This highlights the specific contributions I’ve made to our building and our community. What you will see in this section is clear and substantial evidence that I have repeatedly and consistently protected you, your home, and your investment, that I have been extremely active, committed, and dedicated, that I have done a lot for our building, our community, and the individual units, and that I have been highly relied on by the owners and the residents here at Uptown Place. Not only did I focus on and participate in each of the Board activities and such (like all the other board members do), but in addition to all of that, as an onsite Board member who actually lives in the building, I also focused on and actively worked towards resolving specific building and community issues. So, I was extremely busy, committed, and dedicated, and I honestly do not know how much more value you could have gotten out of an unpaid volunteer serving as an onsite Board member.

Some of the specific ways I have contributed include the following (and this is certainly not a complete list):

1. Recently, I recognized we were overpaying for insurance and took corrective actions to reduce this cost. For example, back in December 2025, I coordinated with our insurance company to see what they needed to help with our insurance costs since the roof had been recently replaced. They said they needed a new wind mitigation report so I promptly coordinated with the staff to get that done and it has now been provided to the insurance company (insurance was our biggest expense in recent years so this really helped – our insurance costs went down by $188k for the same coverage). Unfortunately, we continue to overpay for insurance with deductibles far too low (e.g., $2.5k – ~$10 per unit) so this must also be corrected.
2. I was a key reason COA fees dropped sharply in 2026. As Board Treasurer, I actively tracked every expense, maintained overall funding/budget status and performed End-of-Year projections on a monthly basis, and kept a close watch on the $1.3M cash balance. My largest contributions to the 2026 COA decreases were: a. Actively and repeatedly pushing to get the reserve studies updated – we would have overpaid $1.2M in reserves for 2026 had these updates not been done. I actively and repeatedly pushed for getting these updates done 16 times since May 2025, and the updates finally happened in December 2025 just prior to the 2026 budget meeting. b. Strongly advocating for paying off the roof loan – this allowed us to remove the $82k annual loan/interest payments over 10 years from the 2026 budget (and beyond). We didn’t even need a loan – something I emphasized repeatedly – but the Board chose to get one anyway and we had to pay $48k in loan payments in 2025 for no benefit.
3. Regarding insurance claims, I have firmly advocated for carefully weighing tradeoffs before filing insurance claims as these have really hurt us financially in the past. Back in 2022, our insurance only costed $143k but nearly tripled in 2023 and has remained high ever since. We have paid an additional $1.5M in insurance premiums over the past 4 years (which is likely to continue) – so the insurance company has much more than recouped what was paid out via insurance claims. Our insurance company also dropped us, and we had to use the Florida insurance company of last resort. A single insurance claim typically causes Florida Condominium premiums to increase 10%-30% at renewal – however, severe or multiple claims can spike rates by 50%+. Claims remain on the Association’s loss history for 5-7 years which impacts premium pricing and carrier options. Back in June/July 2026, I called for an investigation into why our Fire Pump failed prematurely. It was initially claimed our fire pump failed due to old age (24 years) and that the cost for replacement was $224k. I actively performed research and provided evidence indicating our fire pump has a 40-year life and a replacement cost much less than the $224k initially proposed.
4. I noticed and took issue with a $62k bill from OUC paid out of our Association funds with no explanation – this was 20-times higher than the monthly budgeted expense, and reviewed the annual audit report in detail and communicated the remainder of the $348k roof settlement was applied towards the roof replacement invoices received in 2026 which far exceeded the $156k balance remaining at the end of 2025 – meaning the Association could avoid paying taxes on the $156k balance.
5. I have repeatedly advocated for actively resolving issues while small instead of waiting until they become big, expensive problems. Over the past 5 hurricane seasons, 35+ units have suffered the consequences of repeated building issues that fell under the Association’s responsibility. The cost impacts have amounted to $450k+ to date and included water intrusion, mold, and water damage – not only to units affected by repeated roof leaks but also other units repeatedly affected by the stormwater system and other building issues – particularly units on Pasadena St, in the courtyard, and on Weber St. For example, repeat roof issues costed $350k+ in throwaway temporary repairs which could have gone toward the permanent new roof replacement – if we had replaced the roof at the beginning, we would have avoided these throwaway costs. The Stormwater System still does not work properly which has resulted in continued flooding and water intrusion problems – so this work must also be completed. Issues such as these can hurt our finances for lengthy periods of time.
