HOA Justice Now

Exhibit L – Government Correspondence Timeline & Systemic Oversight Breakdown Overview

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This exhibit presents a chronological timeline of formal complaints, correspondence, and outcomes involving the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR), the Florida Bar, state and city agencies, US DOJ, and elected officials. It is designed to illustrate the full extent of oversight failure, delayed response, and potential political shielding that has enabled continued misconduct at the Omega Villas Condominium Association.

This timeline reveals 17 years of institutional deflection, agency failure, and legal shielding in Omega Villas.

Florida Taxpayer Spending vs. Zero Accountability

Florida has poured millions of taxpayer dollars into “fixing” HOA and condo oversight since the Surfside collapse — yet owners remain defenseless. Despite legislative reforms and increased DBPR funding, enforcement is virtually non-existent, leaving homeowners with only one option: hire expensive attorneys to fight for rights that should already be protected.

Documented Public Spending (2022–2025):

  • $7.8 million+ – Governor DeSantis & Legislature (2023–2024)
    • $4.3M for DBPR tech modernization
    • $3.5M for identity verification systems
    • $2.8M for inspections and investigations
    • $4.6M+ for cybersecurity and infrastructure upgrades
    • $195K for law enforcement training/equipment
  • $150,000–$225,000 – Legislative sessions & staff costs debating condo/HOA reform bills (2022, 2024, 2025).
  • $500,000+ – DBPR staffing for arbitration intake, complaint handling, and IG reviews with no real outcomes.
  • $50,000+ – Chief Inspector General intake and referrals that simply kicked complaints back to DBPR.

➡️ Total Estimated Public Cost: $8.5–9 million+
All spent in the name of reform — with no meaningful accountability delivered.

Chief Inspector General Referral & State Deflection (Aug 28 – Sept 24, 2025)

August 28, 2025 – Inspector General Referral & Communication Breakdown

  • August 28, 2025 – Chief Inspector General Referral:
    The Office of the Chief Inspector General (CIG) acknowledged my complaint (CIG #2025-08-27-0012) regarding Omega Villas. While disclaiming jurisdiction over HOAs and attorney conduct, the CIG formally referred the matter to the DBPR Inspector General (Rodney MacKinnon) for “review and action deemed appropriate.” This development places DBPR arbitration, post-Surfside condo reforms (July 2024 & 2025), and attorney conduct under Inspector General oversight.
  • OIG Blocked Email Log:
    A separate communication breakdown was confirmed involving the Florida Office of Inspector General, where multiple formal outreach attempts to published intake addresses received no reply. This highlights a broader failure of basic complaint intake and responsiveness at the oversight level.
  • Circular Deflection:
    This referral is especially troubling because the DBPR Inspector General already confirmed in writing on May 21, 2025 that his office had no authority to investigate construction, permitting, or DBPR decisions in this case. Passing the complaint back to the same office that has disclaimed jurisdiction exemplifies the circular, closed-loop oversight failures that have defined Florida’s approach to HOA accountability. (Refer to OIG-Confirms-No-Jurisdiction.pdf; 2025/06/Office-of-Inspector-General-@-FL-DBPR-Blocked.pdf)
  • Impact: These events confirm that prosecutorial, policing, and regulatory channels have collapsed or been shielded. Even at the highest oversight levels, complaints are bounced in circles rather than investigated, leaving homeowners with no viable path to accountability.
  • Inspector General Referral – Aug 28, 2025 (CIG #2025-08-27-0012): CIG admits no jurisdiction, forwards complaint to DBPR IG, creating a circular oversight loop.
  • Supporting Document: Chief Inspector General Deferral Letter (Aug 28, 2025 – Martin-202508270012-8.28.25.pdf & 2025-08-27-0012.pdf).

