Miami Dade County Commissioner Lynda Bell's husband Mark, bought a historical hotel in Homestead at 5 South Flagler Avenue. Wendy Lobos (a former Homestead Commissioner) registered a corporation for him on February 16th to buy it. A minister told me he thought the deal was his. He had plans drawn up and was checking with government entities when he heard Mark Bell got the Hotel. The Minister gave Bell the plans he had drawn up. He was disappointed. Bell quickly got a balloon mortgage from Redinn Mortgage, LLC February 23rd. The mortgage was for $225,000, Bell put 10% down on the $250,000 hotel. The details of the financing ARE NOT in the mortgage papers. The interest rate is in a note that is not included in filed papers. In theory, the Bells could be paying 3%, 9% or even 0% interest. The Bells could have a very favorable deal with Redinn, even a sweetheart deal. This does involve the husband of County Commissioner Lynda Bell. Some Realtors I spoke with said that giving a mortgage for 10% down on a commercial property was a very good deal in itself.
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| Clause I found in the mortgage written by Reddin. Is this common in today's market? |
I looked at the Mortgage Company. It was formed Feb. 15, 2012 the day before Mark Bell formed his corporation. That was only 8 days BEFORE the mortgage was written! WHAT?? The thought crossed my mind: Was this mortgage company formed only to write Lynda Bell's husband's mortgage? I looked for other mortgages written by this mortgage company and found none. I looked up the mortgage company.
This second mortgage company also appeared to write only one mortgage.
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| Eyecast executive team: John DuBois and Suhail Nanji (who is on Bell's Mortgage documents). |
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| DuBois's Letter |
John DuBois, running for Vice Mayor in Palmetto Bay, held Lynda Bell's victory party at his palatial Bayfront home and is a big supporter of Bell. He, and coincidentally, Lynda too, are in a battle with the County environmental department (formerly known as DERM). Lynda Bell held a town hall meeting about DERM March 3, 2011 and John DuBois was the main speaker at the hearing bashing DERM (see letter for his beef).
Lynda Bell also appointed John DuBois to the county International Trade Advisory Board October 2011. Bell's campaign manager Jose Luis-Castillo (Seijas supporter) is running John DuBois' campaign for Vice Mayor in Palmetto Bay. Castillo also is Vice Chair of the International Trade Advisory Board, the same board Lynda put DuBois on.
Bell's Chief of Staff approached Assistant County Mayor Osterholt the end of January 2012 to discuss John DuBois' problems. A meeting was set up and held March 1st with DERM. This is all going on around the time of the Bell mortgage.
Below is photo of John DuBois and Lynda Bell at a Christian Family Coalition (anti-gay group) event that he hosted at his home. Did I mention that John DuBois is extremely wealthy? Most of his beef with DERM started about rules he faced building his waterfront home in Palmetto Bay. He then got involved in his neighbor's problems. There was illegal wetland filling suspected on the property of the 90 year old neighbor (who is/was represented pro-bono by John Shubin). Why would a man 90 years old be doing filling?
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| John DuBois and Commissioner Lynda Bell in his Palmetto Bay home. |
*Remember that second mortgage company, J&S 8360 Mortgage LLC, linked to Dubois (Mgr.) and Nanji (Registering Agent) that also curiously wrote only one mortgage that I mentioned? The one mortgage written by this other mortgage company was for an office building in Broward. It appears that both DuBois and Nanji are officers in a Corporation that also owns this office building.
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| DuBois' Mortgage Company wrote the mortgage for a building in Broward | . |
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| Corporation that owns building in Broward. |
Going in a giant loop, the address of Lynda Bell's Husband's mortgage company - Reddin (that might/might not have given Bell a sweetheart deal on his financing) - is the building in Broward owned by John DuBois and Suhail Nanji. You remember the name Suhail Nanji by now I hope.
Hit read more for Lynda Bell's Most Recent Financial Disclosure Report.
73 comments:
There is no explanation accept the one we all suspect. Is that clause (for twice the amount of the balloon) in all balloon mortgages?
Does Lynda get it?
Do not worry, Faddis alone is about to end Bells career with the game she is playing now
Watch it all unfolding soon.
Comish Bell,
Who is the insider you have with this information?
It is about time to change your staff and associates.
Learn, Learn, Learn .... from the past
John Shubin is representing someone living on the bay pro-bono, LOL.