6. I recently went over to Park North up the street from us to meet with the Management Company there (Orlando Equity – https://www.orlando-equity.com/) and have had follow-up discussions with them since then. Some of you might recall a few months ago I asked you owners if anyone owned a unit at Park North and had a budget I could review and analyze. Well, I got multiple responses and started looking into this as a result. Here are some of my key findings: a. Park North appears to be a well-managed property overall (the COA fees are much lower than ours – even though water/sewer is included, rental prices are higher at Park North, rental vacancies are much shorter as compared to Uptown Place, the property values are higher at Park North, etc.). So, there appear to be a lot of positives – however, further analysis is needed before drawing any final conclusions. b. Our 2026 budget was 16% higher than theirs even though Park North has 25% more units than we do (304 for them vs 244 for us) – and their reserves are higher so the decreased costs are in management/operations and such (not reserves). All things equal, their budget would be 25% higher than ours just because they have 25% more units – but our budget is actually 16% higher than theirs. c. The 2026 Park North budget is much less than ours even though the water/sewer is 3 times ours, their fitness center purchases are 13 times higher than ours (they have two fitness centers), their pool maintenance is 3 times higher than ours (they have two pools), they have loan payments of $107k (ours are $0), their staff costs are lower, and they have no management fee (ours is $35k). d. Even with all of these factors and the fact they have 25% more units than ours, their 2026 budget is much lower. However, further analysis is needed before drawing any final conclusions as stated previously.
7. I have been actively involved with working each of the major building issues and coordinating with the Police Department, the State Attorney’s Office, the Fire Department, the City of Orlando, Orange County, St. Johns River Water Management District, Internal Affairs, the after-hours maintenance, the onsite staff, and the residents and owners. I promptly addressed each of the building and community issues to resolve everything as expediently as possible, keep the repair costs as low as possible, and help hold the Board, the staff, contractors, and residents accountable. I have demonstrated repeatedly to the owners and residents here that I am someone who can be relied upon and counted on.
8. I actively worked to ensure the Association promptly and thoroughly responds to water intrusion events – documenting all actions taken so our community no longer gets exposed to expensive legal actions and extensive repairs by resolving problems while small. As a recent example, up until and during the 9 July 2026 Board meeting, only Units 111, 218, 318, and the Club Room were being addressed for water intrusion issues. I added the fitness center and Units 145, 152, and 226 to the list. These were previously reported water intrusion events, and it was not clear why they had not yet been addressed. Since that meeting Unit 113, Unit 352, and Unit 418 also reported water intrusion and had to be added to the list. Any lack of prompt and thorough action on these kinds of key building issues can make small problems much bigger and expose the COA to substantial legal risks so I have pressed the Association to greatly improve in this regard.
9. I promptly address each of the building and community issues to resolve everything as expediently as possible, keep the repair costs as low as possible, and hold the Board, the Management Company and staff, contractors, residents, and City of Orlando and Orange County officials accountable. I have demonstrated repeatedly and consistently to the owners and residents here that I am someone who can be relied upon and counted on. I actively led the charge in addressing key Uptown Place Community issues and holding those entrusted to support the Uptown Place community accountable. For example, this has been the 5th consecutive hurricane season where I have actively engaged 5 different Boards in the attempt to protect our homes and investments by getting the permanent fixes done for the stormwater system. Regarding the roof, I did this for 4 consecutive hurricane seasons before the new roof replacement finally happened in late 2025. These kinds of building issues can result in devastating consequences when not promptly and permanently resolved.
