It is very hard to search records when people use a host of names. However in a search of former North Miami Mayor Celestin, by Joe Celestin, instead of Celestin, Joe, I found more records. And I also searched Josaphat Celestine (note the “e” on the name).
There was a $75,000 mortgage executed 2/14/2006 for a different property than the one mentioned in Bonefish documents. I also found a $16,225 judgment (case No. 98-11798 CC-05) and a second Judgment Lien (J04000035634) in the name of Westport Recovery for $136,660.97.
Which means the former mayor appears to owe even more money which makes the balloon mortgage granted by Bonefish even nuttier. Suppose I am mistaken on one or two of the former Mayor's debts (I just searched public records, could be his dad on some), this is still something everyone should be concerned about. How can you justify giving a loan to a person that is already in debt for hundreds of thousands and worse: they are judgment debts? It is a bad investment for your company, unless you address the possibility that the favorable/unusual loan might have another investment aspect to it: the cost of doing business.
After all, this developer transformed the city when Celestin was mayor. (see column Saturday and Sunday by Geniusofdespair)
6 comments:
I couldn't believe this story so I did some research on my own...here are two clips i found...
http://www.flsentry.com/paybill.htm
it sounds like Swerdlow is a case and a half....and now the swimming hall of fame has moved to North Miami? This is too big a story!
"Keith is sure that Swerdlow told him he was helping Griffin land a position with the giant national firm, Turner Construction. And his first public statements about the job scandal provide insight into the behind-the-scenes deals tied to the proposed International Swimming Hall of Fame, which is worth some $250 million and involves the biggest names in Broward power circles. All the participants in the mayor's job search are connected to the swimming hall: Griffin is its chief political proponent, Swerdlow its mastermind and developer, Turner a bidder to build it, and Keith, who was hired by Swerdlow to conduct site work on the project."
"He has reason to be angry -- Shelley is a long-time aficionado of the beach area and has been deeply involved in Pompano's Community Redevelopment Agency, which is generating the $31 million in tax dollars earmarked for the swimming hall. He accuses Griffin, Swerdlow, and Keith of hijacking the process. "The deck is stacked against the taxpayer and, in [the swimming hall's] case, we're watching our beach access, our beach pier, and our beach parking lot being turned over to a developer," complains Shelley. "We're giving it all away and it makes no sense at all."
"Both publicly and privately, Keith has profited from the CRA. Griffin and the rest of the commission, for instance, handed Keith & Associates the contract to conduct a $63,000 slum and blight study in 2000 that helped create the CRA. Now his company is being paid by Swerdlow to do site work on the swimming-hall project."
i found more:http://southflorida.bizjournals.com/southflorida/stories/2003/06/16/story1.html
it is the latest saga stemming from a controversial deal the county negotiated with developer Michael Swerdlow in 1997. After selling 272 acres to the county for $120 million, twice the value in two appraisals, Swerdlow leased back 97 acres and in 2000 transferred rights to Flagler Development, a subsidiary of railway company Florida East Coast Industries (NYSE: FLA).
Swerdlow is an example of how extraordinarily intelligent people use their gift to do bad things. He is a man without conscious or soul. Joe C. is just a crazy-like-a-fox street fighter who also has no conscious or soul. They both worship at the altar of personal wealth. The public is merely their sacrifical lamb.
I have to admit that as long as I have been the Guru on computers for all friends and family-20 years-I ignored all blogs when they appeared.
Suddenly last week a very bright friend of mine told me about your blog.
Shucks, I thought that all the super bright people had hidden in caves. Not so, you guys now have blogs.
Although this was because of the North Miami part, which is not all correct, but that is not my problem so I will go on.
My main concern is how anyone with money can buy any elected representative of the public. When I first got into politics only about 25% of the politicians could be bought for money. Sure they could lie to get elected and make deals with the opposing party, but not all took money.
Now 99% of all politicians can be bought. To me that is blatant dishonesty and should expose them all to jail. I understand the big guys buying their own politicians because that is their cost of
being big. I understand lobbyists paying the bribes out, after all they are only small employees and are paid to do a legal job. The fact that it
is legal is the problem. Further I do not know how we can make the crooks living on the bribes changing the law.
Any thoughts on this problem will be appreciated.
Mensa:
My thought is, get the information out there. The less that is hidden the better. This stuff we are saying stays on the web...someone will see it and things will change. We must never give up and fold up in a denial ball in our living room, watching that 42 inch screen TV... Unless something really good is on.
P.S. What did i write about North Miami that you think is wrong?
The Miami Herald asked me a similar question so I put them in touch with Joe Celestin and requested that he try to tell them the truth. Some of the facts were different then they appeared, not that I would defend Joe.
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