September 3, 2025 – Chief Inspector General Deferral & State Avoidance

  • September 3, 2025 – Chief Inspector General Deferral:
    The Office of the Chief Inspector General (CIG) issued a letter (CIG #2025-08-27-0012) acknowledging receipt of my complaint regarding Omega Villas. The letter explicitly stated that the CIG has no jurisdiction over HOAs, court matters, or attorney conduct. Instead, it suggested I seek private legal counsel and pointed me toward the Florida Bar’s Lawyer Referral Service.
  • Referral Forwarded:
    At the same time, the CIG stated that my complaint was being forwarded to the DBPR Inspector General (Rodney MacKinnon) for “review and action deemed appropriate.” This effectively pushed the matter back to an office that, as of May 21, 2025, had already formally disclaimed jurisdiction over construction, permitting, and DBPR enforcement decisions.
  • State Avoidance Pattern:
    This sequence demonstrates a classic deflection tactic: one oversight body admits it cannot act but still passes the issue back into the same loop of non-enforcement. The CIG’s deferral leaves whistleblowers caught between state agencies that disclaim authority while simultaneously keeping complaints within their closed system.
  • Impact:
    • Private burden shifted: By advising me to seek a private attorney, the State signaled that it would not exercise its own oversight authority.
    • Referral still binding: The DBPR Inspector General remains on record as the official office of review, preserving a paper trail of accountability despite earlier disclaimers.
    • Oversight failure exposed: This interaction underscores systemic flaws in Florida’s governance model, where complaints are bounced rather than addressed, leaving citizens unprotected.
    • Inspector General Referral – Aug 28, 2025 (CIG #2025-08-27-0012): CIG admits no jurisdiction, forwards complaint to DBPR IG, creating a circular oversight loop.
    • Supporting Document: Chief Inspector General Deferral Letter (Sept 3, 2025 – Martin-CIG-Deferral-9.3.25.pdf).

September 23, 2025 – Inspector General Referral & Communication Breakdown

The Florida Chief Inspector General (CIG) issued a new letter (CIG #2025-08-27-0012) confirming receipt of additional evidence in the Omega Villas case and forwarding it to the DBPR Inspector General Rodney MacKinnon for “review and action deemed appropriate.”

While this establishes that Florida’s top oversight office has been placed on notice, the CIG simultaneously declared the matter “closed” on their end, highlighting the recurring oversight loop: agencies acknowledge the problem but consistently defer back to DBPR — the same regulator already under scrutiny.

Supporting Document: Chief Inspector General Deferral Letter (Sept 24, 2025 – Link1 and Link 2).

October 16, 2025 — State Attorney’s Office (Broward SAO) – Public-Records Request #R001381-051225

Date Range of Request: May 12 – October 16 2025
Responding Agency: Broward County State Attorney’s Office (Harold F. Pryor)
Custodian: Misty Williams-Bernabe, Public Records Section

Request Subject:
Inquiry as to whether the SAO had opened any intake, referral, or investigation concerning
• “Omega Villas Condominium Association”
• “Austro Construction” / “Dorin Frai” / “Levy”
• “Your Management Services” (YMS) / “Sunrise Management”
• “Attorney Rhonda Hollander”
• “Shawn Martin” (“Unit 48,” “Building 10”)

Summary of Findings:

  • The SAO confirmed no intake or referral was ever opened between January 1, 2023 and the present for any of the names or entities listed above.
  • The office indicated that no agency had presented a case for criminal prosecution during that time frame.
  • One unrelated case originating from the Davie Police Department involving Dorin Frai and Austro Construction was acknowledged but declined by the SAO.
  • The response emphasized that no new intake was opened because the matter had been “thoroughly investigated by an outside agency.”

Administrative Observations:

  • The records request took approximately five months (May → October 2025) to receive a complete response, including invoice and deposit correspondence.
  • The SAO required a pre-payment deposit and later issued a supplemental invoice before producing records, a process that appears to reflect either limited administrative capacity or cost-recovery policy under Florida Statute 119.07.
  • This delayed fulfillment may illustrate resource constraints or procedural deflection rather than direct intent, but it does demonstrate the difficulty citizens encounter in verifying inter-agency activity.

Pattern Note:
The acknowledged declination of the Dorin Frai / Austro Construction case by the SAO shows that a separate party had already sought review of related conduct, yet the office chose not to pursue charges. This mirrors the broader pattern of oversight gaps documented elsewhere in Exhibit L and the Watchdog series—multiple agencies receiving referrals without initiating formal investigations.