10. I actively track and keep up with the status of all Uptown Place related tasks/activities and am very organized and detail oriented (as evidenced by this write-up and all of the supporting information I have provided). I keep detailed, thorough records and have intimate and historical knowledge, understanding, and substantial background and other information for each of the major building issues including the shingle roof, the flat roof in the HVAC areas, the Fire Suppression system, the stormwater system, insurance issues and implications, and warrantee and maintenance information. I have become a resident expert on the stormwater system and the roof issues. Having an organized, detail-oriented person on the Board is the reason I was able to: 1) find the $600k cash balance back in November 2023 that nobody (the Board or the Management Company) knew about. They asked me how I found it, the source data I used to make this determination, and how I calculated the cash balance. So, nobody was tracking this or had any awareness of this. 2) take notice of and report a $23k over payment made to W.B. Mason on 7 March 2024 for an invoice amount of $175 which turned out to be a huge error that had to be corrected. 3) discover that the pool refinishing work after the Unit 540 Resident wreaked havoc on our building was paid out of the reserves (2 payments of $10,621.00 each). However, the use of any reserves funding is supposed to be tightly controlled requiring formal Board approval but that did not happen. So, that had to be reversed. 4) help reduce COA fees sharply for 2026 by repeatedly advocating for getting the reserve studies updated so we would not overpay $1.2M in reserves for 2026 and using the cash balance to pay off the roof loan so we could remove the $82k annual loan/interest payments over 10 years from the 2026 budget (and beyond). 5) recognize we were overpaying for insurance and taking corrective actions to reduce this cost. For example, due to the new roof I recognized the immediate need for a new wind mitigation report and actively performed the coordination needed to make it happen. As a result, our insurance costs dropped by $188k for the same coverage. Unfortunately, we continue to overpay for insurance with deductibles far too low (e.g., $2.5k – ~$10 per unit) so this must also be corrected. 6) notice and take issue with a $62k bill from OUC paid out of our funds with no explanation – this was 20-times higher than the monthly budgeted expense. 7) review the annual audit report in detail and communicate the remainder of the $348k roof settlement was applied towards the roof replacement invoices received in 2026 which far exceeded the $156k balance remaining at the end of 2025 – meaning the Association could avoid paying taxes on the $156k balance.
11. I am repeatedly a Board member unit owners frequently rely on to get their issues resolved. These issues have included water intrusion and repair issues, budget and finance issues, safety/security issues, sale and closing related issues, insurance related issues, COA fee related issues, Condominium Documents and Community Rules related issues, and Rental Management issues.
12. I have actively taken actions to resolve improper actions. For example, certain unit owners were informed that their unit shut-off valves “failed inspection” and were directed to replace them – even when those unit owners provided documented evidence their unit shut-off valves were recently replaced by a reputable plumbing company specifically selected from the Association’s recommended contractor list.
13. I have actively coordinated unit inspections by concerned owners renting out their units who lived remotely when water intrusion events happened in the building or surrounding units.
14. I have established and maintained key relationships in the Orlando area to include the City of Orlando Leadership and various City of Orlando departments (Director of Public Works, City Planning, Code Enforcement, Permitting Services), Orlando Police Department, Internal Affairs, the State Attorney’s Office, Orange County, St. Johns River Water Management District, and the Public Defender’s Office.
15. During heavy weather conditions, I have helped keep the pumps running to prevent flooding and water intrusion issues and actively walked the building and outside areas to identify and address leaks and other building issues.
16. I contacted and coordinated with each of the affected unit owners when the Unit 319 sprinkler leak occurred back in June 2025 and performed building inspections and held discussions with the remediation team and the Uptown Place staff to ensure prompt, decisive actions were taken to minimize the damage and associated impacts.
