Many Brickell condo buyers sort buildings by age. The 30-year milestone inspection gets most of the attention, so a tower finished in the late 2000s looks like it has years of runway. 1060 Brickell is the clearest local example of why that shortcut fails. Its two 45-story towers were completed in 2008. In 2024, when they were 16 years old, the board put forward a $21 million special assessment for repairs.
The building's age didn't trigger that bill. A structural integrity reserve study did. For a buyer, the useful question is where that kind of exposure appears in a Florida resale file, and how much time the contract gives you to read it.
The Bill Arrived 14 Years Early
The 1060 Brickell Condominium Association covers 1050 Brickell and 1060 Brickell: 592 units in total, 576 residential and 16 commercial. The Real Deal reported that many owners questioned the need for the work because the towers were far short of the 30-year recertification trigger. The association said it based the assessment on its engineer's structural integrity reserve study, or SIRS. An engineer hired by owners disputed how urgent the work was.
The work itself was the kind of scope that shows up in any tower exposed to salt air for a decade and a half:
- replacing damaged stucco
- concrete and post-tension cable repairs
- crack repairs
- waterproofing
- painting
- glass and glazing
In 2025, The Real Deal itemized four of the assessment's components:
| Component |
Amount |
| Tower II facade restoration |
$7.7 million |
| Garage and basement repairs |
$3.5 million |
| General conditions |
$2.5 million |
| Rotunda work |
$1.7 million |
Those four lines add up to $15.4 million, which leaves $5.6 million of the $21 million headline unexplained in that article. Estimates of a typical owner's share also vary. The Miami Herald put the average at $40,000 to $50,000, and The Real Deal reported an average above $35,000.
Owners pushed back hard. They filed arbitration petitions with the state and voted twice to replace the board. One owner couple sued, arguing the declaration required owner approval for the assessment. That case settled privately after the board turned over. The assessment survived the change in board. Current president Dorinda Spahr told The Real Deal it is still in place, and that the recall avoided change orders that could have pushed the project cost closer to $48 million.
The latest development came on October 7, 2026, when The Real Deal reported that the association had sued its contractor. The complaint alleges the contractor billed for work and materials it didn't provide, and that two construction liens it filed in August for nearly $3 million are exaggerated. The contractor did not respond to requests for comment, and the claims are allegations in a pending case.
Age Was Never the Trigger
The 30-year rule is real, but it covers only one obligation. Under section 553.899, qualifying condo buildings of three or more habitable stories need a milestone inspection at 30 years and every 10 years after, and local agencies can move that trigger earlier, to 25 years. Under section 718.112, the SIRS is a separate, recurring requirement, and it is not limited to older buildings.
The reserve study is what changes a building's finances. For budgets adopted on or after December 31, 2024, unit-owner-controlled associations generally cannot waive or reduce reserves for components listed in the SIRS. HB 913 made three changes:
- It extended the initial SIRS deadline to December 31, 2025.
- It let certain associations line up the study with a milestone inspection, no later than December 31, 2026.
- It allowed associations to fund reserves through special assessments, a line of credit, or a loan, with approval from a majority of voting interests.
After a recent milestone inspection, owners can also vote to pause or reduce reserve contributions for up to two annual budgets so the money goes to the recommended repairs.
So an association can pay for the same repair in several ways, and each one reaches a buyer differently. A lump-sum assessment arrives as an installment schedule, a loan arrives as higher dues for years, and a paused reserve arrives as a smaller cushion later. The 2026 legislative session didn't change these rules. SB 722, a SIRS and reserve bill, died in committee.
Where It Surfaces in the Contract
Florida's resale statute brings the reserve study into the transaction. Under section 718.503(2), a resale buyer is entitled, at the seller's expense, to these documents:
- the declaration, articles, bylaws and rules
- the most recent annual financial statement and budget
- the inspector-prepared summary of the milestone inspection, if one applies
- the most recent SIRS, or a statement that it isn't complete
- a qualifying turnover inspection report
- the statutory FAQ document
Contracts signed after December 31, 2024 must also state, in conspicuous type, whether the association is required to have a milestone inspection or a SIRS, and whether it has completed them.
