MIAMI – A family of three turns to CBS4,
feeling hopeless in their housing crisis. They tell us they
are in a dire situation financially, paying for two
residences, including one they never wanted in the first
place. We share their plea for help.
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"Her whole life has
been turned upside down at 12 years old," said Shubin from
his Weston rental. "It's a sad deal we've had to endure
because of the situation the HOA has put us in."
A stressed Shubin tells us he's "desperate," wondering how
much longer he can afford the rent in Weston while paying
the mortgage and HOA fees for their condo at Wimbledon at
Jacaranda.
A home, he explains, is unlivable.
"My unit is in a condemned state," Shubin said of his condo.
Shubin shows us water damage to the condo in every single
room. Some spots, according to this December 3 report, have
microbial growth.
We were shown a video of rainwater flooding his patio
illustrates the problem.
"This turns into Lake Wimbledon every time it comes," said
Shubin.
He points to the land outside the patio as the culprit. He
says the HOA failed to install proper drainage in the common
area.
"Over the course of time has gotten underneath our unit,"
explained Shubin.
He says you can hear the water underneath one of the
bedroom's tile floors. And we saw the titles shift easily
when he stepped on them.
On June 30 last year, the HOA agreed to fix the common area
and repair the damage.
The settlement agreement reads: "The Association agrees to
be responsible to pay for the scope of work..."
"Immediately following that, it didn't come to fruition,"
said Shubin.
The original estimate to repair condo damages was slightly
more than $40,000.
The contractor listed in the settlement tells us it was
based on the scope of work submitted by the previous HOA and
management company.
By November 2021, the neighborhood had a new property
management company, Jackson Lastra. Shubin says they told
his family to vacate the condo for repairs.
The chosen contractor told us that is when they went inside
the condo for the first time. They realized the scope of
work differed from what was presented and that they were
never offered a contract to begin work.
On November 19, Shubin's lawyer noted the company's owner
wanted to cut Shubin a check "and be done with it since [the
contractor] has no contract and wants nothing to do with
this project."
The attorney responded, "WAJ breached [the] agreement."
Jackson Lastra and WAJ have not responded to our numerous
requests for comment.
Shubin claims it's because the first estimate was
inadequate, showing us one from July 19 totaling $152,000 in
home repairs.
"Delaying time which is ultimately costing us more money,"
added Shubin.
Renting in Weston, paying $4500, on top of the mortgage and
HOA fees, waiting on their condo to be fixed.
"Get it back to a healthy situation where it's even
livable," explained Shubin.
While the wait continues, residents of neighboring units
explain mold covers blankets their homes.
"[HOA is] aware of the situation," mentioned Shubin. They've
done nothing for either one of us. We are the ones
suffering."
The Shubin family has filed another lawsuit to recoup costs
for additional out-of-pocket expenses while renting in
Weston. Shubin says they remain hopeful of reaching a
financial settlement with Jackson Lastra and Wimbledon at
Jacaranda.
If not, he says they intend to go to court to resolve the
matter.
Shubin's homeowner's insurance is through the HOA. Since
they and the property management group have not returned our
calls, it's unclear if the group's insurance company or only
the HOA would have to cover a new settlement agreement.