17. I coordinated with the City of Orlando’s Director of Public Works to come out and see what might be able to be done to help route stormwater (and the associated contaminants) away from Uptown Place. I provided the Harris Engineering Report from 2018 (the one where nothing had been done) and provided several other details and supporting information. Well, they actually came out, did an inspection to see if everything complied with the recommendations in the Harris report, constructed a missing weir, and put into their future plans additional changes to help with the rainwater issues. And we got all of this for free! Here is the email string (https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/2024-07-Email-String-with-City-of-Orlando-for-Stormwater-System-Help.pdf), the stormwater system description I wrote up in coordination with the City of Orlando (https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Stormwater-System-Description-July-2024-v6-Final.pdf), and the City of Orlando plans (https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/wp-admin/upload.php?item=18535), or you can contact me at: joe.brennan85@gmail.com. After spending time with the Director of Public Works, I gained a good understanding of how everything worked and am now the resident expert on the Stormwater System. I got with the Property Manager and the maintenance staff on ways we can better mitigate our risk. For example, some of our external pumps were re-configured in such a way that they help the stormwater system problem. So, these have been good fixes to make (among others). Having onsite Board members is key for ensuring these kinds of issues get promptly addressed. I have tried repeatedly to get the stormwater system issue resolved. See the following email string for one attempt: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/wp-admin/upload.php?item=18541.
18. I regularly walked the building to ensure everything was being maintained to the highest standard. Frequently, there have been issues with cleanliness, trash overflow, water and roof leaks, AC issues, Fire Suppression System Issues, flooding, and contractor quality and cleanup (AC contractors, general contractors, Stealth Security Cameras, etc.). Having onsite Board members is key for ensuring these kinds of issues get promptly addressed.
19. I was actively involved with addressing the repeated Unit 540 resident incidents in the building and dealing with those including the smashed front door, the wrecking of the garage gate, and the water leak in the building: a) https://www.facebook.com/groups/271140264182209/posts/1099070724722488/, b) https://www.facebook.com/groups/271140264182209/posts/979151653381063/, c) https://www.facebook.com/groups/271140264182209/posts/959782008651361/, and d) https://www.facebook.com/groups/271140264182209/posts/960253005270928/. I was actively involved with coordinating with the residents, the staff, the Police Department, the mayor’s office, the Internal Affairs office, the Public Defender, and the State Attorney’s office in these regards and continue to do so. Having onsite Board members is key for ensuring these kinds of issues get promptly addressed. Lastly, I was the sole party, without assistance from any of the Board members, who spent months actively pursuing action against the only, guilty party – the problem resident of unit 540. The new Association Attorney for Uptown Place informed the Board and Management Company confirming that the sole party we should be seeking damages from is the unit 540 resident (not the unit owner). This legal matter has finally been successfully concluded.
20. I performed an initial assessment of the Fire Suppression System leak on the 1st floor near the garage back in 2025 and promptly got the after-hours staff onsite to address the problem. The staff was not able to stop the leak, so they took some temporary measures to slow down the leak and used a large container to capture the water. I took over inspecting the leak and emptying the large container every few hours for the entire weekend and regularly reported the status to the Property Manager and the Maintenance Supervisor so that we wouldn’t have to pay a lot of money for overtime for the staff to remain on site or hire an after-hours plumber. https://www.facebook.com/groups/271140264182209/posts/1017254792904082/ (see the post and the comments). Having onsite Board members is key for ensuring these kinds of issues get promptly addressed.
21. I have actively focused on getting our building back into shape by making sure everything was getting promptly taken care of such as the walls, the ceilings, the baseboards, taking measures to prevent water intrusion, maintaining community standards, and getting the maintenance staff laser-focused on the building issues. Prior to my efforts there were holes throughout the building, baseboards missing, and such for an entire year: https://www.facebook.com/groups/271140264182209/posts/941775453785350/ and https://www.facebook.com/groups/271140264182209/posts/921724082457154/. I had to follow-up repeatedly with the Property Manager and maintenance staff to help get all of this done. Having onsite Board members is key for ensuring these kinds of issues get promptly addressed.
22. I worked with the maintenance staff to get the water streams for the garage pumps rerouted so that water did not continue collecting in front of the Pasadena Street building entrance and operated more effectively in addressing our Stormwater System issues: https://www.facebook.com/groups/271140264182209/posts/927417841887778/ and https://www.facebook.com/groups/271140264182209/posts/941775453785350/. I had to follow-up with the maintenance staff repeatedly and had to walk them through how to route the piping so that we would have a good solution for addressing this problem. Having onsite Board members is key for ensuring these kinds of issues get promptly addressed.
