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COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION MANAGERS À LA FLORI-DUH |
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An
Opinion By Jan Bergemann Published September 23, 2010
Most likely everybody will ask: What does an arrest for sexual battery have to do with condos and homeowners' associations -- or even community association managers?
Believe me, a lot -- when it comes to John Leonard McKenzie, a community association manager who lost his license in 1998, but was allowed by the DBPR to continue working as a manager. The DBPR allowed John McKenzie and his wife Karen, both not holding a valid community association manager's license in 2009, to run a management company named BEACON PROPERTY MANAGEMENT OF BOCA, LLTD. CO. DBPR CAM regulation got lots of complaints about McKenzie, but claimed that the firm had every right to be licensed. For more details please see: COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION MANAGERS À LA FLORI-DUH
Unlicensed CAM John McKenzie, as an owner of his management company, managed many condos and HOAs -- and the DBPR did absolutely nothing. If you go to the website of the Florida Division of Corporations, you will even find him listed as registered agent for many of these associations.
Owners, who tried to inform their neighbors about McKenzie's lengthy rap sheet, were threatened with lawsuits for libel and slander. According to media reports, McKenzie was arrested 29 times. Among other crimes, McKenzie was arrested for weapons, drug and child abuse charges.
Attorney Guy Shir sent an owner of a condo, managed by Beacon Management of Boca LLTD., a registered letter telling the owner he was filing suit on behalf of the board and John McKenzie for libel/slander. Funny enough, the board president claimed he knew nothing about this lawsuit.
Owners were even threatened if they dared to complain about a guy without a license, but with a lengthy felony criminal record, managing their associations.
AND THE DBPR DID NOTHING -- AS USUAL!
Complaints to the DBPR CAM Regulation Division went nowhere. And when asked why a person with no CAM license and a long criminal record gets a license for his management company after his personal license was revoked, the answer was: We need to see that everybody is in compliance -- the regular stupid excuse of DBPR employees.
The CAM license for Beacon Management of Boca Raton needs to be renewed in October 2011. My best guess is that the DBPR will send the renewal notice to McKenzie's jail cell, just in order to keep him in compliance.
In the meanwhile a lot of female homeowners and condo owners can breathe a sigh of relief. It looks like the state attorney will prevent John McKenzie from managing community associations without a license by sending him to jail for a 21-year-old rape case. Why do we have a DBPR? |