An Opinion By Jan Bergemann 
President, Cyber Citizens For Justice, Inc.

Published February 5, 2011

We hear only too often complaints from owners that board presidents are not doing the right thing, violating the laws and wasting owners' money. Not too many times we hear that presidents are attacked and pressured for doing the right thing, even trying to save lots of money for the association and its owners, especially in a time of financial hardship.

But that's exactly what happened to the president of the Imperial House Condominium in Miami Beach, when he tried to switch the building's insurance. He did everything by the book, collected bids as required by prudence, and found that the existing policy is much too expensive -- same coverage available at much lower cost elsewhere. So the association switched insurers by vote of the board. Sounds like a winner, wouldn't you think? 

But not if the person collecting commission on the existing policy is an owner, an owner married to a sitting Juvenile Court Judge with lots of political connections, a judge known for throwing temper tantrums if she doesn't get what she demands. Last year Judge Mindy Glazer kicked in the building's office door -- according to the resignation letter -- when she didn't get her way. This year, at a board meeting, she called the president a dictator, told him that she would open "a can of worms" for him and even threatened to call the police on him. To this same board meeting she brought along former Miami Beach Mayor Leonard Haber (a building resident) and former Democratic Party Chairman and (also) North Bay Village Mayor Joe Geller, obvious family friends of the Gaynor-Glazers who had never set foot in any recent association meetings. Strikes me as: "If you don't have enough good arguments to make your point bring along some political firepower to subdue any opposition."

These kinds of temper tantrums remind me more of the actions of a spoiled brat than those of a sitting judge.

For more details about this "INSURANCE COMMISSION DISASTER" please read the 

RESIGNATION LETTER OF FORMER BOARD PRESIDENT ALEX DE GASPARI

Actually, the statements in this letter speak for themselves -- a clear testimony of what is wrong in our community association system. 

You can be sure that De Gaspari did his research and made sure that he could prove all the statements made in his letter of resignation.  Otherwise, Judge Mindy Glazer would definitely have a field day suing De Gaspari for libel since she obviously has no quarrels throwing her political weight around. 

And David Gaynor, husband of Judge Mindy Glazer? He created havoc for the association board when he realized that his commission for the building insurance was at stake. He even went so far as promising the board that "any penalties the building would incur for changing back the policy to Wells Fargo would be absorbed by Wells Fargo." According to sources, that could add up to $83,000 in penalties -- owed to Accurate Insurance Group, the new insurer that had made the best offer and was chosen as the new insurer. Gaynor now decided to become a board member in order to avoid everybody else getting the idea of switching building insurers, endangering his commission.

Considering that this condominium has been in serious financial trouble and that a new board and management were desperately trying to do the right thing and decrease expenses, these actions definitely have to be seen as a big set-back.

It's just another example that this association system isn't functioning as promised. Personal agendas play a big role in the management of these associations. Add money, greed and abuse of political influence and you know why many associations have serious financial problems!