Miami Gardens residents displaced by apartment fire turn to courts for relief
MIAMI GARDENS - On Thursday, unit owners from the New World Condo Complex turned to the courts for help, wanting someone new to run the place.
"The court will grant the emergency motion to appoint a receiver," announced Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Carlos Lopez during an emergency hearing.
Former Judge David Gersten was appointed to oversee operations at the New World Condominium complex as a receiver.
This comes after a devastating fire Saturday that put 200 people out of their homes.
"I would like three judges like him to come in and take it over, said 77-year-old unit owner Valerie Hunter.
She's is living in a shelter now. After learning there's no insurance, she wants to know what happened to the money she's paid for upkeep and assessments.
"I have to pay an assessment of $1,888.96 for the next 6 months, plus my $593 HOA every month. What is she doing with our HOA money," she asked.
Denise Brooks is the property manager. "Many unit owners have refused to pay their special assessment," Brooks said.
She says the lack of money to fix problems comes from residents not paying. "Nobody can force unit owners to pay special assessment if they don't want to," she said in the hearing. "M'am, I have to respectfully disagree," said Judge Lopez
Attorney Raul Gastesi represents some of the unit owners.
"The mismanagement of the condo association is beyond negligence, it's probably gross negligence," he said.
He said a receiver is needed to oversee and help residents recoup the money. "The board admits in correspondence that they have not been able to manage the condominium unit correctly. They have not passed the 40-year certification for years," he told the judge.
Meanwhile, unit owner John Baptiste is turning to the state attorney's office, hoping for help. "We really would like to focus on where the money of all these residents has gone," he said.
Several other unit owners plan to ask the state attorney for help as well.
