A group of unit owners at the Mondrian South Beach sued the condo association and companies tied to developer Russell Galbut, alleging securities fraud. Read the article………………………………….
How to Avoid HOA Fraud (TX)
While the vast majority of all HOA volunteers only want to help their community be the absolute best it can be, it never hurts to optimize your board’s financial protection strategy. Read the article………………………….We recommend the following tips:
Ex-St. Pete condo property manager vacationed at Disney on company dime (FL)
A former property manager of Parkshore Plaza, a high-end condominium building in downtown St. Petersburg, was sentenced to two years in prison this week after authorities say she used company money to buy vacations to Disney, book personal flights to Maryland, pay for expensive trips to the salon and cover her home water bill. Read […]
Stuart man accused of using condo association’s credit card information to buy Home Depot gift cards (FL)
A Stuart man was accused of fraudulently using a condo association’s credit card information to buy over $1,200 in gift cards. Donald Francis Keal, 44, of the 4400 block of Southeast Hamilton Lane in Stuart was arrested Thursday on charges of fraudulent use of a credit card and grand theft. Read the article……………………………
Columbia couple indicted on charges of stealing $100K from local HOA (TN)
Two Columbia residents have been indicted by a Maury County grand jury for stealing from their homeowners association while holding the two top positions in the group. Brenda Gracin, 64, and Mario Gracin, 66, have been indicted on charges of theft for allegedly stealing more than $100,000 from the Benton Town Hall Homeowners Association. Read […]
Steps to Take if You Suspect Fraud Within Your HOA
While not a pleasant topic, fraud, theft, or embezzlement can happen in any organization, and volunteer organizations such as homeowners’ associations are particularly vulnerable. With large sums of money and members’ personal information at stake, it’s crucial for members to be able to easily recognize fraudulent activity and understand how to best protect their association. […]
Panama City Beach woman allegedly defrauds $230,000 from several condominium associations (FL)
A Panama City Beach woman has been arrested after allegedly being involved in theft from numerous condominiums. The Bay County Sheriff’s Office says they were alerted to the alleged theft back in May, when $230,000 dollars was removed from one local condominium association’s bank account, and deposited into a second association’s account. Read the article………………………………..
Homeowners association accused of holding illegal elections, mismanaging money (IN)
One of the largest neighborhoods in Hamilton County is facing a lawsuit in which its homeowners’ association is accused of holding “sham” elections and mismanaging the HOA’s money. Read the article…………………………..
Fontana judge’s stealing from neighbors could exceed $100,000 (WI)
Homeowners say late Fontana municipal judge David Jensen stole more than $100,000 from his homeowners association — twice the amount reported earlier — and that the association has settled the matter without their consent. Read the article………………………..
Wisconsin woman accused of money laundering, theft in Fox Lake (IL)
An eight-month investigation by the Fox Lake Police Department and other agencies has led to a Wisconsin woman’s arrest on two counts of theft and three counts of money laundering of funds in excess of $1 million. Fifty-year-old Michele L. Kirk, also known as Michele L. Fitte, was arrested Thursday and charged with five felonies […]
Protecting Your Community From HOA Fraud
Believe it or not, there are many cases of HOA fraud across the United States. After all, a homeowners association is an organization run by a group of volunteer individuals, so it is definitely susceptible to fraudulent activity. In fact, it only takes a single dishonest board member to commit fraud in an association. This […]
Lawsuit accuses now dead ex-treasurer of Mt. Juliet’s Brookstone HOA of embezzling $290K (TN)
A Mt. Juliet neighborhood association has filed a lawsuit that accuses its former treasurer of embezzling more than $290,000 over a period of years. The treasurer being accused died in December. Read the article…………………………..
