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Florida condominium story
Euclid East: a board member followed a recertification check.
A Miami Beach condominium was preparing for a 40-year recertification project. A board member noticed a check, asked whether the stated permit work had happened, and the question led to a broader investigation.
The case record
One check raised questions about a much larger project.
According to the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s February 2026 newsletter, a Euclid East director saw a $25,000 check to JLH Repair LLC for permit processing and submission, then learned from the Miami Beach Building Permits Office that no permits had been pulled by the named person or company. The State Attorney later announced charges against the former condominium manager and a maintenance worker. The descriptions below are prosecutors’ allegations.
May 2024–May 2025
Payments went to JLH Repair LLC.
Prosecutors say the association paid about $370,000 to JLH Repair LLC during this period while the condominium faced its 40-year recertification work. Their account says the worker and company did not hold contractor licenses.
State Attorney newsletter2025
A board member checked the stated permit work.
The State Attorney says that inquiry found no permits pulled by the named contractor. The newsletter describes that as the start of deeper scrutiny, not as a final adjudication.
State Attorney newsletterFebruary 2026
Prosecutors announced charges.
The State Attorney charged Francisco Obispo with organized scheme to defraud and 13 kickback counts, and charged Jose Luis Hernandez with organized scheme to defraud and grand theft. Prosecutors allege identified transfers and kickbacks; the charges remain allegations.
State Attorney newsletter
The resident and board question
What exactly was the association paying for—and who proved the work was qualified and completed?
$25,000The check that prompted the reported permit question. The State Attorney’s newsletter also describes approximately $370,000 in payments to JLH Repair LLC. These figures are part of the prosecution’s account, not an independent Bylaw Ledger audit.
A check alone cannot show whether the vendor had the right license, whether a permit was necessary or obtained, whether the work matched the scope, or whether a conflict was disclosed. Those answers may be in contracts, board records, permits, invoices, inspections, and the community’s own rules.
Questions a board may need answered
Who was selected, and what qualification did the project require?Vendor · License · Scope
What permit, inspection, or recertification record supports the invoice?Permit · Evidence
Who approved the selection and payment, and what did they review?Decision · Approval
Were conflicts and changes visible to the people authorized to ask?Disclosure · Access
Product assessment
What a connected record could make easier to review.
Basic: see reported bank activity. In the described product scope, Basic shows connected bank activity without changing a community’s existing approval process. Pro: record supported review steps. Pro is described as recording supported payment requests, approvals, and configured checks. Neither description verifies contractor licensing, confirms project work, conducts an audit, or means Bylaw Ledger would have prevented this alleged conduct.
Keep scope nearby
Keep a permitted vendor record, bid, contract, and invoice together for authorized review.
Show the approval basis
Preserve the decision and the material the community chose to rely on.
Surface a gap
Make it easier to see when a payment has no linked permit, scope, or decision record.
Following a vendor decision
The $25,000 check led to questions about the whole project.
According to the Miami-Dade State Attorney's February 2026 account, a Euclid East board member noticed a $25,000 check for recertification permit processing and called the Miami Beach permitting office. The office reportedly found no permits pulled by the named business or person. Investigators later described approximately $370,000 paid to that business over a year and alleged kickbacks tied to the project. The charges are allegations, not findings of guilt.
This is why an HOA or condo vendor review cannot end at the invoice. For a recertification project, the board needs to know what work the association authorized, who was qualified to perform it, whether permits were actually submitted, and whether payments match completed milestones. Those are different questions, and each points to a different source: contract, license record, permit office, inspection record, payment, and approval.
The State Attorney described this as a condominium matter. Florida Chapter 718 and the condominium documents are the legal starting points for this association; Chapter 720 governs a different type of community. A general page cannot determine which competitive bidding, conflict, or recertification provision applied to this project without the contracts and governing record.
Questions this case raises
What should a condo board verify?
Is a paid invoice proof that a permit was filed?
No. The board member in the public account checked directly with the permitting office. Independent verification can answer a question the invoice cannot.
Are Florida HOA bidding rules the same as condo rules?
No. Chapters 718 and 720 apply to different association types and can set different requirements. The governing documents and project facts also matter.
What can software contribute?
A connected record can put the contract, verification, decision, and payment together. Configured Pro checks can ask for required evidence before a supported instruction proceeds; they cannot certify construction quality.
Sources and scope
Read the public account behind this story.
The available primary source is a prosecution announcement. It reports charges and allegations, not a judicial finding. Bylaw Ledger has not independently audited the condominium’s records.
- Miami-Dade State Attorney, February 2026 newsletterCharges, alleged payment pattern, contractor qualification claims, and board-member inquiry.