Ah, the benfits of public office, people will do anything for you...
except in LB world, its not her, that is Marks deal, right, tell us another one....
The mortgage company is taking a risk. The Bell's don't have a lot of money and this hotel is a gamble. I think you are right to suspect there is more going on than meets the eye.
Thanks for the puzzle now all we have to do is put it together. Sounds like Joe Martinez's land deal for his house.
Great Job! You might learn to be a reporter yet.
"Redland Hotel mysteriously burns down, film at 11..."
This is excellent investigative reporting. You are performing a real service to the community in exposing these relationships and this "deal."
I have some questions:
What did the minister offer the owner before Bell bought the property for $250,000?
What happened to the $350,000 EDA loan through the City of Homestead for previous owners? What it forgiven? Paid off?
There is a rumor circulating in Homestead that Bell actually bought the property for $125,000. Hard to prove but it might be worth investigating.
There seems to be an foul odor emanating from District 8.
Thanks again for the great work.
The future advances are likely to fund the renovations at the hotel, which seems normal. Setting up a separate company to contain risk - here a mortgage company - is a sound business practice. The hotel seems undervalued at $250K so financing it up to $450K makes sense. Homestead's downtown really has no hotel where a normal person would stay so this could work as a business.
Doing business with Lynda Bell is probably going to turn out badly for DuBois, but then again, he apparently has the money to burn. Be wary, Mr. DuBois - people in Homestead can attest to how Ms. Bell turns on her friends over petty B.S. Just imagine what she might do over money.
This couple didn't have a pot to piss in until Bell got involved in politics. The husband worked sporatically.
Hey GoD -- if you look at the DuBois and Burch property on Google Earth or Bing maps, it looks like work on Birch's property happened from the DuBois property. If that's the case, it makes one wonder why DuBois would allow acess to fill wetlands on a neighbors land? Also why did Bell hold that Town hall meeting when she did, was it because DuBois wanted her to?
You are all forgetting that the Bell's have other mortgages on other properties. This is not the only liability. They live off of rental income. She and her husband probably couldn't get a real mortgage from a real bank.
Linda Bell and John Dubois have every right to be friends and share the same beliefs. This investigation indicates that more than friendship are involved. This appears to be another sorry example of a politician and connected wealthy individual taking advantage of their positions to benefit each other at the public's expense. Voters often seem to elect people to represent them that instead of working for the common good, use their power to help their friends. Anyone who votes for Linda Bell and John Dubois will be voting against their best interests.
Homer Stead: But the husband or wife did NOT set up the mortgage company. Why would someone else set up a mortgage company to contain risk?
This is just a guess, but based on what you wrote, it appears that the Bells decided to buy the hotel and asked DuBois to finance it. DuBois set up the mortgage company to write the loan. By creating the mortgage company, DuBois separates himself personally from any risk created by the mortgage transaction. There may be tax benefits doing it this way, too.
Your idea that the mortgage company was established to write just one loan is not far fetched. Lots of commercial real estate transactions are walled off by use of LLCs and other devices.
Though we are not privy to the details of this transaction, it does not look odd from a business perspective.
The odd part is that political figures are involved, which always makes the general public look twice, as they should.
It's doubly risky for DuBois because he is associating himself closely with Bell as a businessman AND in political terms. He may live to regret the decision on both counts.
Looking at her financial report makes me think she is over-extended. This is their 3rd mortgage.
Genius: You are an outstanding investigative reporter. Thank you continue exposing these corrupt and dishonest politicians.
Watch out for the ones that thump the Bible the hardest. Seems like these are the most dishonest.
That woman's nutthin' but trouble.
Nothing will ever come of this as long as the great enabler of corruption KFR holds sway at the State Attorney's office
It isn't illegal
To the "person" who keeps bring Faddis name with Bells's issue.
Please have the decency to leave a good married woman alone.
If there is a true saint, her name must be Johanna.
She is the only one who is keeping that office all together. Not like the chief of staff going from meal to meal, and occasionally stops by the office to intimidate staff.
Wasn't Joanna Faddis the Homestead assistant city manager who was getting all those "I love you" texts from the city manager? And despite all the texts, she denies there was a relationship?
Off topic but Eddie is losing lots of weight as is Commissioner Edmonson.
Stop with Faddis. This post has nothing to do with her. I don't care about your zany Homestead characters.
