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Gov. Ron DeSantis wants lawmakers to address the condominium crisis

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during a news conference in the aftermath of the apparent assassination attempt of Republican presidential nominee and former President Donald Trump Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Lynne Sladky/AP
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AP
FILE—Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during a news conference. Sept. 17, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

During a roundtable discussion on the issue Thursday, the governor spoke with Florida condo owners.

Governor Ron DeSantis wants lawmakers to address what he calls a "condominium crisis" before the end of the year.

DeSantis held a roundtable discussion with condo owners and association leaders in Pinellas Park on Thursday.

He said he's ready to call a special session, once the Legislature has good proposals in hand.

“The path forward would be by the end of the year, generating the ideas that the Legislature can take, run with, and produce some reforms that are gonna be sensible," said DeSantis.

Florida condo owners say their insurance and home owners association fees have skyrocketed as a result of a new state law.

The legislation requires all condos 30 years and older to undergo safety inspections by a qualified engineer or architect.

The bill gives most condo owners until Dec. 31 to have those inspections completed, and to set aside reserve accounts for emergency repairs.

Coast Guard boats patrol in front of the partially collapsed Champlain Towers South condo building in Surfside, FL on July 1, 2021.
Mark Humphrey
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AP
Coast Guard boats patrol in front of the partially collapsed Champlain Towers South condo building in Surfside, FL on July 1, 2021.

DeSantis is hopeful lawmakers will step in before that deadline, to help lessen the impact.

“The Legislature isn’t even coming into session until March of next year," explained DeSantis. "That obviously is not appropriate, and it needs to be done before the end of the calendar year. So, I would very much mark your calendar at some point over the next three, three-and-a-half months — something will be done.”

Adrian Andrews is a multimedia journalist with WFSU Public Media. He is a Gadsden County native and a first-generation college graduate from Florida A&M University. Adrian is also a military veteran, ending his career as a Florida Army National Guard Non-Comissioned Officer.

Adrian has experience in print writing, digital content creation, documentary, and film production. He has spent the last four years on the staff of several award-winning publications such as The Famuan, Gadsden County News Corp, and Cumulus Media before joining the WFSU news team.