A board election at St. Tropez on the Bay II, a condominium tower in Sunny Isles Beach, was disrupted when arguments escalated and a man tore up ballots, leading to the cancellation of the vote. Police responded to the incident, which took place on Wednesday at the 96-unit building located at 200 Sunny Isles Boulevard.
According to a police report, Jacob Gold, identified as the husband of a unit owner, blocked access to the meeting room and later tore several ballots during ongoing disputes. A video posted on Facebook by an account named St. Tropez on the Bay II shows people yelling while a police officer escorts a man holding pieces of paper that appear to be ballots.
Gary Mars, attorney for the association, told officers that “the association president was trying to cancel the election, which prompted Mr. Gold to obstruct entry,” according to the police report.
Gold stated he attended as “the president’s assistant” and acknowledged intervening in the meeting. He claimed his actions were justified due to ongoing conflicts between association president Boris Benjaminov and KW Property Management, which manages the property. Gold alleged that KW Property Management had taken control of organizing the election without board approval and said some residents experienced problems with online voting.
“That basic prerequisite of having a board or the proper officer acting on behalf of the board calling for an annual meeting for the election never happened,” Gold said. “I may not be the most popular guy for stepping in but at least in helping the president, we are going to have a proper election.”
Gold added that they plan to seek court intervention for an independent monitor to oversee future elections. He argued that if he had not acted, there could have been confusion over leadership within St. Tropez: “two boards, two presidents and a referee for the next year.”
No criminal charges were filed against Gold following this incident.
Mars confirmed that another election will be scheduled but declined further comment.
Questions remain about Gold’s connection to St. Tropez II; he is not listed as an owner in property records and declined to clarify his ownership status: “Whether or not I live there is irrelevant,” he said.
Disputes over condo board elections are common in South Florida. In one recent case involving 1060 Brickell condo in Miami’s Brickell neighborhood, prolonged litigation led a judge to order new directors after siding with unit owners seeking change in leadership and requiring former directors hand over all records and control of their association.
Another high-profile case involved The Hammocks homeowners association near Miami where authorities allege former leaders embezzled millions from HOA funds—a scandal also marked by disputed elections including early poll closures during its 2022 vote amid unsubstantiated claims of a bomb threat by former board members facing criminal charges.
