Residents of Ocean View condominium ask Sunny Isles Beach to intervene over assessments and alleged mismanagement

Owners from the Ocean View condominium addressed the commission during the citizens’ forum and asked the city to get involved after the association presented what residents call inflated repair estimates and has pursued a proposed loan totaling approximately $13 million.

Resident Diana Palacios said homeowners had hired an independent engineer who produced a separate report and that the association’s recent assessments and loan numbers appeared excessive. She said the association had refused to adopt electronic voting and that she had asked the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation to investigate potential mismanagement and conflicts of interest involving the management company and a loan officer.

Why it matters: Condo associations’ decisions about assessments, loans and repairs have direct financial consequences for owners. Residents requested municipal involvement to help resolve alleged fraud, conflicts of interest and to obtain clarity on engineering and cost estimates.

What residents asked the commission to do
- Review the association’s financial and engineering documentation or request assistance in mediating the dispute.
- Consider any available municipal remedies or referrals to state regulators; residents reported they have a DBPR investigation open since December.

Staff response: The resident was told staff had contact information and that the matter was noted; the meeting record shows the city clerk was given contact details to follow up.

Context and clarifying details
- Residents said the association’s loan figure discussed at recent meetings is roughly $13,000,000 and that this is the third assessment in a short period.
- Residents asked for transparency on whether window replacement is required for the county 50-year structural certification; they said city staff previously advised windows were not required for that certification.

Next steps: Residents provided contact information and requested meetings with city officials; the commission did not take a formal directive at the meeting but recorded the public comments.