Florida Legislative Updates   There has been a number of new Florida Statutes that have been passed or amended in recent months that directly affect Condominium and Homeowner Associations. Below is a brief summary of a selection of these and how they affect associations.  Required Notice to Tenants (House Bill 83.561): A bona fide tenant must be given at least 30 days' notice before being evicted from a foreclosed home.  Voting Rights Suspensions (720.305(4) & 718.303): An association may now suspend the voting rights of a member or unit due to non-payment of any fee, fine or other monetary obligation due to the association which is more than 90 days delinquent.   Fines (718.303(3)(B)): Prohibits board members and individuals residing in a board member's household from serving on a Fining Committee. The new law also requires a community associations Board of Director's, not it's Fining Committee, to levy a fine. The Fining Committee's authority is limited to rejecting or approving the fine levied by the Board.  Damage Not Caused by Insurable Event (718.111(11)(J)): Clarifies damage not caused by an insurable event is not automatically an association responsibility. Instead, the unit owner or the association is responsible for non-insurable events according to reconstruction, repair or replacement provisions of the associations Governing Documents. (Affects Condominium Associations Only).  Board Member Delinquencies/Eligibility (720.306(9)(B)): Any person who is delinquent in the payment of any financial obligation as of the last day he or she could nominate himself or herself to the board, is not eligible to be a candidate and may not be listed on the ballot. (Affects Homeowner Associations Only).

C.A.M.S. Association Management | 1037 State Road 7, Suite 302, Wellington, FL 33414 | 561.738.0061 | www.CamsManagement.com

Cybercriminals ... Is Your Company's Data At Risk?

As cybercrime continues to rapidly increase it is important to protect both you and you're businesses interests online. A survey by the National Small Business Association in 2014 reported that 61% of small businesses surveyed had been the victims of cybercrime. The average cost of recovering from a cyber-attack was $20,752 in 2014. C.A.M.S has teamed up with 3C Network Consultants to bring you the following advice on how to avoid a cyber-attack. 

Basic Rules For Online Safety

#1 - "If you didn't go looking for it, don't install it". We are always getting hit with pop-ups telling us to install software, or download a program. Don't fall for it, you should only install software or browser add-ons if you have researched them and specifically went looking for them.  

#2 - "If you installed it, update it". It is vitally important to keep programs such as Java, Adobe PDF Reader and Quicktime up-to date on your systems. Hackers are constantly attacking flaws in widely-installed software programs. 

#3 - "If you no longer need it, remove it". Over the course of time we download and install hundreds of programs on our computers. Not only does this seriously effect the speed of our systems, it also multiplies the amount of software hackers can use to access our computers if we do not keep the programs up to date with the latest security upgrades. 

#4 - "Be wary of email attachments and links". If you receive an attachment or link from somebody you don't know, then don't open it! Spam email's are an easy way to hack our computer systems. Be wary of any email asking for personal information; companies will never ask for banking details via email. 

Basic Rules For Network Safety

 

#1 - Strengthen Your Password. The stronger your password is, the safer you are, simple! Strong passwords should be a mix of upper and lower case letters, numbers and symbols. Never use your name, birthday or company information as this information can be easy to guess. 

#2 - Harden Your Network. The more defenses you have on your network the more secure it will be. Install security patches, use a firewall, keep antivirus software up to date and use encryption on your wireless access points (AP). 

#3 - Backup, Backup, Backup. Date loss can be very, very costly to small and medium size businesses. It is vital to have a backup and disaster recovery strategy. You should ensure you are performing both on-site and remote

Sergio Fernandez, CEO of 3CNC

 backups regularly and be checking to make sure they are successful each time. 

C.A.M.S would like to thank Sergio Fernandez

for this article. Sergio is the CEO of 3C Network Consultants. For more advice on how to protect yourself from cybercriminals, you can reach Sergio via email at AskMe@3CNC.com or visit www.3CNC.com. 

