Deceit & Theft In a Condo…Part 3 Busted.

Written by Mitchell Drimmer on . Posted in Uncategorized

Of the three abandoned apartments that were being rented out one of them went to a tax deed sale and was purchased by a Mr. Hal Parker.  Of all the people in the world to buy this tax deed Tim, Joe & Rita wanted Mr. Parker to win this auction least of all.  Mr. Parker had credentials. He had serious credentials.  Aside from being a forensic CPA, Mr. Parker was also a retired investigator for the Internal Revenue Service and had irritable bowel syndrome which made him a very ill tempered man.   Since his retirement Mr. Parker amused himself by buying properties at tax deed sales, fixing them up, and renting them or selling them.  It was his hobby and he did not like people interfering with his hobbies.

go jailAfter obtaining the certificate of title through a tax deed sale to unit 1818 at Gonif Condominium association Mr. Parker went right over to see the condition of the unit he had purchased sight unseen.  With a certificate of title in hand and a locksmith buddy at his side Mr. Parker went over to Gonif Condominium to open the door, replace the lock, inspect the unit and prepare it for rehabilitation.  One can imagine the surprise to the Jones family when the locksmith drilled the lock, opened the door, and in walked the rightful owner of the unit, one very confused and about to get very angry Mr. Parker.

 

It did not take Mr. Parker long to figure out that whoever rented this unit did not have the certificate of title or a writ of possession.  Mr. & Mrs. Jones had rented the unit from Rita about six months earlier and were always on time with their rent payments, the funds of which were not disbursed to the association, but rather went right into the pockets of the gang of three who were serving as the board of directors.  They even had a lease and produced it to Mr. Parker when he showed them his certificate of title.  The paper trail to perdition had just started.

 

Having the skill set to chase down liars and cheats Mr. Parker began to build a case against this board of directors in spite of their stonewalling him.  Knowing the laws and his rights Mr. Parker asked for the financial records’ of the association, and when the board ignored him he promptly called in the DPBR (and the police). The situation for Tim, Joe & Rita went very south very fast.  Each board member was eventually taken away in handcuffs and although justice may sometimes move slowly it did move in the right direction.  In the end they all pleaded no contest, were forced to pay back restitution to the condominium, and each one of them was given some down time at the expense of the state.

 

The lesson is that if you own a condominium take some time out to attend meetings, be aware of what is happening in your building, know your rights, exercise your rights and understand that your apartment is just one part of what you commonly have a responsibility for.  Mr. Parker may have been a professional investigator but the paper trail was so obvious a high school student could have seen the larceny.  Don’t let this happen to you.

Mitchell Drimmer

Mitch Drimmer and SNAP Collections by Association Financial Services have become synonymous with collections success for community associations. SNAP Collections by AFS has grown to be a national company offering its services nationally. Mitch is a licensed community association manager, real estate broker, and has three collection certifications from various industry organizations. Mitch is on the advisory board of Florida Community Association Professionals (FCAP), a content provider for the FCAP educational program, and frequently writes articles for various publications dealing with issues in community associations.