People living in several South Florida condo communities say they have been fighting for years to take back control of where they live. They told NBC6 that their property manager, hired by their boards, has been abusing his power and their money. NBC6’s Amy Viteri reports
People living in several South Florida condo communities say they have been fighting for years to take back control of where they live. All telling NBC6 their property manager, hired by their boards, has been abusing his power and their money.
“The biggest issue is that the owners have no rights in there,” said Julian Londono, who owns a condo at the Cypress Gardens community in Hollywood.
Owners from three different communities in both Miami-Dade and Broward say they all share the same property management company, BDM Property Management, and the same property manager, a man named Michael Curtis.
It’s an issue that the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office says is “under review” and the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) recently took action against the manager for his conduct at another community.
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But some owners worry that’s not enough. They say despite paying monthly maintenance fees, bills are going unpaid, funds are unaccounted for and not all amenities are available.
“Water bills are not being paid,” said Shelisa Anderson, an owner at the Windmill Lakes condo in Pembroke Pines.
Manny Ferreira, who owns a property at the Three Horizons condo in North Miami, shared a similar concern.
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“$211,000 of water bill,” he said, “I don't understand how we still have water in this building.”
“The pool's been shut down for I think a little over two years now,” Anderson added.
Residents in other communities said they can’t access their pools either. The owners say for years, they have complained about mismanagement by Curtis and their boards of directors, who they say they never elected.
“They just sign off on everything that he tells them to,” Anderson said.
In September, DBPR revoked BDM’s and Curtis’ licenses, after filing eight administrative complaints against him in 2023. He was also ordered to pay more than $120,000 in fines and costs.
The revocation order called Curtis a “true danger to the public” for his conduct at another community, the Fairways of Sunrise. The order states Curtis didn’t contest the allegations against him, rather offered explanations the state said “appear disingenuous” based on the evidence.
According to the DBPR’s revocation order, when a majority of owners at Fairways voted to recall their board in an effort to fire Curtis and BDM, they refused to comply, racking up $500,000 in legal expenses, stating Curtis, “unconscionably sent the accounts of 22 residents to a collection agency…” despite being provided “…with monthly lists of who paid their assessments.”
“It's great, but it's also bittersweet because they have an appeal process,” said owner Jenny Trujillo of Three Horizons, “So he's trying to appeal his revocation.”
“Everybody's afraid of them,” Anderson added. “They use intimidation tactics for everything that they do.”
Just days after Curtis’ license was revoked, owners in several communities say they received the same letter, supposedly from their respective boards, saying BDM is licensed and appealing the “fraudulent” case against them. It goes on to say Curtis is “actively suing every person who distributed false information about him…we advise the residents to refrain from putting yourselves in the same situation.”
“They're doing whatever they want,” Ferreira said. “And on top of it, they're trying to threaten us.”
Days later, the DBPR put out a cease-and-desist notice at the communities addressed to Michael Curtis stating practicing without a license would “establish probable cause …to believe you are violating Florida law…”
But several owners told NBC6 the notices were ripped off in some places.
State records show since last year Michael Curtis has been listed as the registered agent for another management company. The address for that business is the same address as BDM Property Management.
“Michael Curtis is already trying to manage, to grab the management of this building through another company,” Ferreira said.
That company, All Florida Rental Management, lists the same Pompano Beach storefront. State records show it would do business as BDM Property, and its license application was in progress.
NBC6 Investigates reached out to Curtis by phone and email. But we didn’t hear back.
Then, we tried to speak to him at BDM’s office.
Curtis didn’t want to open the door but seemed to say someone had or would email NBC6 on his behalf.
He declined to do an on-camera interview or answer questions in person about the complaints, the revocation, or the new company.
After our visit to his office, NBC6 Investigates received a statement on Curtis’ behalf from a law firm, which read:
“Our client is shocked and disturbed about the DBPR conclusions, and together with counsel, is in the process of appealing the decision. BDM Property Management, together with Michael Curtis, takes its responsibilities as a property management company and its compliance with the law very seriously and considers the recent pattern of litigation to be unmeritorious and will continue to vigorously defend itself.”
When asked about Curtis’ involvement with a new company, the representative provided this statement:
“BDM Property Management, LLC is committed to compliance with DBPR regulations. An assignment of all of its pending contracts to a different licensed property management company, with the approval of the board of directors of each association, has occurred.”
The firm would not comment on whether that company is All Florida Rental Management.
But condo owners shared a letter sent to them this week listing the company's name, advising them that All Florida Rental is their new management firm and that it took over BDM’s phone number and office.
“Everybody's still scared they don't know which way to turn,” Anderson said. “Everybody's just trying to figure out what we can do next. That's why we need help.”
Attorneys representing each of the association’s boards have not responded to requests for comment about the owners’ claims.
NBC6 Investigates also reached out to the DBPR repeatedly asking about Curtis’ involvement with a new company despite his license being revoked. No one from the agency has acknowledged our request or responded to questions about Curtis or BDM.