Supporting Files:

  • SAO Response Letter (Oct 16 2025) – No Records statement by Misty Williams-Bernabe
PUBLIC RECORDS REQUEST of May 12, 2025Download

Cross-Reference: Prior Confirmation – Assistant State Attorney Margaret Carpenter

In parallel with the SAO’s October 2025 response, Assistant State Attorney Margaret Carpenter had previously confirmed by email that no case or investigation had ever been opened by the Broward SAO regarding Omega Villas.
Her message—originally sent in response to an email distributed through Attorney Rhonda Hollander’s chain—clarified that the office could not take action unless an investigative agency first presented a completed case file for review.

This correspondence, when read alongside SAO Request #R001381-051225, shows continuity in agency position:

  • No intake or investigation was opened by the State Attorney’s Office.
  • Jurisdictional limitation: the SAO requires police or DBPR referral before prosecution.
  • Consistency of declination: both communications—Carpenter’s and the October 2025 public-records response—reinforce that the SAO has not exercised prosecutorial authority in the Omega Villas matter to date.

Supporting File:

  • 4.16.2025 RE SAO Margaret Carpenter Emails — Statement that no case was opened concerning Omega Villas, pending agency investigation.
MTC E 4.25 1Download
MTC E 4.25.2Download

Cross-Reference:

Related correspondence involving the same issue appears in Exhibit L2 – Hollander Conduct & Retaliation Timeline (see entries dated April 2024 for both Summaries & Supporting Attachments).

Those emails include the chain in which Assistant State Attorney Margaret Carpenter confirmed that no case had been opened by the Broward SAO, despite Attorney Rhonda Hollander’s outreach.
Together, Exhibits L and L2 demonstrate consistent agency responses: acknowledgment of receipt but no prosecutorial intake, reinforcing the complainant’s documentation of administrative stall.

Historic Context – 2010 Rollback of Condo Oversight

2010 – Repeal of Inspection & Reserve Requirements
Then-Governor Charlie Crist signed legislation that rolled back mandatory inspection and reserve funding laws originally passed after earlier condo safety concerns. Despite this rollback, Florida has since spent millions (post-Surfside, $7M DBPR staff expansion) with no meaningful enforcement restored.This rollback:

  • Removed state-mandated reserves, leaving many associations financially unprepared for long-term structural repairs.
  • Weakened inspection requirements, eliminating safeguards that could have flagged deterioration and construction defects before crises developed.
  • Shifted enforcement back to DBPR arbitration and complaint channels, which were never designed for systemic safety issues.

Impact on Omega Villas:

  • By the time major construction issues and City of Plantation fines surfaced (2007–2009), state law had been gutted of meaningful enforcement teeth.
  • DBPR’s own complaint instructions confirm that by the late 2000s, the Division explicitly refused to investigate core issues such as common element maintenance and alterations. This limitation, combined with the 2010 rollback of inspection and reserve laws, left owners defenseless against construction defects and board abuses. The language shows that DBPR’s lack of enforcement was not simply underfunding — it was structural policy shielding.
  • This rollback created the “jurisdictional gap” DBPR still cites today — where agencies dismiss cases as “outside authority” rather than enforcing accountability.
  • It directly set the stage for the current oversight vacuum, even after Surfside (2021) forced lawmakers to revisit condo safety reforms.

Key Takeaway:
Florida taxpayers have spent millions (post-Surfside funding expansions in 2023–2024) trying to rebuild oversight capacity, but the 2010 rollback left a legacy of weak enforcement that continues to haunt owners in 2025.

October 30, 2008 – DBPR Confirms Loss of Authority Over Common Elements

Document: Letter from Vanessa Starling, DBPR Investigator (Case No. 2008032273).

Summary:

  • DBPR acknowledged receiving Shawn Martin’s complaint regarding Omega Villas’ failure to maintain common elements.
  • The agency confirmed that recent changes to Florida law (effective Oct. 1, 2008) removed its authority to investigate common-element maintenance in owner-controlled associations.
  • DBPR limited its jurisdiction going forward to records access, elections, and financial issues.
  • Instead of enforcement, DBPR offered “educational” assistance such as providing publications or attending meetings if invited by the Board.

