Article Courtesy of The Miami Herald

By YAHNILET COLON

Published June 29, 2006

Getting the former board of directors recalled was only the first challenge for West Gardens Village resident Alberto Sabucedo.

As the new association president of the 64-unit complex at 690 W. Park Dr. in Fontainebleau, Sabucedo said he has spent the first three weeks of his tenure changing signatures on accounts left depleted by the former management company and reaching out to distrustful homeowners who stopped paying maintenance fees. And bills for legal fees incurred by the former association are coming in.

But ''we have a functional board now,'' he said.

Sabucedo and other owners turned to the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) with a signed petition to recall the board. On June 9, they had to present their defense after the former board disputed some of the 35 signatures.

According to the DBPR's June 9 ruling, only two of the petition ballots were properly rejected by the former board -- leaving Sabucedo's group with the 33 votes necessary for a successful recall.

The recall means that board members Elsa Saiz and Ana Luaces are out. Unit owners thought Sergio More was still listed as president and tried to recall him, but his wife Carmen is actually listed as president. She resigned at the end of the hearing.

The new board consists of Sabucedo, Carmen Perez, George Sela, Melvin Quiroz and Roseanna Fernandez.

''I did my part,'' Sergio More said. ``It's not easy to run a board. I wish them good luck.''

Cecilia More did not want to comment for this story.

Sabucedo, a lecturer at Florida International University and director of the forensic certificate program, was not forgiving. He questioned the Mores' decision to hire a new lawyer shortly before arbitration, especially now that the lawyer is now sending bills to the new board of directors.

He said he is now concerned about a reserves account left with only $1,600 of the $6,000 he expected. The college professor said All Florida Management, the association's former management company, agreed to use reserve funds to pay the community's utility bills.

According to Sabucedo, Barbara Blanco, the association's former manager, used funds to pay herself and other miscellaneous expenses.

Blanco resigned the day before the hearing, citing a mismanagement of funds on the part of the former association. Blanco could not be reached for comment.

''We got taken for a ride at the end,'' said Sabucedo, adding that he and the other unit owners had gone to the extent of not hiring a lawyer to represent them during arbitration for economical reasons.