Developers of the Ritz-Carlton Residences Sunny Isles Beach Edgardo Defortuna, Manuel Grosskopf and their respective companies are being accused by condominium owners at the building next door, the Tropicana, of using "straw buyers to acquire five of the 48 units at the Tropicana and to block efforts by the condominium association to dissolve itself and sell the entire nine-story building to a developer who could put a much taller building in its place" according to the Real Deal. The Tropicana is the only building between the future site of the Ritz and Haulover Nude Beach, directly to the south, which is also a park, and thus offers delicious views of old naked guys down to Baker's Haulover Cut.
Those five units, amounting for just over ten percent of ownership vote, are just enough to block the dissolution. Both Grosskopf and Defortuna had, at previous points, allegedly attempted to purchase the entire Tropicana outright, although neither offered what the Tropicana wanted.
· Ritz-Carlton developers accused of blocking sale of neighbor [Real Deal]
· Ritz-Carlton coverage [Curbed Miami]