Facts and Myths on Proposed Assessment 2015

May 7th., 2015

On a Town Hall meeting at the Cascade Room Orlando Herrera, 805S,   presented “Facts and Myths” on the new assessment 2015 for the Aquarius Condominium. The new assessment is of about $ 4,000,000.00.

Here some of the content presented:

• “We are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided.”
  ― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
• “All for one and one for all, united we stand divided we fall.”   ― Alexandre Dumas, The Three Musketeers
• “You are not entitled to your opinion. You are entitled to your informed opinion. No one is entitled to be ignorant.”    ― Harlan Ellison
• “Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.”     ― Martin Luther King Jr.
• “There is nothing more frightful than ignorance in action.”       ― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
• To make decisions without clear understanding and without investigation, are considered uneducated decisions and will lead to regrets later on!

Questions and concerns that many people have regarding the valet deck reconstruction

• 1. Why do they need to spend $2,099,015. in the valet deck reconstruction and no less?
• 2. I have heard that this new board did not get more than 1 bid and it is using one contractor without going through at least a 3 bid process. Is this true?
• 3. How do we know that CSI is giving us the lowest price possible and that no one is getting kickbacks?
• 4. The new board is not disclosing any information to any unit owner. Is that true?
• 5. Why is this board collecting all of the money in one year?
• 6. I have heard that this project is overinflated. Is this true?
• 7. I have heard that CSI started the project without a permit? What really happened there?
• 8. I have heard that the current assessment is not legal. What is the truth about this?
• Contraproductive actions result Aquarius Condo. Association loosing time and money.

 Answering the hypothetical questions:

1. Why do they need to spend $2,099,015. in the valet deck reconstruction and no less?

Click in any picture to enlarge and show gallery. Click in the x top left to come back to page.

2.      I have heard that this new board did not get more than 1 bid and it is using one contractor without going through at least a 3 bid process. Is this true?

The Aquarius Condo. Ass. invited 5 firms to bid. The Aquarius received 4 proposals to the Scope of Work prepared by ACG. ACG is the firm giving The Aquarius engineering technical support and consulting.

The proposals received for work in 4 phases maintaining Lobby Entrance operating  (Cost rounded up to thousands) click in the title of the bidder for details of the proposal:

CSI – Contracting Specialists Inc               $ 2.099.000.00    Victor

Structural Preservation Systems                             $ 2.225.000.00

RTI – Restoration Technology Inc.                          $ 2.137.000.00

Carousel Development and Restoration               $ 2.342.000.00

CSI Contract Abstract  of April 21, 2015

3.     How do we know that CSI is giving us the lowest price possible and that no one is getting kickbacks?

Inviting 5 firms to bid in the project is considered a good practice in the competitive contract field. The “Request for Proposal” was able to secure 4 firm offers. After awarding the contract to the lowest bid it was possible to negotiate a small reduction.

The contract establishes penalties for delays and anticipates no Change Orders that have increased the cost of past projects.

4.    The new board is not disclosing any information to any unit owner. Is that true?

All the documentation posted here was obtained with full cooperation from the Board of Directors and the General Manager in a timely and courteous manner.

5.     Why is this board collecting all of the money in one year?

6.   I have heard that this project is over inflated. Is this true?

Here some documents that help to substantiate the need for the monies in the Special Assessment of 2015

Past Central Air Conditioning Repairs Expenses of an aging set of machines:

2013   $ 59,854

2014    $ 67,921

2015    $ 20,472  so far (April 2015)

Additional estimates and bids (RFP’s) are being prepared. Additional documentation available at the Management Office.

7.      I have heard that CSI started the project without a permit? What really happened there?

The general permits were secured in a timely manner. Some small details, brought to the attention of the City Inspectors, have determined delays and additional cost. In normal conditions these additional City Permits would not be required.

8.    I have heard that the current assessment is not legal.  What is the truth about this?

• To answer this question, I would suggest for all of us to read what Florida State Law says about it:
• Florida Statutes 718.112(c)(1): “…Notice of any meeting in which regular or special assessments against unit owners are to be considered must specifically state that assessments will be considered and provide the nature, estimated cost, and description of the purposes for such assessments…”

• Counterproductive actions result Aquarius Condo. Association loosing time and money.

Some Aquarius Condo. Members went to the City of Hollywood to complain about the planned improvements. The City inspectors fine combed the existing permits -usually enough to proceed with the work. The result was additional detailed permits required.

This is an example of what can happen to Aquarius Condo if the our fellow residents keep fighting and working against each other.  It was told to Orlando Herrera by a long time owner of Arlen Beach Condo:

“”The existing Board at that time in Arlen Beach condo located at 5701 Collins Av. In Miami Beach passed a special assessment for $2.7 million around 2006 and was recalled. The new Board came in and a legal case ensued between the old and new Board over the Special Assessment and major repairs needed. The Court ordered the building to be fully inspected by the City/County and parts of the building we red flagged and repairs had to be done immediately. A special assessment was passed, under Court Order, for $8.5 million [255 units] with the following payment schedule, a one bedroom $21k, two bedroom $24k – payable in 14 equal monthly payments.

And the Association was required to report to a Special Magistrate periodically until all work was completed and the Court received sign off by the City/County and engineers.””

Arlen Beach Condominium, Miami Beach, Florida

“Those who choose to ignore the past are condemned to repeat it.”

George Santayana

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