Neither is his lender, and the association's board worries the bank is delaying foreclosure to avoid paying dues as well.
Sharon Dodge, president of The Venetia's association, angrily told a crowd of South Florida condo dwellers at a meeting this week that 134 units were not paying maintenance fees in the 382-unit building. Of those, at least 35 are in the hands of lenders who aren't playing fair.
''Something needs to change!'' Dodge said, drawing rowdy applause from the crowd that sat beneath chandeliers in the Loews hotel ballroom in Miami Beach.
The unpaid accounts have resulted in higher association fees for everyone and crippling special assessments to cover large one-time expenses like roof repairs. Less than a year ago, The Venetia had to slap an $8,000 special assessment on homeowners because, at the time, roughly a quarter of them were delinquent.
South Florida's foreclosure crisis might be dealing its toughest blow to the hundreds of thousands of homeowners who live in condos. High foreclosure rates have made it difficult for many associations to make their budgets and provide services like cable, lawn care and pool maintenance.
The higher dues are squeezing homeowners already struggling to stay current on their bills.