MIAMI – As the reality of a new law governing Florida’s condominium associations sets in, boards of directors and property managers are focusing on becoming compliant within the next year. According to one consultant, this process starts with developing new websites.
 
“We’re seeing a strong response to the section of the bill requiring condo associations with more than 150 units to have a compliant website,” said Todd Paton, president of Miami-based Paton Marketing, a website development firm that is consulting with these associations. “The law basically sets standards for websites and how they must contain specific information and follow strict security protocols.”
 
The legislation went into effect on July 1, 2017, and adds several requirements and prohibitions to the Florida Condominium Act and Florida Statutes Chapter 718 governing condominium associations. In a nutshell, the legislation mandates that boards become more accountable and transparent to their constituents.

With our recent merger with BrandStar, progress on the Liquor Belt was put on the back burner. And, while little progress was made, we did have some time to plan for the immediate future.
 
With a very basic prototype – made with spare parts from Home Depot and my closet (a belt) – we are moving forward. In the coming weeks, I’ll be going to India to visit with the Paton Marketing staff along with potential manufacturers of the Liquor Belt.
 
When starting a new venture, it’s not unusual to slow down a bit and focus on existing business. And, with our new relationship with BrandStar we’ve been busier than ever. As things, settle down we’ll be able to turn our attention to the Liquor Belt and other Paton Project endeavors.
 
More good news to come……..

As with much new legislation, a 2017 bill which amended Section 718.111 of the Florida Statute providing website guidelines for the operations of condominium associations with more than 150 or more units (which does not contain timeshare units) is going through some growing pains that boards must consider as they strive for compliance.