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Images Condominiums
It’s been less than a week since Osceola County deemed 72 units at Images Condominiums unsafe, but repairs have already been delayed.
The issue came to light after a private engineering firm warned county officials about structural problems following failed attempts to communicate with the homeowner’s association.
The county is paying for residents to stay in nearby hotels until the repairs can be made. But work to fix the units stopped Friday. The county issued a stop-work order because the contractor hired by the condo association didn’t pull permits, officials said.
County records show that an architecture firm sent an email to the condo association in April informing them about cracked walkways and rotted wood frames found during an inspection.
Meanwhile, residents of Caribbean Isles apartment complex, just a few miles south of Images, are also facing uncertainty and potentially dangerous living conditions.
A letter to residents from the City of Kissimmee dated June 29 said the complex must fix the broken fire alarm system in several buildings within 30 days or residents would have to vacate.
The advocacy group Florida Rising has been working to help tenants find housing on short notice. Caribbean Isles is among several “affordable housing” apartment complexes in Osceola County though demand outpaces inventory.
Kissimmee Utility Authority and Toho Water Authority have said they would shut off utilities because of unpaid fees. Both utility companies have cut off power and water to multi-family apartment complexes and long-term stay motels because of similar problems with property management companies and delinquent owners.
