A management company that failed to pay years of overdue taxes and caused Doral Place to lose its community swimming pool was fired Thursday -- minutes after the president of the homeowners association board threatened to resign if such action was not taken.

The Doral Place Master Homeowner's Association Board voted 6-2 to terminate its management company, the Continental Group, and hire Allied Property Group. Board members Alan Smith and Rosa Freeland voted against the change.

The decision came after board President Vicente Peña said he would immediately submit a resignation letter if members did not vote to hire a new company.

''I'm tired of hearing complaints about Continental,'' Peña said to the audience of about 20 board members and residents. ``I'm tired of hearing Continental is not doing their job. I'm tired of doing the work of Continental. It is totally unfair.''

Peña said in addition to serving as board president for the past year and a half, he has been doubling as the property manager -- which he would no longer do.

The official property manager, Jerry Palacios, who works for Continental, sat quietly alongside Peña, commenting only when his company was criticized by unhappy residents.

''I expect you to understand the service your company gives is not really top-notch,'' said board member Auberto Enriquez.

Palacios answered, ``We cannot invest any more money and give you better service knowing from one day to the next we'll be fired.''

Though Continental will no longer work for the Master Homeowner's Association, which oversees the common areas, like the pool and streets, the company is still contracted by a few of the 13 individual condo associations that comprise the master association.

Some residents of those condos, such as board member Gladys Fuentes, are concerned they will have to pay additional maintenance fees if a new company takes over.

''We've been put up against the wall,'' Fuentes said. ``All of us who have Continental fight with Continental, but like their fees.''

Doral Place residents pay Continental $4 a month per unit for management-related expenses, Peña said.

With Allied, residents will pay a few dollars more per month for management fees, which may total about $8, he said.

Though a few residents complained about the hike, resident Doug Coletti said paying a few more dollars per month is well worth it.

''I can't believe anyone who can afford to live here is worried about spending $10 a month,'' Coletti said.

Peña agreed.

''Do we want to drive a Hyundai or a Cadillac?'' Peña said. ``You get what you pay for.''

Another benefit of using Allied is that if more than half the individual condo associations contract with the company, the firm has promised to provide the community with a part-time property manager who will make daily visits for at least an hour, Peña said. Continental does not provide an on-site property manager.

The decision to hire Allied pleased many residents, who said change was long overdue.

''I am very hopeful that things will change for the better,'' said resident Gladys Romero.

Trouble began for Doral Place a year ago when the county took over the community pool after Continental failed to pay years of overdue property taxes totaling nearly $8,000. Miami-Dade sold the pool, located at 5000 NW 102nd Ave., and the surrounding half-acre at an auction to R-U-4 Real Inc. and For Sale By Owner Realty Inc. for $44,000, in addition to the back taxes.

The new owners locked the more than 300 residents out of the pool for months until Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Henry Harnage issued an order in December granting residents the right to use the pool until the legal dispute over its ownership is settled. The case is pending.

At the meeting, some residents expressed concern over the poor level of maintenance of the pool since its ownership came into dispute.

The master association board contracted with a pool maintenance company to clean the pool three times a week, Peña and Palacios said, but they added that the work was not being done.

''The pool was not in the condition it should have been,'' said Peña.

Until the board receives cost estimates from three companies, it will temporarily use Union Pool Service, which maintains the pool at the Doral Park Country Club.

Union Pool will clean the Doral Place pool three times a week at a cost of $300, Peña said.

Resident Frank Brito objected, saying the community was wasting money because the pool is rarely used.

''How much use do the pools actually get?'' Brito said. ``We are paying for two pools, and nobody is using them.''