Don't Let Unscathed 

Lead to Unpreparedness 

The last hurricane to hit Florida was Wilma in 2005, which is great news, of course. But along with 10 years of good luck comes a natural sense of apathy that can creep in if we let it.

Following are the Department of Homeland Security's tips for hurricane preparedness for residential communities, with a little extra C.A.M.S. insight thrown in for good measure.

1. Create an emergency preparedness kit.

Build an emergency kit for the front office with essential supplies like a flashlight, blanket, fire extinguisher, battery-powered radio, whistle, first aid kit, basic hand tools and a gallon of water per person per day for at least 3 days for drinking and sanitation. Urge your residents to do the same.   

2. Familiarize yourself with the property.

Residents and staff should be familiar with the property on which they live and work, including elevation levels that could be affected by storm surge or tidal flooding, as well as levees, dams and drainage areas.

3. Establish a communications plan.

Publicize the best ways to communicate should power and landlines fail. Also prepare multiple backup communication plans should initial backup modes of communication fail. 

4. Secure the property to minimize damage.

Both the association and residents should have protection for windows and other vulnerable building features prepared and stored for easy access before the first hint of a named storm begins brewing, and a means in place to install them. A day before landfall is not the time to go shopping for plywood or begin calling around for a handyman to install your storm shutters if you're unable to do it yourself. 

5. Prepare the exterior of the property.

Airborne objects hurtling at breakneck speed---from coconuts to seemingly harmless debris---that you wouldn't be willing to stop with your body should be cleared from the property or otherwise battened down. This includes dead or dying tree branches, furniture, decorations, garbage cans and flower pots, etc. Hurricane Andrew registered gusts of 300+ mph before the anemometers broke. 

6. Get your residents ready.

Above all, prepare your residents with regular communications about hurricane preparedness. Printed materials to emails, evacuation drills to speaking events by local authorities all help to prevent the apathy that 10 years hurricane-free has helped create.

Hiring The Right Vendor For Your Community Can Be A Tough Task 

As the end of the year draws closer this signals the process of considering vending options for many communities. From landscaping, to electrical work, and pool maintenance to painting and so much more, there is a lot that goes into keeping a community in tip-top shape. 

How do you know who to hire? What budget's do you have? The cost and quality of a service offered is the most important factor of course, but what else must be considered? 

Reliability

If a hurricane strikes and scatters the roads in Palm Tree branches, will your landscape team be there the next day to tidy up, or will they show up two days later leaving your residents to do the cleaning up? When meeting with potential vendors you should discuss availability of their team and if they can meet the potential demands extrinsic factors such as the weather can place on communities at any time of the year. 

Communication 

It is important to establish good communication lines between the vendor and a point of contact within the community. You don't want to hire a vendor that is almost impossible to get in contact with when issues arise during your contract. 

Reputation 

Whether you are simply renewing a venders contract or hiring a whole new one it is important to do your research. If your re-hiring then you should have a good idea already of the standard of their work, if it is a new vendor then researching their past is no bad thing. Seek recommendations from other association managers or community boards so that you can make an informed decision. 

Price and Quality 

Like we have already mentioned these two factors should be considered the most important when selecting your vendor. No association wants to overpay for work that isn't up to scratch. The association holds all the cards here, the vendor is competing for your business, make a deal but be wary. You don't want to lose quality to save on cost but you want to be careful on low cost deals that seem to good to be true. Consider all of the previous factors above and then let the negotiations begin.