Impact:

  • This letter is direct proof of Florida’s rollback of condo oversight — narrowing DBPR’s powers right as owners were reporting serious maintenance and construction issues.
  • Confirms that even when complaints were well-documented, DBPR shifted responsibility back onto owners, leaving enforcement gaps that persist today.
  • Demonstrates the state’s reliance on “education” and voluntary compliance, rather than investigation and enforcement, creating the oversight vacuum that enabled Omega Villas’ misconduct to escalate unchecked.

Attachment: Vanessa Starling DBPR Letter, Oct 30, 2008 (PDF)- Link

Major State Communications Timelines

  • 2007–2009:
    • Early complaints to the DBPR, Florida Attorney General, and Governor’s Office detailed widespread mismanagement, unlicensed contracting, and financial misconduct at Omega Villas. Despite citations from the City of Plantation and documentation of board obstruction, state agencies largely deflected responsibility—citing jurisdictional limits, outdated statutes, or referring matters to arbitration. This era marked the beginning of a long-standing pattern of state inaction and regulatory failure that continues today.
  • October 2023
    • After long fight over records which went to Arbitration, finally received office documents in September 2023 in Item #8 in Summary of DBPR Complaints below. Confronted the Board about these undisclosed City of Plantation Fine & Lien Notices.
  • October 2024
    • Florida Bar complaint against Attorney Rhonda Hollander dismissed without disciplinary action, despite evidence of hostile legal tactics and interference with emergency repairs.
  • February 17, 2025
    • Florida Senator Jason Pizzo confirms via email that the DBPR Secretary assigned investigators to the Omega Villas case.
  • March–April 2025
    • Multiple follow-ups sent to DBPR, DBPR General Counsel, and City Inspectors, State Attorneys, & State legislators. Response timelines lagged or included vague jurisdictional denials.
  • April 2025 – Psychological Pressure Point via DBPR Closure
    • Following the abrupt closure of DBPR Case #2024038286 (financial irregularities and hidden city fines), a chain of emails unfolded involving the State Attorney’s Office. The response from Assistant State Attorney Margaret Carpenter clarified that no investigative action would be taken unless law enforcement initiated a referral — effectively stonewalling any state prosecutorial involvement.
    • Given the timing, tone, and recipients involved, this closure and its follow-up were likely leveraged by Association counsel Rhonda Hollander as a calculated move to undermine whistleblower confidence in government recourse. Rather than offer transparency or due process, the response underscored the deep procedural gaps and political shielding that have enabled misconduct to persist unchecked.
  • Late April 2025 – Total Systemic Breakdown Confirmed
    • As mentioned above, in late April, I received a direct email from Assistant State Attorney Margaret Carpenter stating that no action would be taken by her office unless law enforcement or DBPR initiated a referral. This effectively removed the State Attorney’s Office from any meaningful enforcement role.
    • Around this same time to sometime in the past, my email address was blocked by the Plantation Police Department, following repeated, well-documented outreach about off-duty officer misconduct and intimidation tied to HOA matters. This action severed a critical communication channel with local law enforcement.
    • Evidence that Rudy Estavez, Chief Building Inspector, also blocked or filtered emails, ceasing communication after prior engagement
    • Inspector General (OIG) Blocked Email Log
      • A separate communication breakdown has now been confirmed involving the Florida Office of Inspector General, where multiple formal outreach attempts received no reply. These submissions were made to addresses publicly listed for complaint intake.
    • Together, these responses confirmed that prosecutorial, policing, and regulatory channels had all collapsed or were shielded — making recovery through traditional enforcement impossible.
    • These communications have been preserved and are now being reviewed by legal advisors and financial institutions.
  • May 2025
    • DBPR closes key complaint against Austro despite extensive documentation of unauthorized scope changes, missing insulation, and furring strip misuse.
    • City of Plantation Assistant Building Inspector, Carmen, initially acknowledged she would review the engineer’s permitting plans, then ceased all further response.
  • May 21, 2025 – DBPR Inspector General Declares No Jurisdiction
    • Rodney MacKinnon, Inspector General of DBPR, formally confirmed in writing that his office has no authority to investigate construction, permitting, or DBPR decisions in the Omega Villas case—underscoring a systemic lack of accountability in Florida’s HOA oversight framework.
