Pool Bathrooms

Our pool bathrooms are finally being remodeled( good thing ). Here is the problem, he board and the management never notified the home owners that the pools were going to be closed. No notices were sent out at all. We also dont know how much this is costing us because in the last budget meeting the last proposal was never approved because the company was not licensed and insured. This was discovered by the previous management company.
I took a walk to the pools and did not see any permits posted on the doors or walls of the pool area. I had left several messages for the management company to call me because I have questions but yet to receive a call back. My concern is that if one of the workers gets huirt can they sue us?.
Also if I call the county Inspector and not permits have been pulled, who gets hit with the fine? The property management or the association?
There is 2 white pickup trucks no company names on them and they are doing plumbing, electrical and tile work.
What can we do?

Have you, Hector, made a written request to mgmt. to give you a copy of the contract? this might answer some of your questions.

Hector, you should report your suspicion that work is being done without the proper permits to your county building department. In my county they'd have an inspector out here in less than 24 hours. As for fines, it depends. My county prefers compliance to fines but they would still issue a stop-work order. If the project was brought into compliance in a couple of months the county typically waives the fine. Your county maybe does things differently. If there ultimately a fine levied then the HOA would have to pay it out of the operating funds.

This is a potentially serious situation. Would the association's insurance policies pay if it was determined that unlicensed and/or uninsured contractors were being employed? Probably not and that would be bad news.

What are you trying to accomplish? If you call in the building inspector it may delay the project and add to the cost. Unless I knew otherwise I would trust it was being done properly and wouldn't second guess.

Royal I agree with you but Hector did not say he does not know permits have not been pulled.

That would be a most regrettable course of action.

I dont know why some may think I'm looking to be mad at something or anything.
I was on the board as treasure and there were too many questinable activities and HOA violations of our by laws which led me to step down. I'm paying the association $1,596.00 a year on time and a year in advance for their services and nothing is being done. So lets begin and then you see why we and myself are so angry at this board.
When inwas treasure I found and requested the following:

1-Costco membership card check payments for the president and his wife.( no successfully continues.
I asked to hold the membership card and was quickly rejected.

2-Lowes Credit Card made to our community and the president is the one who holds it and he also works at lowes part time. I asked if I can hold it as I was treasure and was quickly rejected.

3- Every single memeber of the board is signing checks. Goberning documents state that the treasure is the one responsible for the signing of the checks. I asked that we narrow it down to the president and treasure and again rejected. So that means if one decides not to sign a check for some reason, then they pass the check to someone else to sign.

4-Contracted repairs and estimates:
The only bids that were cceptable were the bids from people he knows.

5- in May of 2018, I was able to negotiate a contract for our community with Comcast for ease of access. I got us from $70,000 to $82,000.
We all agree that the funds were to be used for capital improvements which we need and now that money is nowhere to be found. I asked the president when are the capital improvents are going to commence and he stated that the funds have been depleted. I was shocked and amazed, hen I asked how he stated for hurricane repair damages. That information is incorrect, we got hit in September and we were all cleaned up by late November. We got the check in May...where is the funds? He said ask the property manager...huh?

Can anyone see why. M.acting the way I am?
Where is our money going?
Why does our community continue to look run down?
Why are homeowners and renters violating our bylaws and the board memebers are just sitting back and doing nothing?
The board memebers are as follows:

The president ( who is an association employee)
Vice President( his best friend)
Secretary ( the presidents wife, yes they own 2 properties)
New Treasure an elderly man who say yes to everything and I belive they take advantage of him. When i was onnthe board I had to sit and explain everything to him.
I'm angy,fustrated, annoyed. We need new board memebers we can never have a quorum, they been on board for 8 years. We have 7 people who want to serve, there is alot of colusion and we are basically stuck. My home is paid off and I dont want to sell and move but it looks like thats going to have to be my only option.

-- From reviewing conditions that require a permit in Florida and Miami-Dade County, at this time I cannot tell if a permit is required for this bathroom renovation. Call 311 and ask to speak to someone about whether this renovation requires a permit. See https://www8.miamidade.gov/global/311.page

-- If the renovation is in progress and you find that a permit is required or a license or insurance is lacking, then per the counsel of a HOA attorney where I am, the HOA stopping the contractor's work is a breach of contract. It can cause significant problems. This HOA attorney where I am said to not cancel the contract with a certain small company lacking workers comp insurance (required by state law where I am and the covenants, if memory serves). Let him finish the work. Then do not hire him again until the workers comp insurance is in place.

-- The failure to notify people in advance that the pool would be closed is the stuff of kvetching to your neighbors or maybe raising politely at an open board meeting or in an email to management.

"Typical" county (A/H/J) wording:



An incorporated municipality would have its' own requirements WITHIN the county.

ps. corporations are (99.9%) considered and treated as persons