To answer your first question, there would be a reason if there was profit involved. With the Bell's just treading water financially it appears that is not the case. The mortgagee took a gamble and will be lucky to get his money back. To form a corporation to gamble is crazy. I think he formed the corporation to do the Bells a favor because their credit could be trashed.
What's really sad is that Palmetto Bay has two choices for Vice Mayor, an idiot (Pariser) and a dishonest, right-wing nutcase idiot (DuBois). Wish someone else would run. Palmetto Bay didn't vote Bell for commissioner, but they may choose her ardent supporter as vice mayor, if they want to get rid of completely ineffective Pariser. Tough choice. Opinions, Genius?
I'll take the idiot any day over the right wing nutcase.
Ineffective is not so bad -- do no harm is my number 1 criteria. Do nothing is certainly okay in today's dysfunctional world.
I would vote for Pariser.
Thinly veiled favor for the County Commissioner. With two other mortgages the banks would never have given her or her husband another one.
I do not know either candidate but I would vote for Pariser. I have had a belly full of corruption today. Now I wonder if any of the other commissioners have been engaged in this type of distrustful behavior. If this has happen and the documentation is proof its true then my question is Did Mrs. Bell as mayor of HOmestead vote to give the former owners the city loan money and now buys the hotel. I do wonder what happen to the City of HOmestead money: County money: and Federal Money. This seems to be a real disaster. Yes, the paperwork maybe legal but elected officials engaged in this type of transaction is a problem. Also, the minister who thought he had a deal and gave up his plans to Bell. Was he compensated or intimidated by this powerful person to give up his purchase of the hotel. I think the Bell's applied to banks and was turned down.
Zee cat is out of zee bag. Nice work, G.O.D.!
Genius,
I agree 100% with your comment about leaving Faddis alone.
She is not an elected official or hold a key position. Her private and love life is hers alone.
who are we to judge her. We all have our own sins to cast stones at Faddis.
I worked with her for several year, and she was a great coworker, great mentor and extremly ethical.
She deserves better in life that what she has now.
Well what the hell are you bringing her up again for? Just stop.
That office survives because of Eddie B. Who knows with the way he's losIng weight he might soon be on the recieving end of those " love texts"
The market value/assessed value on the property appraisers website is $340,000. Why was it only $250,000 in the sale?
I heard the PBA was planning to buy the hotel.
They were waiting for meeting for sign-on of members to purchase.
Mark Bell jumped in and bought it.
Do you think that Suhail Nanji is a front for Dubois and that he is doing the mortgage really?
I heard it from Lynda Bell's office, oops I mean a little bird, that she wants DuBois to be her successor when she is term-limited. One right-wing Christian T-Partier to be replaced by another.
I don't believe DuBois's letter to the editor. People that old don't start major projects at their homes and I don't believe a lawyer would work pro-bono.
What don't you understand when I say NO more Faddis?
What's a Faddis?
This post is not about Shelley, Howard, Patrick or Joan. Don't bother posting on them. I only left the Tendrick comment post because of the law firm connection and other Relavent passages. Will edit it.This isn't your blog South Dade Matters/voice people.
Let's take a careful look at the firm doing the legal work for this deal. District 2 Council Member Howard Tendrich's brother-in-law is the name partner. Tendrich also appointed him to the Charter Review Commission. Tendrich is also running for re-election. Tendrich is the candidate from the Village Voice.
Dubois is the ultimate land grabber (I suspect he just wants the Burch property to add to his own 8 1/2 acres on the water)and ultimate deal maker. It appears that Palmetto Bay must be the next hot bed of corruption.
Where are the NEGATIVE comments on Tendrich? I said I removed them and I did. These are statements without judgement.
Stop bothering me.
It is my guess that since the 2 properties next to DuBois are for sell and this is last open land (if you remove the existing houses) DuBois will buy them and then go for a zoning change. He will put up a hotel or high rises overlooking the bay ... what ever he can weasel out of village hall.
He is a dangerous man for the well being of the community. His neighborhood will have mega-business Palmer Trinity on one side and what ever DuBois cooks up on the other side along highly congested Old Cutler Road.
Dubois may hang out at Christian Coalition events, but I doubt there's a spiritual bone in his body. Based upon what I have heard from people he hangs with, he makes Lynda look like a Saint. Put that in your pipe and smoke it for awhile. Do not elect him to anything.
