Parkland Parrot

Archive for September, 2009

Broward County Residents Appeal Tax Increases

We all have received our preliminary trim notices in our mailboxes.  Many residents are taken back at the property tax hikes.

The South Florida Business Journal reported that, “In Broward County, which is facing a $23 million budget deficit, 5,291 petitions for appeal have been filed with the value adjustment board. The deadline for accepting petitions is also Sept. 18.” Read the rest of this entry »

Finally Good News For WCI Homeowners With Chinese Drywall

WCI Communities is scheduled to emerge from bankruptcy protection, which is great news from WCI community residents with Chinese Drywall.  WCI Communities will now setup a trust account to deal with the many Parkland homeowners affected by Chinese Drywall in their homes.

Finally, these residents will be able to receive relief from WCI Communities, who did not have to address the Chinese Drywall problem because the company was protected under the bankruptcy laws.

The Tampa Bay Business Journal reports, “In January, WCI said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that it was setting aside $11 million for homes that needed air conditioning coil replacement, “which may or may not be related to the Chinese drywall.”

According to the Sun-Sentinel, WCI Communities stated in court documents at least 200 WCI built homes had defective drywall. Parkland Golf & Country Club and some communities in Heron Bay were the two major areas in Broward County affected with Chinese Drywall.

I wrote an earlier article: Parkland Chinese Drywall Task Force where the City of Parkland has setup a task force to deal with this direct issue.  Let’s see how the city responds to this news from WCI Communities.

WCI Communities also stated that affected homeowners must file claims.  I strongly recommend that Parkland residents with Chinese Drywall in their homes consult with a local attorney.

To stay updated with all of the current Parkland real estate information, receive our blog posts directly to your inbox by subscribing to the squawk.

If you are interested in buying or selling real estate in Parkland, please give us a call at 954-609-0591 or send a note to the squawk.

Parkland Chinese Drywall Task Force Established

Parkland Chinese Drywall Update

On April 1, 2009, the Parkland City Commission met to discuss the Chinese Drywall issue with over 100 residents in attendance.  As a result, the city has organized a task force to research the problem further and provide a fact finding report to be presented to several government agencies.

The goal of this report is to determine how many Parkland homes have been affected by Chinese Drywall and then petition these findings to state and federal legislators to obtain assistance for the affected homeowners.

The City of Parkland has designated a page on their website to the Chines Drywall issue, so Parkland residents can stay updated.  Please click on the following hyperlink: Parkland Chinese Drywall .

The city is also asking affected homeowners to fill out an online survey in order to gather more information on particular neighborhoods and homes that have been affected.  Please click here for the online survey.

In order to complete the survey, Parkland residents must complete the following:

• The name of your builder/developer.
• The year your residence was built.
• Information about whether any persons in your home may have had adverse health issues that you believe may have been caused by Chinese Drywall.
• Whether you have contacted your builder, insurer and lender and what responses have been received.
• The names of your lenders and insurers.
• Whether you intend to vacate your residence.

The Parkland Building Division has also got involved with the task force and will provide records of homes that were constructed in Parkland from late 2003 to 2007 in order to help get better acquainted with which Parkland communities more likely have been affected by Chinese Drywall.

On a positive note, all Parkland city buildings and schools were not constructed with Chinese Drywall.  Residents can at least breath easier knowing that their families will not be exposed in any Parkland buildings.

To stay updated with all of the current Parkland real estate information, receive our blog posts directly to your inbox by subscribing to the squawk.

If you are interested in buying or selling real estate in Parkland, please give us a call at 954-609-0591 or send a note to the squawk.