Kissimmee property management company owner arrested, charged with fraud, impersonating officer (FL)
The former property manager exposed by 9 Investigates for allowing her ex-cop-turned-felon boyfriend to run security in a Kissimmee neighborhood was arrested for fraud and impersonating an officer, according to Osceola County Jail records. Sherry Raposo is the owner of the property management company that was fired by the homeowners association at Turnberry Reserve earlier […]
Homeowners group says Fontana judge failed to pay his association dues (WI)
The Indian Hills Homeowners Association has filed a claim of more than $5,000 on the home of deceased Municipal Judge David Jensen, alleging that Jensen did not pay his membership dues for five years…….The association filed the lien on the Jensen home at 738 Adahi Way on March 13 — less than two weeks after […]
Convicted San Mateo HOA contractor has sentence cut (CA)
A painting contractor, convicted in the theft of $2.8 million from the homeowners association at Woodlake in San Mateo, had his prison sentence reduced by two years but the restitution upheld. Read the article……………………………..
Fulton Commissioner, Neighborhood Association Hit With $400K Malicious Prosecution Verdict (GA)
A jury awarded more than $400,000 in damages and attorney fees to a couple who was arrested on accusations they defrauded a homeowners association out of several thousand dollars for cleaning and other maintenance tasks. Among the defendants was attorney and Fulton County Commissioner Marvin Arrington Jr., an association board member accused of using his […]
Police say this man stole more than $1 million from suburban homeowners associations. Now, he faces new charges (PA/NJ)
A Chester County man facing trial for allegedly embezzling money from multiple homeowners associations in South Jersey and Southeastern Pennsylvania has been arrested again, accused of running the same scheme at additional locations. Read the article………………………….
Alleged Clearwood Embezzler Arrested on Theft Charges (WA)
Dolanna K. Burnett, the former Clearwood Community Association bookkeeper who allegedly embezzled as much as $400,000 over four years starting in 2014, was booked into Thurston County jail on Monday, March 2, on a felony theft charge. Read the article…………………………
Calgary woman accused of stealing millions from condo corporations (AB)
A former property manager of FirstService Residential — one of North America’s largest managers of residential communities — is accused of stealing approximately $2 million from condo corporations she oversaw in Calgary. Calgary police confirm 61-year-old Carol Lloyd has been charged with one count of fraud over $5,000 and there is a warrant out for […]
Fort Myers man found guilty of felony grand theft; stole funds from homeowners group (FL)
A Fort Myers man has been found guilty of stealing money from a homeowners association. Jonathan Mariotti, 42, was found guilty of first degree felony grand theft, following a trial in Lee County. Evidence showed the defendant stole more than $185,000 while he was the treasurer of a homeowners association. The jury deliberated for less […]
Property Manager Steals Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars from Two South Florida Condominium Associations (FL)
As documented in a recent report in the Miami Herald, the property manager of two Sunny Isles Beach condominium towers has been arrested for stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from the associations for the properties. Property manager Georgina Pineda (pictured below) was booked into a Miami-Dade County jail recently, and apparently it wasn’t her […]
HOA looks at bank theft, employee fraud (CA)
Lost Hills Sheriff’s deputies arrested the former manager of the Lake Lindero Homeowners Association Feb. 12 for violating a temporary restraining order that required him to keep away from the HOA tennis and swim club at Thousand Oaks Boulevard and Lake Lindero Drive. Bail for the 45-year-old Chris Barone of Agoura Hills was set at […]
5 Steps to Take if you Suspect Your HOA or Condo Board of Mismanaging Funds
Can community associations mismanage funds? The plain and simple answer is “yes.” Some communities mismanage community funds, whether maliciously or due to ineptitude, and it only takes one bad apple to give every community a bad rap. If you suspect your board or management team is not managing your community’s financials correctly, you need proof, […]
$400K reportedly embezzled from PCB Condominium (FL)
A Panama City Beach woman is facing multiple charges after deputies say she embezzled more than $400,000 dollars from a Horizon South Condominiums Homeowners Association. Cynthia Hayes, 55, reportedly stole the money while working as a bookkeeper for the resort. Read the article……………………….
Dedham elected official accused of stealing thousands in Rhode Island condo fees (MA/RI)
The vice chair of the Town of Dedham’s Board of Assessors is under investigation, accused of stealing tens of thousands of dollars from a Rhode Island condo association. Read the article……………………………
Son blames father in Ridgway Lane’s alleged multimillion-dollar fraud of HOAs (MS)
The former vice president of Ridgway Lane & Associates is claiming in court that he had no role in an alleged multimillion-dollar fraud to embezzle multiple metro Jackson homeowner association funds. Instead, he is pointing the finger at his father, David L. Lane, the former president of the company. Read the article………………………….