Genius,
since you are removing negative comments about some people, can you please remove the negative comments about Faddis and Shehadeh in the this post and the prior two.
They are not a part of the stories and their families and privacy should be respected.
I challenge you to understand and remove there names immediately. The people (or person) who writes such ... if full of hate for both of them.
The Historical Hotel--part subject of this episode has sat vacant in the old part of Homestead for a long time. It Is a "pig-in-a poke as the 90's--good 'ole boys & early on- mayor--LB & city leaders, let the development go eastward to the turnpike. The farmers sold out the best glade land in the South Dade part of the county and the polticans reaped contributions from the developers for their re-elections,
The Hotel and area is a dead zone and will continue for some time.
No business, cheap mortgage, EASY
OUT
'Ole Timer'
I spent a couple of hours looking at the public records on the DERM’s website for Dubois and his neighbor, the elderly man named Burch. It was an eye opener and plenty interesting, and a lot of it might point to Dubois as behind the wetland destruction on Burch’s land. Aerial photos from Bing maps? that show fill used on Burch’s wetlands might have come from Dubois’s property. A septic tank contractor described how he placed the fill on the Burch property at Dubois’s direction. Burch and his daughter swore under oath that they have no knowledge of how the fill got onto their land, but Mr. Burch alleges that his nice neighbor Dubois helped him write insulting responses to DERMs enforcement letters. Dubois wrote a letter to the editor of a local rag (in your blog) describing the county enviro regulators as “predatory." Was DuBois himself preying on the old man Burch? But now Burch is represented by a high priced attorney and environmental consultant "pro bono". Could it be the nice neighbor who is paying Burch's legal and consulting bills? Don't know. Dubois was summoned twice by the County Attorney for a deposition in the Burch case as far as i know he has not responded to both subpoenas. The truth will come out eventually.
And Dubois has his own problems on his property, accused of cutting down mangroves and filling wetlands. He has a beef with DERM going back years. Put this together with what I’ve read in this blog, things like Lynda Bell holding a public whipping a/k/a "townhall meeting” on DERM as one of her first acts as a commissioner - where Dubois was a featured speaker and lambaster of DERM - and then assembling a “task force” loaded with her own appointees to water down regulations that protect wetlands.
This mortgage deal may not be illegal but it certainly doesn’t pass the smell test. It has the stink of a quid pro quo. It seems Commissioner Bell, that champion of ethics, wouldn't recognize an “appearance of impropriety” if it bit her on the ass.
Just make sure you have your pro bono lawyer available because you can bet that none of the anonymous posters will step forward and assist you in the defamation lawsuit from the posts making false accusations of criminal acts. The publisher of such information can be held just as liable as the poster and has a duty not to knowingly or negligently publish such information. It would be one thing if the board was open, but you take a further step toward responsibility for the content by moderating this board. You choose what to publish.
Looks like Stephen Cody is on your blog again.
BTW, I have a public records request in to Lee Hefty for the Depositions scheduled for Feb. 2 and March 10th for John DuBois in a pending lawsuit. Since I don't have them I am assuming the depositions still weren't taken.
I can't believe they are threatening your blog. That is so low a blow. I think it is DuBois not Cody.
It seems that folks in this community have forgotten that free speech is what we founded this country on. From what I see here, other than editorial comment by some posters, the facts are public record.
I don't know how we can continue to survive in this nation, if we lose the concept of freedom of speech and similar rights without fear of intimidation. A journalist or anyone else for that matter, should not be threatened for having an opinion.
Thanks for your advice...My pro-bono lawyer said your lawyer should tell me what these false accusations of criminal acts are...send them in a letter to geniusofdespair@yahoo.com clearly idenifying them.
I am for a recall of Bell. My major issue is that she moved to a building that does not have enough parking. The lone disabled parking space is not accessible with a wheelchair lift equipped van. How this building got built with such a low number of parking spaces is another zoning screw up, passed with questionable actions.
When someone does the recall petition I am on board to help with the recall. IOt is my opinion that this location has ADA parking issues, as well as general parking issues.
The only reason I can see for such a move, is signage on S. Dixie Hwy. Which must generate many comments about limited parking.
Bottom line, everyone needs to contribute to, and walk for and get out the vote for Brian Pariser for Vice Mayor, as we certainly don't need a wheeler dealer low brow like Dubois elected to any office. EVER !
When that Building was built, all the ground level was parking.
