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ATTORNEY ALLEGEDLY VIOLATES FLORIDA STATUTES Some E-Mails |
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How can we simplify the voting process and
maintain the integrity of the
results? This
year our association changed the legal representation of our annual
meeting to Becker and Poliakoff " with the attorney Rob Reubinstein
now representing our association. One
of the procedure changes is to color code and stamp envelops as
"BALLOT' "OUTER ENVELOPE" and "PROXY ONLY".
The state has been asked to run the election.
Three people were selected to do so.
However, the association's new attorney is waiting for the
resume of the 3 people to ensure that they are certified and qualified.
If the credentials are not established by the time of the annual
election, the association's attorney will run the meeting and the 3
individuals from the state will attend as observers. From:
Marstiller, Simone E-Mail Tue 2/22/2006
Dear Secretary
Marstiller,
this is the way
these attorneys are treating officially appointed election monitors.
Remember, your Arbitration Chief Karl Scheuerman wanted to pass a rule
that was clearly defying legislative intent, exactly trying to achieve
what these attorneys like: Laugh about our government and legislators!
See below the account of a condo owner of tonight's election! As you
well know Attorney Rubenstein from the law firm of Becker &
Poliakoff already threatened not to let the appointed election monitor
conduct the election. You advised Division Chief Mike Cochran "to
educate ass'n council".
According to
tonight's events that education didn't go very far! It seems these
attorneys don't care about Florida laws, your Department or the
legislation created by our elected officials. If they can get away
with it we can forget creating laws. This is exactly what Florida's
homeowners and condo-owners complain about since many years! But it
seems nobody cares! These attorneys can do whatever they want --
that's just a fact. And they do it at our expense! Do you let them
get away with it?
Who runs the show
here in Florida? The attorneys of Becker&Poliakoff or our
elected government and the enforcement agencies?
Quote from an
e-mail I received tonight -- the
opinion of an owner present at the meeting:
I can't begin to tell you the horrific treatment
that was bestowed on the election monitor,
Val Lucier, and his
assistants by our Board and Continental Management. The Election
Monitor and his assistants arrived about 35 minutes prior to our
meeting . They were dressed very professional and acted in a
courteous manner. They were denied access to our meeting room.
They were told that they had to stay in the lobby until our building
manager, Keith Tannenbaum, arrived.
When Tannenbaum arrived, he informed the Election
Monitor that he had been instructed by our Board and attorney Rob
Rubenstein of Becker and Poliakoff that Val could not monitor the
election. Tannenbaum, also, denied him access to our meeting
room. Val showed Tannenbaum his State Badge and Tannenbaum
excused Val as if he was a nobody. Again, Tannenbaum denied Val
access to our meeting room. Tannenbaum stated that Val would have to
wait until atty Rob Rubenstein arrived.
Than Rubenstein arrives and he is more arrogant and
disgusting in behavior than Tannenbaum. He advises Val that he
will not be the election monitor. Val, again, shows his state
badge and Rubenstein treats him with further disrespect. Val
tells him that he is here to hold the election. Rubenstein tells him
that he can only observe. This is the decision of the Board and
the decision has been made that you cannot monitor but you are welcome
to observe.
Val requested that he meet with the Board. At
this point, they adjourned to the manager's office. They were in
the office for about 30 minutes. I don't know what went on
inside. Our meeting did not start on time. It was about an
hour late.
In the meeting area, Ron Martin, our accountant was
collecting ballots but he forgot to have people sign in the book which
would create chaos later in the meeting. Some people had left and
those of us in attendance signed our name after an hour an a half past
the initial meeting time. Ultimately, we did not have a quorum of
unit owners. Yet, more people seemed to attend than in the past.
I, also, was surprised that we had fewer votes than the prior year.
In the end, the old Board was reelected minus one.
As Val left, I thanked him. He said to me, "I have never
been treated this badly in my life."
No person representing the government of this State
should ever been treated as badly as the
election monitors were treated tonight. No attorney
should show the disrespect for a government representative
as what was displayed by Rob Rubenstein.
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