23. I performed an initial assessment and attempted to perform a temporary fix using the tools I had for the water spigot leak in the 4th floor garage and then promptly got the after-hours staff onsite to address the problem. I later inspected the work to confirm the issue was sufficiently addressed – at least temporarily. Leaving the issue unaddressed the entire weekend would have resulted in substantial increases in the water bill because water was just pouring out.
24. I actively worked to get the roof issues addressed. The tarps started blowing off the roof on 29 April 2023 and the roof has had continual leaks since then that needed to be addressed: https://www.facebook.com/groups/271140264182209/posts/921724082457154/. In addition, the scheduled temporary roof repairs in September 2023 were at risk of being delayed for several weeks due to the Property Manager not getting the permit documents and information promptly provided to the roofing contractor. Due to the ongoing roof litigation, a member of the legal team had to be present during the roof repairs and they tend to be very busy, and their availability is extremely limited requiring advance planning and notice – so, missing the coordinated dates for the temporary roof repairs could have caused a huge delay between the roofers and the legal staff. I contacted the roofing company a few days prior to the start date to see if they were ready to start work and they said no because they had not heard from the Property Manager regarding the permit documents and other information they had requested from him several days before. So, I immediately coordinated with the roofer to determine what information and documentation was specifically needed by when and then actively coordinated with the Don Asher leadership to ensure everything that needed to be done got done so that the work could begin on schedule. Having onsite Board members is key for ensuring these kinds of issues get promptly addressed.
25. I inspected the repairs for the Fire Suppression System leak on the 1st floor near the garage and noted that only temporary repairs were performed (two clamps and a piece of rubber). So, I coordinated with the staff to ensure a permanent fix was being pursued. Offsite Board members cannot stay on top of things like this which could result in temporary repairs being covered up with plaster and drywall – resulting in repeated leaks in the future.
26. I reported garage gate problems whenever they occurred to get those promptly addressed. Frequently, the garage gate has gotten damaged or does not operate correctly. Having onsite Board members is key for ensuring these kinds of issues get promptly addressed.
27. I coordinated activities to ensure the attic spaces and building areas were getting properly sealed to prevent water intrusion: https://www.facebook.com/groups/271140264182209/posts/922753045687591/. I followed-up with the Property Manager and maintenance staff repeatedly to ensure this happened. When I inspected the attic spaces, there were several areas where daylight could be seen coming in from around the doors, walls, cables, and such. Many of the doors leading to the flat roof areas had gaps around them and below them as well. And due to the high winds experienced on the 5th floor, rain can be blown into the attic spaces and leak into the units below if everything is not sealed properly. Having onsite Board members is key for ensuring these kinds of issues get promptly addressed.
28. I’ve repeatedly informed both the Property Manager and the maintenance staff of the importance of keeping the flat roof areas (where the AC units reside) clear of debris and ensuring that AC contractors servicing units and common areas do not scar these areas. I also periodically go up and inspect these areas. We have a 12-year warranty on these flat roof areas, but the warranty becomes void if there is debris or scarring. Having onsite Board members is key for ensuring these kinds of issues get promptly addressed.
29. Regarding the loose plank issues with the new floor installation (https://www.facebook.com/groups/271140264182209/posts/1033397327956495/), I walked the building to inspect the new floors, solicited assistance from residents, and followed-up with the Property Manager and maintenance staff multiple times to ensure all of the flooring issues were addressed within the warranty period. Several of the problem flooring areas were not identified by the staff nor addressed by the flooring contractor when they came to the building the first time – even after I walked the floors and identified several problem areas that had been overlooked by the staff prior to the arrival of the flooring contractor tasked with addressing the issues. The flooring contractor blamed Uptown Place for using our machine to clean the floors saying this caused water to get under the floor planks. However, I had previously retained documented evidence asking them for their cleaning instructions and confirming that it was okay to use our machine from the very beginning. So, the flooring contractor had to come out to address the issues and honor the flooring warranty. Having onsite Board members is key for ensuring these kinds of issues get promptly addressed.
