COMING SOON! How to keep your Homeowners Association Great!

With both Texas and Florida gearing up for their respective 2023 legislative sessions, County Examiner is pleased to announce a new section of online resources that affect the rights of residents who choose to live in a property owners association. 

 

We're also keeping an eye on what legislation gets filed for consideration in both Austin and Tallahassee. And if we come across court cases or interesting stories the team will highlight them here too.

But first a bit of a primer and the disclaimer: the team behind County Examiner is not comprised of lawyers but we are American citizens with a right to educate ourselves and be knowledgeable of our rights should we choose to live in a common interest community.

 

In Texas the website of the State Law Library provides a legal research guide to understanding "property associations" or what many refer to as a "homeowners association" defined in Section 202.001 of the Texas Property Code. If your property owners association has registered as a non-profit the Secretary of State website will allow you to search and view for your associations articles of incorporation and other documents related to its formation.

In Florida Section 718 and Section 720 provide procedures for how your condominium and homeowners associations should be operating. And in Florida the Department of State is your resource for searching and viewing your associations articles of incorporation and other documents.

 

 

 

 

 

Florida Senator Marco Rubio wants unvetted, unlimited supply of foreign nationals imported into America

The senior U.S. Senator from Florida is a co-sponsor of a bill that, if passed and signed into law would import unvetted foreign nationals in unlimited numbers from Syria and Iraq into the United States.

Senate Bill S.  2641, a bill to promote United States national security has a section labeled "Promoting Stability in Syria" that might encourage stability in THAT country, but create chaos and instability in communities and school districts in OUR country. 

The United States and most notably cities in the State of Florida are currently home to Congolese imported by refugee resettlement groups who, public records reveal, are not accustomed to attending school and cant get along with the other kids.

Then there's the Venezuelans in the Tampa Bay area who, again per public documents, expressed their intent to flout our laws and remain in Florida without lawful status and without documentation. 

Section 202 - United States Refugee Program Priorities of S 2641 allows for certain Syrians and Iraqis, and their family members to qualify for admission to the U.S. as refugees. Their numbers would not count towards any existing numerical limitation and "shall be deemed (aka no need for vetting of their background) to satisfy the requirements under section 207 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1157) for admission to the United States."

So here's the deal with the Congolese in Florida.

Back in June this blog published a report titled " Uh-oh; Congolese refugees stressing Florida educational system" which disclosed comments from a Florida Department of Chlidren and Families Refugee Task Force meeting:

A service provider involved in resettling Congolese nationals in one Florida county recently explained a key issue facing the Tallahassee area is also facing school districts across the entire state, “especially those with Congolese refugees.” 

Documented in the minutes of a March 12, 2019 Refugee Task Force meeting held in Leon County, home of Tallahassee, the state capitol, comes this informative nugget from the state refugee services program director: 

“Patti Grogan, The Refugee Services Program Director made the first presentation to give the participants a historical perspective to the growth and status of the program during the past 15-20 years. This perspective was compared to the political events of the previous years to what is currently occurring during 2019. As services for refugees have only begun to take effect during the past 5 years in Leon County most participants did not have a frame of reference from previous years. 

She explained that the other refugee services programs in Florida have experienced a huge decrease in the numbers of new clients arriving in their counties. Ms. Grogan did confirm that many of the challenges and important issues facing refugees in Tallahassee are also being experienced around Florida especially those with Congolese refugees.”

What type of challenges and important issues were school district with Congolese refugees facing? A second presentation by Ms. Bilic from International Rescue Committee (IRC), the Comprehensive Refugee Services provider in the NW Region, Leon County followed up with:

“The educational system is feeling the stress with so many refugees in a few schools while working with those who have never attended school before while in refugee camps. 

As IRC reminds the participants that while addressing the important need of learning English in the schools, the students are struggling with reading and writing skills. Mr Beasley will focus his efforts on the tutoring needs of the children during both their R&P and Case Management involvement. The students are eager to go to school, but the older students often struggle at first with their social involvement. “

And what's up with the Venezuelans in Tampa who could care less about our legal system and the Rule of Law? 

In an article posted earlier this summer titled "Why Congress should not pass a TPS “amnesty” for Venezuelans" I again published an excerpt from a Florida DCF refugee task force meeting recap outling the arrogance of over 20,000 Venezuelans in the Tampa area who, according to Casa de Venezuela could give a hoot about our laws, proclaiming from on high that they'd stay anyway.

An announcement was made to 63 attendees of the Tampa Bay Area Refugee Task Force meeting held January 22, 2019. 

“…a brief announcement by Norma Reno, president of the Casa de Venezuela of Tampa Bay organization. She announced that there are currently over 20,000 from Venezuela in the Tampa Bay area. While some are seeking asylum, many are also concerned about being denied asylum and are staying in the community without documentation. Casa de Venezuela is offering English classes & civic classes to educate the community as well as support services for those in need. Task Force members will stay connected with this and other organizations serving those from Venezuela to ensure that they are aware of the services we can provide for those who qualify and are in need.

Yeah, well  Venezuelans currently in Florida should be worried about the denial of an asylum application, especially if their visa to enter the U.S. was obtained through fraud or their entry to the U.S. through misrepresentation. 

So, no more vetted and especially no more unvetted people imported into the country with our tax dollars. United States Senators want to help folks in Syria and Iraq--fine--- they can help them in their own back yard--over in Syria and Iraq and ONLY after ensuring all homeless and jobless American citizens are helped first.

BTW, that former American Airlines mechanic charged with sabotaging an airplane--the one denied bail because he was determined by a Federal court judge to be a flight risk--guess where he and his family are from?

 

Uh-oh; Congolese refugees stressing Florida educational system

A service provider involved in resettling Congolese nationals in one Florida county recently explained a key issue facing the Tallahassee area is also facing school districts across the entire state, “especially those with Congolese refugees.”

Documented in the minutes of a March 12, 2019 Refugee Task Force meeting held in Leon County, home of Tallahassee, the state capitol, comes this informative nugget from the state refugee services program director:

“Patti Grogan, The Refugee Services Program Director made the first presentation to give the participants a historical perspective to the growth and status of the program during the past 15-20 years. This perspective was compared to the political events of the previous years to what is currently occurring during 2019. As services for refugees have only begun to take effect during the past 5 years in Leon County most participants did not have a frame of reference from previous years.

She explained that the other refugee services programs in Florida have experienced a huge decrease in the numbers of new clients arriving in their counties. Ms. Grogan did confirm that many of the challenges and important issues facing refugees in Tallahassee are also being experienced around Florida especially those with Congolese refugees.”

A second presentation by Ms. Bilic from International Rescue Committee (IRC), the Comprehensive Refugee Services provider in the NW Region, Leon County followed up with:

“The educational system is feeling the stress with so many refugees in a few schools while working with those who have never attended school before while in refugee camps.

As IRC reminds the participants that while addressing the important need of learning English in the schools, the students are struggling with reading and writing skills. Mr Beasley will focus his efforts on the tutoring needs of the children during both their R&P and Case Management involvement. The students are eager to go to school, but the older students often struggle at first with their social involvement. “

Data extracted from the Refugee Processing Center reveal 1754 Congolese refugees were resettled in eleven Florida cities between January 1, 2015 and May 31, 2019.

County Examiner contacted a representative of the State of Florida – Department of Children and Families, Refugee Services Program with questions about this task force report and will publish additional information when we receive a response.