Building presidents continue dealing with a confusing maze when they try to get property insurance coverage for their condo Association properties. Community leaders learned more details about this ongoing drama at the Oct. 5 meeting of the Hillcrest Leadership Council, which was held at Rec Room II on Hillcrest Court.
According to the president of one low-rise building, his Association went without property insurance for two months. He said building Associations typically renew their policies by the end of June.
The eventual deal, with the state-created Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, came in at $80,000, even though his building has passed it’s 40-year inspection. Citizens was established in 2002 by the state Legislature as an insurer of last resort.
In contrast, another low-rise, that has not yet aced its 40-year inspection, got a property insurance policy for under $55,000. But it’s not clear if the lower-priced policy was for 9, 10 or 12 months. It’s also not known if the building that hasn’t passed its 40-year inspection yet got a policy with higher deductibles than the other low-rise building.
A local lawmaker sat in the audience as this discussion yielded more information. At one point, Hollywood District 6 Commissioner Idelma Quintana noted the complexity of the issue, especially since it is not clear what if anything the state Legislature will do to help homeowners and condo Associations. Quintana added that our State House Representative, Marie Woodson, is working on proposed legislation to see if she can find common ground with politicians who represent vastly different parts of Florida.
During a different part of the meeting, Quintana highlighted some community happenings, including:
1-The Hollywood City Commission issued a proclamation celebrating nearby Miramar Bakery for being in business in Hollywood for 40 years. The Miramar name, she said, comes from a community in Cuba. The bakery is located at 370 S. State Road 7 (behind the Denny’s) on the west side of 441.
2-The Commission will hold a meeting at Orangebrook Elementary School, on Oct. 11. People will be able to discuss matters of concern with commissioners.
3-A fundraiser will also be held before press time at the Washington Park Community Center. It is to raise money to buy toys for needy children.
4-Quintana was proud that Broward County is an international leader in supporting early literacy by participating in Broward Read for The Record. This annual competition consists of a set date for people around the world to read the same chosen book to young children in their community to encourage them to become better readers. You can learn more about the program, or sign up to volunteer, by going to handsonbroward.org.
5-Our Commissioner was also proud that the Hollywood Police Department supports reading programs in community schools. In fact, officers will appear at Hollywood Central Elementary and West Hollywood Elementary School to read “On the Nigh You Were Born.” The book was a favorite of a deceased HPD officer.
In another issue related to the police department, Officer Amanda Maldonado said Hillcrest experienced no crime in September. Putting a cherry on this good-tasting pie, she introduced some officers who started riding their bicycles through Hillcrest on Oct. 5. A different number of officers, at different times, will continue rolling out this program, she said. You can contact Officer Maldonado at amaldonado@hollywoodfl.org.