30. I have periodically inspected the building entrance areas near the garage during rain events due to repeated water intrusion issues associated with the 5th floor garage drain. The maintenance staff has worked this issue several times over the past few months but frequently when it rains, we still get water intrusion on the lower floors near the garage because of this problem. Having onsite Board members is key for ensuring these kinds of issues get promptly addressed.
31. Regarding the frequent building water shutoffs, I have repeatedly advocated for getting Unit Shut-off valves replaced. In addition, I went down to inspect the building areas and found there were 4 shutoff valves. So, I recommended that instead of turning off all 4 shut-off valves to the building every time, we just run a test and see if only one valve can be turned off for certain units and areas of the building (and label the valves) instead of the entire building. Having onsite Board members allow this kind of inspection and assessment to be readily performed.
32. I have frequently helped owners with addressing their specific unit issues. Often when there are roof leaks or water intrusion problems, it is helpful having an onsite Board member go and inspect these units to ensure everything is being promptly taking care of such as ceiling repairs, walls, plumbing, mold, and such. Otherwise, the repair costs and such can become excessive, and units can remain unavailable to be lived in or rented out for many months. Here are a few examples of why it is essential to have onsite Board members to help address unit issues and such:

a.    I inspected multiple units associated with the water leak events in the building to ensure the contractors and staff were taking care of Association matters inside of the units to include mold remediation, walls, ceilings, electrical issues, common areas just outside the units, and such. Having onsite Board members is key for ensuring these kinds of issues get promptly addressed.

b.     The office notified a unit owner after-hours that there was a bad plumbing leak in his rented-out unit and informed him that he needed to immediately hire an after-hours plumber to address the problem. Well, the owner lives across the country in a different state, uses Don Asher to manage his rental, and he could not reach anyone in the office to discuss the problem since everyone had gone home for the day. And this owner had no contact information for the renters of his unit because, of course, Don Asher takes care of all of that. So, this highly alarmed, stressed-out owner contacted me and, to help him out, I went down to his unit to find out what the specific problems were. And it turned out there were no problems at all. The Management Company had contacted the wrong owner. The water leak was in a different unit with a different owner. So, this owner nearly hired an expensive, after-hours plumber and disrupted the lives of his residents for nothing. Having onsite Board members is key for ensuring these kinds of issues get promptly addressed.

c.    Whenever I learn of roof leaks or water intrusion issues, I keep a list of all of the affected units and repeatedly follow-up with the staff to ensure everything is being promptly taken care of – otherwise, the repair costs and such could become excessive. Frequently, I inspect the units as well to ensure all of the issues are being adequately addressed. Having onsite Board members is key for ensuring these kinds of issues get promptly addressed.

d. One of the rental units had a plumbing leak and the unit started flooding on a weekend when nobody was reachable either in the office or via the emergency hours phone. So, I looked up the owner and called her so she wouldn’t have to wait to address the problem which could have resulted in much more water damage to both her unit and surrounding units and common areas. Having onsite Board members is key for ensuring these kinds of issues get promptly addressed.

So, each of the above are reasons why it is absolutely critical to have Board members who are active, committed, and dedicated. And between all of the Board activities all of us Board members are involved with PLUS the ongoing building/community issues on top of that, PLUS the ongoing individual unit issues, I was extremely busy and dedicated, and I honestly do not know how much more value you could have gotten out of an unpaid volunteer serving as an onsite Board member. You certainly won’t get that kind of support out of a Board member who resides outside of the Orlando area.

Board members that live outside of the Orlando area can solely focus on Board activities and have no ongoing awareness of any of the aforementioned building/community issues and cannot inspect, address, and confirm whether quality work was being performed or otherwise stay on top of things like these to ensure they are getting promptly resolved, at reasonable costs, and to the highest standard. Board members that live outside of the Orlando area also cannot address specific unit issues and must rely on the word of the staff that everything in the building and community is being sufficiently taken care of – however (as indicated above), frequent inspection, evaluation, oversight, and confirmation is needed to ensure everything is being promptly and sufficiently addressed.