Did developer Shahab Karmelyprofit from leasing a condo amenity?

A Downtown Miami condo association thinks so. It sueddeveloper in July, claiming that he added a yacht dock and profited from leasing an amenity reserved for condo residents.

The Ivy Condominium Association of the Ivy at River Front filed suit against Karmely, founder and CEO of the real estate investment and development firm KAR Properties, and Troy Taylor, the principal of City Centre Yachts, the company being accused of profiting from private yacht tours.

Karmely said the lawsuit is baseless.

The association also sued the River Front Master Association, which manages the common areas of the Ivy and adjacent Wind and Mint condominiums as well as three adjacent undeveloped lots owned by Karmely. Taylor is the president of the Master Association and Karmely is a member.

“This is a baseless and frivolous lawsuit which appear to be all too common these days,” Karmely said by email.

Taylor did not respond to requests for comment.

The association, which is suing for damages in excess of $30,000 and attorneys’ fees, is claiming that the Master Association used more than $60,000 from reserves to build a third boat slip in July 2018 for non-residents, despite an agreement allowing for only two boat slips and reserving the docks for residents. It then subsequently leased the third dock.

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Miami-Dade Circuit Court requested the parties settle the dispute outside of the court and negotiate, said Christine Michaels, a resident of The Ivy and a member of the Ivy Condominium Association. She is anticipating a judge and jury will solve the dispute, she said, after she and others failed to negotiate with the defendants.

“After many months and efforts to resolve this internally and amicably, the marina scheme continued,” Michaels said by email.“We had no choice but to file a lawsuit. Given the substantial evidence and witnesses we are confident to win this in court.”

Key International developed The Ivy at 90 SW Third St. in 2008. The 45-story condo has 504 units, with prices ranging from $250,000 for a 722-square-foot unit to $1.35 million for a 2,456-square-foot penthouse.