  • July 1, 2025 – Responded to DBPR Inquiry on 2025 Annual Election Monitor Request
    • On June 30, 2025, Shawn Martin received a direct inquiry from DBPR Election Monitor Michelle Bendis regarding the March 25, 2025 Omega Villas Board election, for which nine candidates had been nominated for nine open seats, leading the Board to announce an administrative cancellation of the election monitor.
  • New Addition – June 2025:
    • The letter from Glantz Law is now included below. This formal opinion highlights concerns related to governance practices and enforcement vulnerabilities at Omega Villas. It is shared to support continued transparency and oversight review.
  • Ongoing (2024–2025)
    • 10+ State complaints and agency correspondence forwarded to over 60 oversight recipients, including the City Building & Police Departments as well as the Mayor’s Office, State Attorney General, State Attorneys, DOJ Civil Rights, and key State legislators. This includes updated new evidence for respective case #s via emails even to the Congressional Level for escalation purposes. Refer to the Summary of DBPR Complaints filed below for more details on the 10+ complaints.
  • August 28, 2025 – Chief Inspector General Referral & OIG Communication Breakdown
    • Letter Received: The Office of the Chief Inspector General (CIG) acknowledged my complaint (CIG #2025-08-27-0012) regarding Omega Villas. While stating they have no jurisdiction over HOAs or attorney conduct, the CIG formally referred the matter to the DBPR Inspector General (Rodney MacKinnon) for “review and action deemed appropriate.”
    • Communication Breakdown: A separate issue has now been confirmed involving the Florida Office of Inspector General, where multiple formal outreach attempts received no reply. These submissions were made to publicly listed intake addresses, yet no acknowledgment or assistance was provided until this referral letter.
    • Impact: This development places DBPR’s arbitration process, post-Surfside condo reforms (July 2024 & 2025), and attorney conduct under Inspector General oversight. It also exposes serious gaps in complaint intake and responsiveness at the Office of Inspector General level.
    • Supporting Document: Chief Inspector General Correspondence Letter (Aug 28, 2025 — link below ending Martin-202508270012-8.28.25.pdf).
  • September 3, 2025 – DBPR Inspector General Oversight Confirmed
    • Letter Received: On September 3, 2025, I received correspondence from the Office of the Chief Inspector General (CIG) regarding my complaint (CIG #2025-08-27-0012). While acknowledging my submission, the CIG emphasized that their office does not have jurisdiction over HOAs, court matters, or attorney conduct.
    • Deferral & Guidance: The letter advised that I may wish to consult a private attorney regarding potential remedies and referred me to the Florida Bar’s Lawyer Referral Service. It also stated that complaints about attorney misconduct should be directed to the Florida Bar, not the CIG.
    • Referral Forwarded: At the same time, the CIG noted that a copy of my complaint was being forwarded to the DBPR Inspector General for “review and action deemed appropriate.” This means the issues remain under DBPR IG oversight, even while the CIG itself is deferring responsibility.
    • Impact:
      • State avoidance persists — the Chief Inspector General formally declined jurisdiction, effectively pushing the matter back into DBPR and the private legal channel.
      • Referral still intact — despite the deferral, the referral chain confirms that the DBPR Inspector General continues to hold responsibility for review of arbitration handling, condo law compliance, and counsel’s conduct.
      • Highlighting systemic gaps — the letter illustrates the difficulty whistleblowers face navigating overlapping but siloed oversight bodies in Florida.
    • Supporting Document: Chief Inspector General Correspondence (Sept 3, 2025 – Martin-OIG-CIG-Deferral-9.3.25.pdf).

September 17, 2025 – DBPR Arbitration Order Issued

  • Ruling: The Arbitrator denied the Association’s attempt to use arbitration to collect assessments, confirming that such demands cannot be shoehorned into DBPR’s limited process. However, the order left in place the Association’s request for inspection access tied to the 40-year recertification.
  • Impact: While the financial overreach was stopped, the inspection access remains a flashpoint, with owners weighing whether to escalate to Circuit Court to prevent misuse of entry for unauthorized construction (furring strips, window removals, inflated assessments).
  • Supporting Documents: Full copies of this order, along with the 2007 and 2023 arbitration rulings, are attached to this section for transparency and to document the pattern of government accountability failure.

