When The Eagles sang "This could be heaven or this could be hell" about the Hotel California, they could easily have been describing the dual nature of living in a condominium.
Condo living certainly has its benefits — it can be delicious to rely on some association to patch your roof, keep the landscaping looking great and clean the swimming pool.
"That's where you go to have [a] hassle-free life," says author .
On the other side of the coin, there's no lack of horror stories about condo boards run amok, vehicles towed away unjustly in the dark of night and eviction threats over holiday lights in the window.
Bieler lived in a South Florida condo for over 20 years, during which she saw her share of eclectic characters she describes as straight out of "central casting."
"If anyone has lived in a condo, you know what I mean," says Bieler.
READ MORE: "It's out of control." Condo reform gaining steam in Tallahassee
Her debut novel Alice in Condoland takes a humorous approach to the dilemma of waking up one day to discover your neighbors have taken over your very existence.
The story follows an idealistic young woman as she leaves the New York rat race for South Florida. Once there, she sees corruption everywhere — most notably, in the board of her condo, where steadily increasing fees are draining her hard-earned cash.
Bieler says she began writing the book during COVID-19 isolation and was still working on it in June, 2021, when the occurred.
The tragedy, which left 98 people dead, sparked a raft of new in Florida.
But Bieler says she never considered abandoning the project due to its comic tone.
"There's nothing macabre in the book," she says. "It's just about: how do you get to that place? How do things get neglected for so long that your living situation becomes dangerous? And I think that is a relevant topic right now. And not only in Florida. "
Although Alice in Condoland is a work of fiction, it's served as a self-help guide for at least one group of condo owners calling for reform.
Attorney Sheldon S.Y. Lee of Honolulu, Hawaii says he's formed a group called “Brothers and Sisters Traveling Condo Show." Its members arrange meetings with state lawmakers to get their message out — part of that is handing out copies of Alice in Condoland.
"I sincerely hope that Liz’s novel will be made into a movie or TV series. That would really help to get the issues out in the open," says Lee.
Among the many new Florida laws that went into effect on July 1, is one that gives to stand up to overzealous, nitpicky and downright abusive homeowners associations.
Bieler says condo owners need to learn everything there is to know about what they've signed up for. That includes attending board meetings, asking questions and demanding condo financial statements.
"If you ignore it," she warns. "You do so at your peril."
