How Florida’s HOAs Became Ripe for Fraud

A massive fraud case at one of Florida’s largest homeowners associations exposed just how vulnerable HOAs can be to bad actors. On this episode of Deconstruct, The Real Deal’s Hannah Kramer and Lilah Burke talk with South Florida reporter Lidia Dinkova about the scandal at the Hammocks, a sprawling Miami-Dade community with more than 18,000 residents. Prosecutors accused former board members of diverting roughly $2 million through bogus vendors and kickbacks, while residents say they spent years trying to sound the alarm. The case ultimately helped spur sweeping changes to Florida’s HOA laws — but experts and residents say fraud remains a serious problem. Plus, Hannah breaks down the long-running battle over Manhattan’s Elizabeth Street Garden and what its preservation means for New York City’s struggle to build affordable housing. The hosts also look at which real estate heavyweights are putting money behind candidates in California’s governor’s race, New York City’s latest record rents and a bizarre Miami lawsuit involving a 100-year-old oak tree, a spec home developer and allegedly forged signatures.