How did the county allow them to convert the barking to offices!!!
The hallway in that building was also converted to more office for Bell's staff in violation of zoning, fire and no permits.
How did the city allow that (if they know)!!
By the way the threat came from Steve Shiver.
Welcome back Stevo. You came back immediately after the statue of limitations was lifted on your actions in the county and the shitty of Homestead?
Mr. Wood: Now that you mention the signage. I have observed that her signs are attached to the Florida Power and Light Company concrete poles. I thought that was illegal. However, since her daughter works for Florida Power and Light and Mrs. Bell is District 8 Commissioner its OK. Since everyone is afraid and intimidated by her she does run a Bully Pulpit. Mr. Wood you are correct their is no parking at her office and I heard she left the South Dade government center because of very little parking. I tried to park in front of her office it was impossible. The pickup with her name on it was in the way. So I had to leave,
Mr. Wood, I think she is going to RECALL herself. I am truly sorry for this inconvience to you.
The person who is doing all of this for Bell is not mentioned at all.
He is the one who got her elected;
He is the one who hired her staff;
He is the one who is running DuBois campaign;
He is Bell main lobbies;
He is the one who got her the loan;
He is the one who got her daughter the job;
He is the one who moved her to his friend building;
He is the one that Bell's staff (mainly Ed and Johanna) have to consult before they make any moves;
And he is getting all the benefits of the above.
Bell and her staff are loyal to him.
His wife was working for Bell and quit a few weeks ago.
Does anyone know his name? I do know his name. I let you try first.
Hint: his name is in my article...so he is mentioned reader.
Dear Genius,
You are Genius!!!
you are 100% correct, his name is in your article, but the readers are not saying anything about this.
He is the conductor, and Bell and her staff just play the music.
Amazing, 64 comments on a posting that is 4 days old. It seems you touch a nerve when you mention Bell Genius. . . and energize your followers.
Forget Brian Pariser. He has abandoned too many of his former allies. He is damaged goods. Forget Dubois. There will be a female candidate announcing her run for Vice Mayor in Palmetto Bay shortly who will blow both of the two current candidates away in November.
She is neither affiliated with the current regime or Lynda Bell.
She is a new and independent voice for Palmetto Bay whose only interest will be the best interest of Palmetto Bay.
Ok, Rosa is filing to run. The name is Lourdes Gomez Castillo. He is so busy she quit to work with him, or so the story goes. LB has so many new people working for her you don't even know she has a representative in the room till they speak up. John Dubois keeps running from his depositions. How does that work out? He apparently has that much pull that he can just say no.
He is a proud tax payer in Palmetto Bay. In fact, he announces himself as the person who pays the highest taxes in the Village and that warrants special treatment.
These must be his credentials for Vice Mayor. Since he is such an involved resident, how many residents would recognize him on the street I wonder?
Genius: I was told just today that when Mrs. Bell was mayor of Homestead she and other council members were always threating to sue newspapers. She threatened to sue them for writing about her. Of course it never happened. Just more hot air and fear toward the citizens and intimindation toward the newspapers. The newspapers kept writing. In fact they wrote more because she gave them more to write about by running her mouth.
Rosa? A new voice? She’s run a bunch of times before. I don’t believe recycling people from the past whose failed ideas and reputation only got them 7 percent of the vote, will do us any good. A spoiler maybe to help the anti Derm Dubois. Brian’s done a good job. Let’s support him. Don’t fall for those old tricks!
Someone posted that Dubois is in his own trouble with DERM (or whatever it is called now) for filling wetlands and cutting mangroves.
Where is the information about this - why isn’t it in the local papers ? He has been blanketing my neighborhood with fancy flyers making him look like an environmental darling (“member Sierra Club” member Village of Palmetto Bay’s Tree Advisory Board”). His website makes him seem like a great guy. If I hadn’t googled him and found your website I wouldn’t have known all of this. Do the local papers have no interest in this?
I went on the County website and could not find a video for this February 21 meeting. I wanted to hear what Mr. Dubois said about DERM. There seems to be an Agenda for the February 21 meeting with a presentation by Alice Pena. Is that the town hall meeting that Mr. Dubois spoke at, or a different one?
And am I looking in the wrong place, or is it true that there is no County webcast posted for this February 21 meeting?
Alice Pena's meeting...John DuBois spoke at it for at least 20 minutes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGptTtwkT
John DuBois
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