Clearwood President Resigns as HOA Lands on Steadier Financial Footing Through Special Election (WA)
Following a special election earlier this month during which measures to ratify the Clearwood Community Association’s 2020 budget and transfer funds to cover debt, among others, were passed by a large margin, President Aaron Lang announced his intent to resign…….While financial problems have been resolved, attention now turns to the litigation brought upon Dolanna K. […]
South Deerfield woman satisfies settlement with condo association (MA)
A Superior Court judge has vacated the restitution order against a South Deerfield woman accused of embezzling money from a condominium association after she satisfied the settlement agreement. Read the article……………………….
West Chester condo owners claim scheme led to $380K-plus loss (OH)
A group of West Chester Twp. condominium owners claim some condo association board members and a contractor have bilked them out of hundreds of thousands of dollars, both in a criminal complaint and civil lawsuit. Read the article…………………………
UPDATE: 11th HOA lawsuit against Ridgway Lane pushes alleged missing funds to over $2.1M (MS)
The number of homeowner associations in the metro Jackson area that are suing Ridgway Lane and its president and vice president now stands at 11……..On Monday, the Timbers Homeowners Association filed suit in Rankin court alleging more than $90,000 in missing funds. Read the article………………………..
New HOA lawsuit against Ridgway Lane claims over $500K in damages (MS)
A 10th homeowners association filed a lawsuit against Ridgway Lane. Eastbrooke Condominium Association fined against Ridgway, David W. Lane and David L. Lane on Friday. Eastbrooke claims more than $500,000 went missing from its accounts due to the actions of the Lanes. Read the article……………………………
Jacksonville HOA manager arrested on charges of grand theft (FL)
J&L Management of North Florida is a state-licensed agency that manages a number of homeowners associations, but the president, James Long, has been the target of complaints from previous HOA board members. Richard Eldridge was on the Cambridge Estates HOA Board when J&L Management of North Florida was hired to manage the HOA. Read the […]
Ninth HOA files lawsuit against Ridgeway Lane over missing funds (MS)
For the ninth time, a homeowners association has filed a lawsuit against Ridgeway Lane.Oakhurst HOA in Clinton filed their suit on November 26, claiming they’re missing $168,000. Read the article………………………
Ridgway Lane father, son put homes up for sale amid HOA embezzlement investigations (MS)
A father and son, accused in multiple homeowner association embezzlement lawsuits, transferred the deed of a home to a spouse and put two homes up for sale amid an escalating investigation into their finances. The attorneys for four homeowners associations on Friday said David L. Lane and his son, David W. Lane, violated a court […]
Two more lawsuits filed against Ridgway Lane over missing money (MS)
Two more housing groups are filing lawsuits against Ridgway Lane. The Palisades Homeowner Association in Brandon and the Diplomat Condominium in Jackson are the latest to join a long list of HOA’s accusing the property management company of missing funds. Read the article…………………………
Former finance manager gets six years in prison for stealing $457,000 from Lake of the Woods (VA)
The former finance manager for the Lake of the Woods Association was ordered Tuesday to serve six years in prison for stealing $457,000 from the homeowners group. Roy C. Mayberry, 46, of Stafford County was sentenced in Orange County Circuit Court to 25 years, with 19 years suspended. He had previously pleaded guilty to multiple […]
Clearwood Homeowners Association Will Ask Members to Repay for Embezzlement Losses, Transfer Capital Reserves (WA)
Following the embezzlement of between $300,000 and $400,000, the Clearwood Community Association plans on transferring about $198,000 from its capital reserve funds while instituting a new $2-per-month repayment fee for residents that would last for about a year. Read the article……………………..
