Miami-Dade County Pushes for Stricter Oversight on Homeowners Associations

Miami-Dade County leaders are pushing for enhanced oversight and stricter regulations for homeowners associations (HOAs), with hopes of turning their proposal into law. The potential legislation would empower the sheriff’s office to investigate issues related to HOA mismanagement.

“It is wonderful, it is extraordinary,” said Ana Danton, a homeowner in the Hammocks HOA. Danton, who has firsthand experience with HOA mismanagement, expressed her full support for the initiative. “Homeowners need all the help they can get,” she added.

Danton’s perspective stems from the fallout of a yearslong investigation that uncovered alleged large-scale theft of funds from the Hammocks HOA. The Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office conducted a multi-year, multi-million-dollar investigation into the association, revealing allegations of fraud and conspiracy. Several individuals were charged in connection with the scandal.

“But it took five years,” Danton pointed out. “You know how many people lost their homes in five years? You know how many people they just finished working, and when they wake up, they owe the association $500 more monthly?”

The Hammocks HOA case, one of the largest organized crime busts in decades, highlights the urgent need for reform. “The Hammocks was the largest organized crime bust, I think, since the 1980s as a state, and really as a county,” said Republican Rep. Juan Carlos Porras, whose district includes the Hammocks. “We haven’t seen something of this nature in decades.”

County leaders and advocates hope the proposed legislation will bring accountability and protection for homeowners, preventing future cases of mismanagement and fraud.