Janor Farthing, a 68-year-old retiree residing in the Carriage Hills condominium in West Hollywood, Broward County, is on the brink of foreclosure. She struggles to pay nearly $18,000 in special assessments imposed by her condo association to fund mandatory renovations on the 50-year-old building.
Receiving a monthly Social Security check of around $1,700, Farthing is overwhelmed by the $2,300 monthly repair fees demanded by her association, a sum far exceeding her income and pushing her to the edge.
"There are days I consider myself lucky if I can feed my dog. I can't get out of bed. I can't handle this," Farthing shared with CBS Miami.
Her predicament is compounded by health issues, including diabetes, PTSD, and an autoimmune disease, leading to an early retirement during the pandemic.
"I'm afraid of ending up living in my car. I've thought about giving my dog up for adoption; he's all I have right now," she confessed.
United Way Broward stepped in with nearly $10,000 from a one-time $200,000 fund aimed at aiding homeowners with association debts and taxes, benefiting around 20 property owners in the county.
However, the assistance fell short: Farthing still faces a nearly $18,000 debt, and her association's attorney has already threatened foreclosure proceedings.
"It was a one-time $200,000 grant for HOA fees and taxes. I don't know if we will receive another," cautioned Rebecca McGuire, Vice President of Housing at United Way Broward.
This month, a judge will decide whether to grant Farthing more time to settle her debt.
State Laws Exacerbate Financial Strains
Farthing's case is not isolated. According to a Moneywise report, Florida saw 34,336 foreclosure starts in 2025, making it one of the states with the highest rates in the country. In Broward, the percentage of elderly clients at risk of foreclosure jumped from 14% in 2022 to 25% in 2024, reported Coast to Coast Legal Aid.
The crux of the issue lies in state legislation enacted after the 2021 collapse of the Champlain Towers South in Surfside, which claimed 98 lives. The law mandates structural inspections for condominiums three stories or taller at their 30-year mark and requires reserve studies every decade, significantly increasing assessments for older buildings across the region.
Impact on Cuban-American Communities
Many property owners are unaware of the severe implications of these association debts. Under Chapter 718 of the Florida Statutes, associations can place a lien on any unit and proceed with foreclosure, even if the owner holds the deed free and clear. Interest rates on unpaid debts can soar to 18% annually.
This crisis hits particularly hard in communities with a high concentration of older Cuban-Americans, such as Hialeah, Westchester, Kendall, and parts of Broward. Hialeah alone has over 21,000 condo units, with half of the declarations recorded in 1985 or earlier.
A case in point is the Coral Gate East condominium in Hialeah, predominantly Cuban, which was deemed unsafe by Miami-Dade and fined $42,000 for failing to complete structural recertification.
Housing Market Imbalance
The condo market reflects the crisis's impact: by September 2026, there were nearly four sellers for every buyer in the Miami metropolitan area, the third-largest imbalance among the nation's top 50 metro areas.
For those facing similar challenges, options include negotiating a payment plan with the association, applying for loans from the Miami-Dade program (up to $50,000 at 0% interest over 40 years, with preference for those over 62), exploring a reverse mortgage, or filing for Chapter 13 bankruptcy to temporarily halt foreclosure proceedings.
McGuire was blunt about the lack of legislative action: "If it goes ignored, people will become homeless. They will abandon the condos where they invested their life savings, leaving those apartments empty."
Understanding the Florida Condo Crisis
What led to the increase in condo fees in Florida?
The increase in condo fees is primarily due to state laws requiring structural inspections and reserve studies for older buildings, enacted after the 2021 collapse of Champlain Towers South.
How can homeowners handle overwhelming condo fees?
Homeowners can negotiate payment plans with their associations, apply for loans from local programs, explore reverse mortgages, or consider Chapter 13 bankruptcy to delay foreclosure.
What is the impact of foreclosure on the Miami housing market?
The foreclosure crisis has led to a significant housing market imbalance in Miami, with more sellers than buyers, creating one of the largest disparities among major U.S. metro areas.