The timing works through two statutory clauses. One confirms the buyer received the reports more than 7 days before signing, excluding weekends and legal holidays. The other makes the contract voidable by written notice within 7 days, also excluding weekends and legal holidays, after the buyer signs and receives the documents. The cancellation right ends at closing, and the statute says any attempt to waive it has no effect.
The estoppel certificate is the second checkpoint. Under section 718.116(8), it must itemize regular assessments, any special assessments or other money owed when it issues, and any additional amounts scheduled to come due during its effective period. That period is 30 days for a certificate delivered by hand or electronically, and 35 days if mailed. At 1060 Brickell, owners paid a quarter of their share up front and the balance in nine quarterly installments. A schedule like that runs well past a 30-day certificate window, so the board's assessment resolution belongs in the file next to the certificate.
| Checkpoint |
What it carries |
Timing |
| Milestone summary and SIRS |
Condition findings and the reserve schedule |
Delivered before signing, or starts the 7-day cancellation window |
| Contract disclosure |
Whether the inspections and study apply and are complete |
In the contract itself, for contracts after Dec. 31, 2024 |
| Estoppel certificate |
Amounts owed now and amounts due during the certificate's effective period |
Issued within 10 business days of request |
The association has to issue the estoppel within 10 business days of a request. The DBPR's current fee sheet caps the fee at $299 for a standard certificate. Expedited delivery can add no more than $119, and a delinquent account can add no more than $179. The next fee update is set for July 1, 2027.
This is general information on how Florida's statutes are written. It is not legal, tax or financial advice, so confirm your own contract terms with a Florida real estate attorney.
Reading the File Once It Arrives
Seven business days isn't long to read an engineering report. Recent disputes show where to look first. In The Real Deal's October 2026 magazine report, the 1060 Brickell plaintiffs objected that the scope combined structural work with carpeting, signage and garage gates. In the same report, attorney Carolina Sheir said some boards add work that isn't life-safety, such as new pool furniture, to necessary repair programs.
Miami's Palm Bay Yacht Club shows how wide the gap between estimates can get. Owners challenged a proposed $46 million recertification assessment, which was later approved at $33 million. An engineer for the plaintiffs said the project application listed 66,000 square feet of garage concrete restoration where he found 2,500. The association's engineer said the estimates were extrapolated and would be verified in the field. The court denied the owners' request to stop the assessment, and the case did not establish fraud.
Other professionals cited by The Real Deal point to more items to check:
- Oscar Seikaly of NSI Insurance Group urged buyers to look at deductibles and out-of-pocket exposure beyond dues and premiums.
- Jonathan Goldstein of Haber Law recommended multiple bids, a defined scope, performance bonds, adequate insurance and planning for overruns. A board's minutes should show whether those steps happened.
- Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac ended streamlined review paths, and lenders must now verify higher recommended reserves. The SIRS can affect financing as well as the price.
Why the Window Feels Shorter This Fall
The state's own counts show how many buildings are still mid-process. The Real Deal cited state-reported figures of 8,736 buildings that completed phase-one inspections and 1,575 that completed phase two. Nearly 1,600 deadline extensions were granted, 94% of them in coastal municipalities. Many buildings that align their SIRS with a milestone inspection face the December 31, 2026 outer date, about ten weeks from now.
Buyers also have less inventory to choose from. According to MIAMI REALTORS, Miami-Dade had 11,706 condos for sale in September 2026, down 7.24% year over year. The median price was $417,090, down 0.69%. With fewer units to choose from, buyers face pressure to sign before the reserve study is read, so the 7-business-day window after receipt does more of the work.
FAQ
Does a newer Brickell building skip the SIRS?
No. The SIRS requirement isn't tied to the 30-year milestone. 1060 Brickell based its 2024 assessment on a SIRS when the towers were 16 years old.
If the SIRS isn't finished, can the sale still go forward?
Yes, but the contract has to state in conspicuous type that the association is required to complete it and has not.
Is 1060 Brickell's assessment finished?
Not yet. As of the October 2026 report, Spahr said about two or three installments remained.
If you're reviewing a Brickell resale and want the SIRS, the milestone summary, the assessment schedule and the estoppel certificate read together before your 7-business-day window closes, CASA Collection Group can go through the file with you, building by building. Schedule a free consultation.
