[Anamandy]

But, according to some of the comments after the article, the state doesn't enforce any of these things anyhow. So why bother paying for something you're not getting anyway? Like one condo owner said, he/she and other owners had problems, so they changed the board and things 'settled down'. That doesn't sound like an owner has no recourse outside of a courtroom.

Right now I live in NYS and contractors aren't required to be licensed. You just have to be careful and make sure you throughly check out the person before you use them. If they don't do the job to your satisfaction you take them to court. If they rip you off you have them arrested. It's that cut and dry.

[bbronston]

Our DBPR (Department of Business and Professional Regulation-or something like that) has a number of different departments that license and oversee many businesses and professions. All of them probably grew out of a need at the time because of charlatan types operating in the state. However, some of them are really absurd. With the current wave toward smaller, more efficient government, I think many of these departments can be eliminated and, perhaps, rolled into one or two departments that govern the things that need to be controlled while reducing the costs and still protecting consumers. I hope that is the goal of the bill. It still has to go thru a number of steps and it will no doubt be modified along the way.

[bbronston]

Received the following from my rep's legislative aide today:
[SIZE=3][SIZE=3][/SIZE][/SIZE]
This piece of legislation has been referred to three committee hearings and Rep. Steube will hear this piece of legislation if it passes the next two committee stops and comes before him on the floor. At this time, I would encourage you to email the members of the bill’s last two committees of reference with your concerns.

Rep. Steube and members of the local delegation are aware of your concerns and he expects for many amendments to be offered on HB 5005. The legislation involves not only your issue but the legislation also makes changes to the following areas:

1. Athlete Agents

2. Auctioneers and Auctioneer Apprentices

3. Sellers of Business Opportunities

4. Charitable Organizations

5. Community Association Managers and Firms

6. Condominiums, Cooperatives, Timeshares, and Mobile Home Parks

7. Hair Braiders, Hair Wrappers, and Body Wrappers

8. Dance Studios

9. Employee Leasing Companies

10. Professional Geologists

11. Health Studios

12. Home Inspectors

13. Homeowners Associations

14. Interior Designers

15. Intrastate Movers

16. Landscape Architects

17. Mold-Related Services

18. Motor Vehicle Repair Shops

19. Sellers of Travel

20. Surveyors and Mappers

21. Talent Agents

22. Telemarketing

23. Yacht and Ship Brokers

24. It also repeals regulations relating to:

25. Transportation access to outdoor theaters

26. Roominghouses

27. Sales representative contracts involving commissions

28. Television tube labeling

29. Water vending machines


To find members of the Economic Affairs Committee, go to the link attached below:

http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Committees/committeesdetail.aspx?SessionId=66&CommitteeId=259 0

To find the members of the Appropriations Committee, go to the link attached below:

http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Committees/committeesdetail.aspx?SessionId=66&CommitteeId=258 4

You can follow the legislation as it moves through the House of Representatives by going to the link below. The link will allow you to view the committee calendars as well as any changes that are made to the legislation. One of the more helpful documents found on this page is the Staff Analysis section. The analysis will be posted before each of the bill’s hearing dates.

http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Bills/billsdetail.aspx?BillId=46688&SessionIndex=1&Sessi onId=66&BillText=&BillNumber=5005&BillSponsorIndex =0&BillListIndex=0&BillStatuteText=&BillTypeIndex= 0&BillReferredIndex=0&HouseChamber=H&BillSearchInd ex=0

Also, you can watch HB 5005’s first committee hearing by linking to the address below:

http://streams.leg.state.fl.us/archive/HIGH/H_2604_2011_03_15_8466.asx

The information listed below is to help you advocate your stance on the proposed changes to the Department of Business and Professional Regulation.

http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/MyHouse/accountpreferences.aspx?newUser=true

[vaughanwilliams]

Originally Posted by bbronston

Our DBPR (Department of Business and Professional Regulation-or something like that) has a number of different departments that license and oversee many businesses and professions. All of them probably grew out of a need at the time because of charlatan types operating in the state. However, some of them are really absurd. With the current wave toward smaller, more efficient government, I think many of these departments can be eliminated and, perhaps, rolled into one or two departments that govern the things that need to be controlled while reducing the costs and still protecting consumers. I hope that is the goal of the bill. It still has to go thru a number of steps and it will no doubt be modified along the way.

You can't possibly be saying that the days of "charlatan types operating" in Florida are over. Good grief, we probably lead the nation in the number of crooked businesses, travelers, hucksters and other assorted riffraff. Personally, if I had to pay big bucks to hire a geologist or surveyor, I'd hope he'd have some kind of governmental issued license.

[bbronston]

Originally Posted by vaughanwilliams

You can't possibly be saying that the days of "charlatan types operating" in Florida are over. Good grief, we probably lead the nation in the number of crooked businesses, travelers, hucksters and other assorted riffraff. Personally, if I had to pay big bucks to hire a geologist or surveyor, I'd hope he'd have some kind of governmental issued license.

No, I did not say that at all.