Attachments:

This timeline forms the basis for our upcoming federal referral and policy reform petition.

Summary of DBPR Complaints Filed

  1. DBPR Case #2024019952 – Annual Board Election Complaint
    Allegations: Election interference, proxy manipulation, and suppression of dissenting candidates.
    Status: Closed by DBPR.
  2. DBPR Case #2024022587 – Unlicensed Activity and Fraud Allegations
    Allegations: Contracting and management activity by unlicensed individuals before new 7/1 Florida laws.
    Status: Closed by DBPR.
  3. DBPR Case #2024038286 – Financial Irregularities and Hidden City Fines
    Allegations: Failure to disclose fines to owners, irregular use of funds, potential embezzlement or misappropriation.
    Status: Closed by DBPR, despite extensive documentation.
  4. DBPR Case #2024039084 – Juda Eskew & Associates Accounting Complaint
    Allegations: Financial obfuscation, lack of transparency, refusal to release ledgers, inflated balances.
    Status:At General Counsel.
  5. DBPR Case #2024040176 – Austro Construction & S&D Engineering Complaint
    Allegations: Misrepresentation about City requirements for windows, pressure to purchase from preferred vendor, building schedule manipulation.
    Status: Closed by DBPR.
  6. DBPR Case #2024044370 – Sunrise Management Complaint (Dorin & Jay)
    Allegations: Harassment, interference with emergency repairs, coordinated intimidation with contractors.
    Status: Closed by DBPR. (Original filing: 8/29/24)
  7. DBPR Case #2024048977 – SLAPP Suit & Whistleblower Retaliation Complaint
    Allegations: Use of COA legal counsel and funds to attack whistleblower, repeated harassment of elected board member.
    Status: Closed as outside DBPR jurisdiction, recommended for legal escalation.
  8. DBPR Arbitration Case #2024-03-7824 – Records Request & Mismanagement
    Allegations: Denial of records access, interference in arbitration, retaliatory board practices. Note: This arbitration was officially filed after the new July 1, 2024 Condo Laws were implemented.
    Status: Voluntarily withdrawn due to lack of confidence in neutrality of the process.
  9. DBPR Case #2025-041013 – Improper Rule Adoption & Retaliatory Enforcement
    Allegations: Adoption of unlawful or unreasonable rules without proper procedure; enforcement of rules in a retaliatory or discriminatory manner in violation of F.S. §718.303(1) and (3).
    Status: Filed May 1, 2024 – Closed.

Linked-Attachments:

2007 to 2019: Historical DBPR and City to Governmental Complaints Filed

Summary of Florida Bar Complaint – Attorney Rhonda Hollander

Complaint Filed: 2024

Respondent: Attorney Rhonda Hollander
Allegations:

  • Alleged abuse of legal authority as association counsel
  • Alleged Harassment through excessive and irrelevant record requests
  • Alleged attempts to obstruct emergency roof repairs after water intrusion
  • Alleged coordination with Board Members Dorin and Jay to intimidate contractors
  • Alleged use of legal threats to suppress whistleblowing activity
  • Alleged unprofessional conduct unbecoming of Florida Bar membership

Summary of Evidence Submitted:

  • Email threads showing interference with contractors
  • Records of unpermitted work ignored by counsel
  • Video and written documentation of coordinated harassment
  • Contractor statements alleging they were told to stop work under threat of legal action

Status:

  • Closed without disciplinary action
  • Florida Bar cited insufficient grounds for action but acknowledged the matter was reviewed.

Attachment:

Disclaimer:

This Florida Bar letter is shared as part of a larger timeline of state and legal oversight efforts concerning Omega Villas Condominium Association. This posting reflects the experience and perspective of the complainant. No independent findings of legal liability have been made by the Florida Bar.

Taken together, this record reflects not just failed oversight — but a deeply flawed enforcement model that may require federal intervention, legislative reform, and financial accountability measures now under review by national institutions.