 

Home Improvements Under A HOA or Condominium   Living in a community or condominium with an association board has many benefits. One of the major jobs of a HOA or Condominium Association is to ensure your community is kept in great shape, both physically and visibly. Associations ensure rules are created and enforced to benefit all who live there.   Everyone likes to make their house into a home, putting your personal stamp on a property with home improvements, new interior design ideas and so on. But before taking on a large project it is vital to ensure you obtain the approval of your association's board, and adhere to any rules or restrictions put in place - not doing this could result in costly fines and a halt to any work in progress.   Be particularly careful when making improvements to the exterior of your property, even if it is something as simple as putting a fence around your yard. The HOA or Condominium Association wants to keep communities looking good for everyone and may have rules on certain types of fences - such as a ban on chain link fences if they are deemed not aesthetically appealing.    The easiest way to ensure you will not have to tear down your fence or be hit with expensive fines is to read the by-laws of your association's community. Check to see if there are any restrictions in place before work begins. Ensure you submit your plans to your HOA/Condominium Association and gain complete approval. This process can take anywhere between 1 and 5 weeks typically. Provide blueprints and make sure you communicate your plans fully in your letter to the board. Once approved, you can then rest assured the improvements you want to make will not come back to haunt you or your bank account in the future.

 

Get Your Home Ready For The Florida Summer    As the months tick on by during 2016, we're sneaking ever closer to those hot summer months. But is your home ready?    The summer months present many challenges here in Southern Florida - stifling heat, torrential downpours, even the possibility of hurricanes. But there are a few things you can do to get your home ready for summer, and C.A.M.S have provided a checklist for you to follow below to ensure your ready for the challenge.    1. Have your annual A/C unit check done  When it comes to A/C units sometimes you have to spend a little to save a lot. By getting your A/C unit serviced before the summer heat has it running 24/7, you can catch any small problems that could quickly escalate.    2. Clean out your gutters  Summer often means rain, and lots of it here in Florida, even for just an hour a day. By freeing up your gutters of any leaves and other debris, you can ensure they do their job. Nobody needs water damaged roofs, or broken gutters scattered all over your property.    3. Change your air filter Alongside getting your A/C unit serviced, it is equally important to change out your filter. Often out of sight means out of mind, but changing your filter is a cheap and easy way to ensure your A/C unit is working smoothly and efficiently.   4. Stock up for hurricane season  Whilst we all hope a hurricane doesn't make landfall during this year's season, which begins on June 1st, you should still be prepared. Whilst it has not been announced if and when a Hurricane Supply Tax Holiday will take place in 2016 you can click here to stay up to date. For an essential hurricane supply list provided by the American Red Cross you can click here.

Changes In The Voting Process   During 2015, condominium voting moved into a new era, the era of online voting, as you are all most likely aware.  The new section was added to chapter 718 of the Florida Statute and is found at 718.128, F.S. This new section allows condominium association members to vote on issues concerning them via electronic or internet-based online voting.  Key components of this new law require that the system includes a method for authenticating the unit owner's identity, as well as authenticating the validity of each electronic vote. These two measures are in place to ensure there is no possible way the vote can be altered during transit. Another key requirement is the system must be able to remit a receipt to each online voter who cast an electronic ballot to confirm the vote has been received and counted.  For more information and to read the full section about online voting requirements you can click here.

 

C.A.M.S Scoops FLCAJ Honors For Second Consecutive Year

 

C.A.M.S is delighted to announce that we have been voted a Florida Community Association Journal Readers' Choice Award winner for a second year running.  

 

Our recognition comes in the management category and is a testament to the constant hard work of all our team members. We are very proud of the service we provide and delighted to once again

be recognized by FLCAJ readers. 

 

In our previous newsletter we spoke briefly about the competition and provided links to vote, so a big thank you to everyone who took time to vote for us, and we look forward to continuing our high standard of service to you all.

 

Happy Memorial Day Weekend   It's the time of the year when we sit back and reflect, a weekend dedicated to those who keep our great country safe.    All of us here at C.A.M.S would like to extend our deepest gratitude to those who have, those who continue to do so, and those who gave their lives to serve in our military.    Our office will be closed to honor the holiday on Monday 30th.    They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn; At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, We will remember them.    Laurence Binyon, 1914.    Have a great Memorial Day