FORT LAUDERDALE — Families in Sunrise are on the verge of being put out of their condominiums because their buildings are not safe and they’re blaming the homeowners’ association.
“We need to put a stop to what’s going on with this association,” said Carmen Rivera-Ellerman, a condo owner at Grenadier Lakes at Welleby.
City of Sunrise staff posted “unsafe building” notices on windows around the complex. Without repairs to shore up buildings by noon Monday, residents will have to temporarily relocate.
A city spokesperson said staff reacted to inspection reports from an independent structural engineer hired by Grenadier Lakes At Welleby’s homeowners’ association.
However, residents claim the reports are six months old and became an emergency issue only after the association faced opposition to a proposed $4.5 million assessment.
A letter from the association explained that the assessment is necessary to repair structural and electrical problems.
Residents, though, said the repair plan involves a contractor who still has not completed work on roof problems reported in 2023. Condo owners paid a combined $3 million assessment for those repairs, residents said. So, without seeing an invoice or contract details, residents are more than skeptical.
CBS News Miami called, emailed and visited the offices of the association, but received no response.
“There’s no transparency,” said resident Claudia Foreo. “We have no money to pay for this — $30,000 on each owner on top of our association fees already is impossible.”
“If we want to question anything, if we want to question the engineer, there’s no time,” added condo owner Hector Sanchez.
Contractors are working to shore up the buildings with a temporary solution, according to a city spokesperson. However, if the work is not completed by Monday, residents worry about what happens next.
“I hope they’re going to find us a place to stay,” said condo owner Joe.
“There are a lot of people on fixed income,” Sanchez added.
“Where am I going to go,” Rivera-Ellerman told CBS News Miami. “Where is my brother going to live? He’s handicapped.”
City staff plans to assist residents if they have to temporarily relocate, a city spokesperson said.
