Embattled North Miami Beach mayor acknowledges he took a seat on Davie homeowners board
North Miami Beach Mayor Anthony DeFillipo, who is fending off accusations that he actually lives elsewhere, had at one point sat on the board of a homeowners association in Davie where he owns property that is at the center of the dispute.
DeFillipo, through his attorney, confirmed that he sat on the board of the Sierra Ranches Community Association, which is the homeowners association for the $1.2 million property he bought last July in the Town of Davie.
His attorney said the mayor has since resigned from the HOA board, but he did not specify when DeFillipo left.
“He was on the board to make sure the developer completed the project. He is not on the board anymore,” attorney Michael Pizzi told the Miami Herald.
DeFillipo’s stint on the homeowners board could offer his opponents another argument to suggest he lived in the Davie house.
The mayor, who makes his living in real estate, says he continues to live in North Miami Beach, where he owns a condo. But following an investigation by an outside law firm, City Attorney Hans Ottinot opined that DeFillipo’s activity at the Davie house shows he in fact moved into the home, violating a requirement that North Miami Beach elected officials live within city limits and triggering his automatic removal from office.
Pizzi confirmed that DeFillipo sat on the homeowners board after a Davie resident sent the Herald a Nov. 29 email from Miami Management purportedly announcing DeFillipo as HOA president, weeks after North Miami Beach held its elections for three commission seats. The Herald could not independently verify the authenticity of the email.
Miami Management, the contracted management company for the homeowners association, has not responded to emails and requests for comment. Phone calls to two other residents identified in the email as members of the board were not returned.
Pizzi said it’s fairly common for property owners to serve as HOA board members and not tech
Anthony DeFillipo