Local10 News: Criminal Complaints Filed in Condo Catastrophe

Local10 News: Criminal Complaints Filed in Condo Catastrophe

http://www.local10.com/news/criminal-complaints-filed-in-condo-catastrophe/34588568

Reporter Bob Norman questions Santiago Perez, former Board president of Jade Winds Association Inc at his new house in Boca Raton.  (July 2015)

Donna Mantin--Jade Winds Unit Owner? NOT!

Donna Mantin, LCAM 34445, former property manager at Jade Winds, sent out an email to some Jade Winds owners (including me) on 8 January 2015 announcing her purported unit ownership at Jade Winds.  

The full email message is below for your review, consideration, and enjoyment.

I will follow up soon with a complete rebuttal to this hubris and the so-called FACTS listed below. 

Start of message below line.

________________________________________________

Dear Neighbor,

I wanted to wish all of you a very happy and joyful New Year.

I wanted you to know that I am now a unit owner at Jade Winds and I am very excited, as well as dedicated to be able to help us reach a common goal towards the financial stability, quality of life, and safety for all of us.

I have received several questions and concerns from many of you, and I would like to clarify some of it.

Many lies and innuendoes have been said and written about past board members and myself.

The people who created those lies, manufactured and twisted the truth, were only motivated by their own agenda and dangerous goals.  Their self-serving goals will ultimately destroy Jade Winds, a community that the previous board and I have been working tirelessly to protect and make better.

I have been the property manager at Jade Winds working for First Service Residential since 2009. When the Board of Directors decided to terminate First Service Residential, in early October, I could no longer stay and continue as your property manager.

FACT:

Once my employer First Service Residential was terminated, I was no longer working for Jade Winds, therefore, any misunderstanding or confusion that I had been removed from my position by Jade Winds board is incorrect, and any board meeting held to vote to “remove” me was a sham and a lie.

Now, that I am a unit owner and personally invested, I am determined to investigate that everything is done properly according to Florida law. I am determined to spend every moment in defending our rights as unit owners, and make sure that we are protected and informed of every move and decision the board makes and why. 

FACT:

In the past 3 months since the departure of the previous board and myself, our property values at Jade Winds has declined by more than 15%, although throughout South Florida it has risen by 16.2%.

FACT:

In the past 3 months since the departure of the previous board and myself, documents have been removed from the office, late at night, and we should all be fearful that our personal information has been compromised.

FACT:

In the past 3 months since the departure of the previous board and myself, we can no longer come home and be assured that our assigned parking spaces are available.

FACT:

In the past 3 months since the departure of the previous board and myself, garbage is not being picked up on a regular basis, and rats are roaming about.

FACT:

In the past 3 months since the departure of the previous board and myself, parties are being held poolside, late into the night, with complete disregard for the Miami-Dade County rules concerning alcohol consumption, and the Rules and Regulations of Jade Winds. When something happens during one of these parties, it will be all of our liability, and we will lose the license, which allows us to operate and have pools.

FACT:

In the past 3 months since the departure of the previous board and myself, the buildings are no longer clean, trash sits for days in our stairwells, dirt and urine is in the elevators, and there is graffiti on our walls.

FACT:

In the past 3 months since the departure of the previous board and myself, some mailboxes have been vandalized, that warranted an investigation by the Federal Government.

FACT:

In the past 3 months since the departure of the previous board and myself, the management office is withholding our paperwork, which by law is mandatory.

FACT:

In the past 3 months since the departure of the previous board and myself, there was no State mandated Budget meeting, which according to our by-laws must be held in early November. We have not received our 2015 coupon books which should have been mailed in December, and we still do not know how much of an increase will take place.

FACT:

On September 26, 2014 the State of FL Division of Business and Professional Regulations ordered the Association to “re-notice the 2014 annual meeting and election to be held 75 days from the order”, which means the mandated special election should have taken place by December 11, 2014 and no later. We are now in violation of this court order, and can be held in contempt of court which is a very serious violation.

FACT:

In the past 3 months since the departure of the previous board and myself, several unsafe structure and code violations against the Association have not been addressed nor cured. Therefore, we will have to pay fines up to $10,000 per violation, which will cost us more than $150,000 in fines and penalties.

Jade Winds has been served with unsafe structure warnings, by the unsafe structure Board of the regulatory and economic division of Miami Dade County, by ignoring these warnings, the regulatory agency will demand us to vacate our apartments leaving us homeless.

A decision was made to have our Comcast cable eliminated, forcing us to pay approximately $65.00 more every month .When was this decision made, and by whom?. There was no properly called Board meeting, and the Board cannot make any decisions without giving the unit owners a chance to attend the meeting.  The cable service that we always had was always included in our maintenance payment, If they removed the cable service , the cable costs should be deducted from our maintenance fees.

They are not allowed to keep our money for cable if they are not providing us with cable.

In addition to the cable service which we pay in our maintenance, we also pay towards the use of the tower.  Since we cannot use the tower, that money needs to be deducted from out maintenance and refunded back to us.

I want to take this opportunity to apologize for my quick departure, since I know many of you wanted to wish me well and say goodbye. I am now here as your neighbor and am looking forward to seeing you and talking to you again. 

Since I am now your neighbor and a unit owner, I would love to help with any questions, problems or concerns you might have.  I am a licensed CAM, and have been a certified and registered property manager for over 33 years as well as an experienced member of BOD acting as president and treasurer. I am well versed and knowledgeable in condominium laws, rules and regulations, by-laws, 40 year-recertification, structural and electrical work, county codes and regulations and on and on and on.

I know that by joining together we can make Jade Winds a place it once was, and together, we can secure our future.

Once again, I hope you and your loved ones had a joyous holiday, and if I can help you with anything, or if you would like me to be your advocate, I can be reached at 786-361-6150 anytime.

Yours truly,

Donna

________________________________________________

End of Message

Donna Mantin--Chutzpah personified!
photo taken on January, 9, 2015 at Bamboo I Jade Winds