Another HOA files suit against Ridgway over missing money (MS)
Yet another homeowners association has filed a lawsuit against Ridgway Lane, claiming the company embezzled nearly $200,000 from them. Bruenburg HOA in Clinton said they are missing $180,000 from their accounts. Read the article…………………………
Ridgway Lane accused of embezzling over $1M from area homeowners associations: What we know now (MS)
Homeowner associations throughout metro Jackson are taking a hard look at their finances, especially those who had written agreements with property management company Ridgway Lane & Associates. Some are even taking matters to court. So far there are claims of more than a million dollars in missing funds from multiple homeowners associations all managed by […]
Ridgway Lane president leaving over ‘health issues’ days after company is sued by Ridgeland HOA (MS)
We are uncovering more information in our investigation into claims of funds missing from the Bridgewater Homeowners Association’s bank accounts. The Bridgewater Homeowners Association has filed two lawsuits against their management company Ridgway Lane, claiming almost $850,000 is missing or unaccounted for in their bank accounts. Read the article………………………..
Homeowners association in Ridgeland subdivision suing property managers over possible fraud (MS)
The homeowners association in a prominent Madison County subdivision is suing its property managers. The Bridgewater Homeowners Association files suit against Ridgway Lane, which has managed their properties since its inception. Read the article…………………………..
Polich sentenced to 7 years in prison in embezzlement case (CO)
Robert Polich, a Frisco man convicted of embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars from the Hamilton Creek Metropolitan District, was sentenced to seven years in prison during a hearing at the Summit County Justice Center on Tuesday afternoon……In 2014, Polich was arrested on a similar embezzlement case, in which he stole about $160,000 while working […]
Corridor man heading to prison for defrauding homeowners association (IA)
A Marion man has been imprisoned for defrauding a homeowners association out of nearly $125,000. The Gazette reports that 55-year-old Wayne Jones Jr. was given 18 months at his sentencing Thursday in U.S. District Court in Cedar Rapids. He’d pleaded guilty to wire fraud. Read the article…………………….
Man accused of stealing $700k from HOA funds in Greenville Co., deputies say (SC)
A former Upstate property manager turned himself in Wednesday after being accused of stealing more $700,000 from various homeowners associations. The Greenville County Sheriff’s Office started an investigation on October 1 after the Stonehaven housing community reported money was missing from HOA funds, according to the sheriff’s office. Read the article………………………
Preliminary Audit Finds Clearwood Embezzlement Larger Than First Thought (WA)
A preliminary look at the Clearwood Community Association’s forensic audit shows that a former bookkeeper likely embezzled “above $300,000 but less than $400,000,” General Manager Mitch Waterman said Tuesday. Read the article…………………………
A Chester County property manager embezzled almost $1 million from condo associations, DA says (PA)
A Chester County man abused his position as a property manager at three condominium associations, embezzling almost $1 million that he used to cover personal and business debts and buy himself a lavish home, authorities said Tuesday. Read the article……………………
Leyden man arraigned for larceny at condo association (MA)
A Leyden man was arraigned in Hampshire Superior Court Monday afternoon for allegedly stealing more than $1,200 from a condo association. Shane Parker, 33, pleaded not guilty to a single charge of larceny over $1,200 and was released on his own recognizance. His next court appearance is scheduled for Jan. 15. Read the article……………………….
Clearwood Community Association Members to Vote on $300K Embezzlement Repayment (WA)
Members of the Clearwood Community Association could be footing the bill temporarily after it was discovered last year that a bookkeeper embezzled upward of $300,000. The Clearwood Community Association Board of Directors will discuss allowing members to vote on a one-time fee at their next meeting this Saturday. If there’s a consensus among the board, […]
Neighborhood Watch: Becoming an HOA watchdog (SC)
Homeowners associations can be both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, they give structure to a community and help set and monitor community standards to protect property values, as well as the safety and security of everyone. On the other hand, they can be overreaching in exercising authority like what color your […]
Ex-prothontary clerk gets probation after paying back money he stole from homeowners association (PA)
A former clerk in the Lycoming County prothonotary’s office has admitted stealing $41,000 from a suburban Williamsport homeowners association. Ryan A. Workman, 28, Friday pleaded guilty to a theft charge and immediately was sentenced by county Judge Nancy L. Butts to three years’ probation. He also must perform 100 hours of community service. Read the […]