Lifestyle
Janor, 68, Fell Behind on Her Condo’s Special Assessments. Then Came a Foreclosure Threat: “I’m Afraid I’ll End Up in My Car”
By Mike Harper · November 12, 2026
Janor Farthing has a dog, a condo in the Carriage Hills community in Hollywood, Florida, and a bill she cannot pay.
“I’m lucky to feed my dog some days. I can’t get out of bed. I can’t deal with it,” the 68-year-old told CBS News Miami reporter Joan Murray.
According to the station, she owes her condo association nearly 18,000 dollars in special assessments. Her 50-year-old building is undergoing extensive repairs that the station described as necessary. After a letter from the association’s attorney threatening foreclosure, she is waiting on a court date where a judge will decide whether to give her more time to pay.
The stress has been hard on her health, the station reported, and the fear of losing her home keeps her up at night.
“I’m afraid I’ll end up in my car,” she said. “I’ve thought of rehoming my dog,” she added, calling the dog the only thing she has in her life right now.
You can watch the latest chapter of her story in CBS News Miami’s report on YouTube.
CBS News Miami first reported on Janor in February, after her friend Katrina Vought asked the station for help. Over the following months, reporters contacted city, county, state and federal officials and found few resources.
“It seems like you have to be evicted before someone does something,” Vought said.
Broward’s United Way eventually stepped in. It gave Janor close to 10,000 dollars and helped 20 other homeowners with their debt, the station reported.
“I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for United Way,” Janor said.
But Rebecca McGuire, United Way’s vice president of housing, told the station the money came from a one-time grant. “That was a one-time $200,000 grant for HOA and taxes. I don’t know whether we’ll get it again,” she said.
McGuire said even renewed funding would not fix the bigger problem for seniors who cannot afford large special assessments, and she said lawmakers need to step in. “Because if you just ignore it, people will fall into homelessness,” she said. “They’ll walk away from their life savings and those units will sit empty.”
Carriage Hills has been in the news before. In 2023, CBS News Miami reported that the association had levied special assessments of 19,000 to 28,000 dollars on some owners for roof work, 40-year repairs, a cooling tower and elevators.
Florida tightened its rules for older condo buildings after the 2021 collapse in Surfside. According to the state’s Division of Condominiums, Timeshares and Mobile Homes, condo buildings three or more stories tall must have a milestone structural inspection at 30 years of age, and every 10 years after that. Associations with those buildings must also complete a structural integrity reserve study at least every 10 years. If the study finds reserves fall short, the state says, an association may need to levy assessments or take out a loan to catch up.
If you own a condo, or are thinking of buying one, ask the association for its most recent milestone inspection and reserve study, and read the board minutes for talk of upcoming repairs. Ask whether the association offers a payment plan before an assessment is due. If you fall behind, respond to every letter from the association or its attorney, and talk to a lawyer or a legal aid office quickly. Local United Way chapters and calling 211 can point you to any help available where you live.
This article is for general information and is not financial or legal advice. Details of Janor’s case are as reported by CBS News Miami. This article was produced with the assistance of AI and fact-checked against the sources cited by LightWave Reports.