?
There are so many ways to aid this woman the lack of suggestions, both in the body of the story and from freepers is digusting. The local media here make a habit of announcing both fund raisers and the information guiding donations to funds that have been set up at banks to aid people with medical needs, etc.
Heck, Jimmy carter could take care of this all by himself, if genuine compassion was his goal.
Or hold a bake sale.
Anyway, good solutions!
I was glad the first post wasn’t about how it was so mean of the condo association to make her pay.
You forgot #4:
Break the kneecaps of the a$$ who is harassing an old lady over bullcrap. I swear, it’s time to start handling some issues in an extralegal manner.
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