HOA Nut House

“Governor Bush Ousts Florida’s First Condo Ombudsman”

By House Representative Julio Robaina

The action of Governor Jeb Bush to remove the state’s first Condominium Ombudsman was nothing more than an end to a witch hunt.

When the Governor first appointed Dr. Virgil Rizzo, the Governor appointed someone who did not know the politics in Tallahassee, and who was not a bureaucrat. This individual’s work ethic, sometimes working on Saturdays and Sundays until the wee hours of the morning, responding to hundreds of emails and calls with nothing more than a lap-top computer and a cell phone, went far beyond the expectation of commitment to the State of Florida.

The truth behind the matter is that when we established the office of the Ombudsman, the first of the powers we gave him was the power to review the Department of Business and Professional Regulations, which oversee condominium regulations in the State of Florida. His responsibility was to look into what was happening within the Division and to report back to the lawmakers what the problems were within the Division. This created the rift between the Division and Dr. Rizzo making him the unwanted step-child, or as often referred to as by the employees of the Division as “big brother watching.” The Division of Condominium Regulation and many law firms within the State of Florida wanted Dr. Rizzo’s position removed because for the first time, we as lawmakers had someone reporting back to the legislators.

For the first time in Florida’s history, law makers had someone telling them what was really going on in Tallahassee, and reporting the actions of the Law Firms and Property Management Companies which where out to act in their own best interest, disregarding the rights and interests of condominium owners statewide, and he was also educating condo unit owners of their rights.

The resentment against Dr. Rizzo was a result of his actions on behalf of condo unit owners, which cost many of the law firms millions of dollars, and a Division that never wanted him. Every time he advised unit owners of their rights to defend themselves against the unruly and unethical Boards of Directors, Property Management Companies, and Law firms, the powerful special interest groups lost out. Simply put, Dr. Rizzo was doing what his position was created to do, which was to clean up the problems that existed in the State, and look out for the thousands of condo unit owners in Florida that had no where else to turn to.

Sadly enough, special interest organization’s collective and organized effort to discredit him have again won out over the citizens of the State of Florida to be fairly protected by a non- bureaucrat of the government. Dr. Rizzo went above and beyond all expectations of his newly created position. In his short time in office, he diligently looked out for the best interests of condominium owners, much to the dismay of the profit seeking Law Firms, Boards of Directors, and Property Management Companies. I only hope that in the future our state will not bend to the need of powerful special interest groups, but will spearhead efforts which will support and protect our state’s citizens.

----------------------------------------------------
The Honorable Julio Robaina is a Florida State Representative for District 117, and has been since 2002; he chaired the Committee on Condominium Governance for the State of Florida, and is currently serving on the following committees: Local Government Council, Health & Families Council, Health Care General Committee, State Administration Appropriations Committee, Transportation Committee and the Select Committee to Protect Private Property Rights.